The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-04-12
CHAPTER I.

.M~ STABLE!" screamed the brake
man, opening the car door and
yelling his loudest. so as to be
heard above the rattle of the train and
the Shrek of the wind. "Ostabie!
The brakeman's cap was soaked
through. his hair was plastered down
on his forehead, and in the yellow light
from the car lamps his wet nose giis-
tened as If vanished The windows
streamed as each succeeding gust flung
Its miniature freshlet against them.
The passengers in the car did not
seem greatly interested In the brake
mans announcement. The red-faced
person in the seat nearest the rear
slept soundly, as he had done for the
iast hour and half. He had boarded
the train at Brockton and after re-
QueSting the conductor not to femme
git by Bayport, Bill" at first favored
his fellow travellers with a song ana
then sank into slumber.
Mr.. Atwood Graves, Junior partner
In the New York firm of Sylvester,
Kuhn & Graves lawyers, stirred I'M
easily on the lumpy plush cushion,
Rocked at his watch, then at the time
table In his hand, noted that the train
was now seventy-two minutes late and
for at least the fifteenth time mental
ly cursed the railway company, the
whole of Cape Cod from Sandwich to
Provincetown and the fates which had
brought him there.
The train slowed down in a 1erky,
hiccupy sort of way and crept on till
the car in which Mr.. Graves was seat
ed was abreast the lighted windows OF
q small station, where 1t stopped. Peer
ing through the water-streaked pane
at the end of his seat, the lawyer saw
dim silhouettes of uncertain outline
moving about They moved with pro-
vOling slowness.
Then, behind the door which the
brakeman, after announcing the sta
ton. had closed again, sounded big
laugh. The heartiness of 1t grated on
Mr.. Graves nerves. What idiot could
laugh on such night as this aboard
train over an hour late?
The laugh was repeated. Then the
door was flung briskly open, and a
man entered the car. He was big
man, broad shouldered, inclined to
stoutness, wearing cloth cap with
visor and a heavy ulster, the collar of
which was turned up. Through the
gap between the open ends of the col
lar bristled short grayish beard. The
face above the beard and below the
visor was sunburned, with little wrin-
kles about the eyes and curving lines
from the nostrils to the corners of the
mouth. The upper lip was shaved, and
the eyebrows were heavy and grayish
black. Cap, face and ulster were drip
ping with water.
swell, / tell you, Ezra" he called
over his shoulder. "if it's too deep to
wade maybe / can swim. Fat floats,
they tell me, and Abbie says I'm get
tin fieshier every day. So long"
He closed the door and, smiling
broadly, swung down the aisle.
"Hello, cap'n" cried one passenger.
"What's the south shore dOin' over
here In this fioodT
"What's the matter, cap'n2" demand
Cd another. Broke loose from your
moorin's, have your Did you ever see
such a night In your lief"
The man In the ulster shook hands
with each of his questiOners, removing
n pair of wet, heavy leather gloves as
he did so.
Don't knows i ever did, Dan," he
answered. Couldn't see much of this
one but its color, and that's black. /
come over this nlornin' to attend to
sone business at the courthouse
deeds 70 some cranberry bog property
inst bought-and Judge Baxter made
me 90 home with him to dinner. Stayed
at his house all the afternoon, and
then his man, Ezra Hallett, undertook
10 drive me up here to the depot. Talk
about blind pilOtin'l Whewl The
Iudee's horse, was a new one, not used
= the roads; Ezra's near-sighted, and l
,ouIdnt use my glasses count Of the
ain. Let alone that twas darkern
he fore hold Of NOah's ark. Ho. no