The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-16
EVENING STORY
It's Called Stealing.
BY ARCHEY CAMERON NEW

his way thru the DuSy idDyriHtH VI
the freight sheds to a small private
office marked Shipping Clerk" en-
tered 1t and closed the door.
Number s's loaded" he announced,
meaningly, to q young man at the
desk, scanning the chart Of loaded
freight cars. Are you ready"
The young man shuddered, but
turned resoiutely to Barnett.
yes" he snapped between clefched
teeth. But 1 think it's fools err
randi --
Barnett opened the door. called out
a command and in few moments
another big man in blue jumpers en-
tered the office.
you are" Barnett started to
question the newcomer.
THE one you want" chimed in the
other. From the chiefs office. Is
Frank going to make the trip" He
nodded to the young man. who re-
| turned the nod and spoke.
YES" he spoke nervously. Lets
hurry"
Five minutes later Barnett and the
man in blue jumpers, pushing truck
on which lay a heavy packing box,
passed thru the shed to the yards and
ITO No. 8 freight car, one of long line
behind an engine with full steam up.
Stopping in front of the door of the
4
it. Barnett paused and spoke in a low
tone
IF you feel cramped. Frank" he
whispered, bending over the boy, you
! can hop out for while when she goes
on the siding at Brooks Meadows.
But don't by any means open the
! door or be seem
Then Barnett closed the door,
stepped off a short distance, waved to
| the engineer and the train started to
crawl away.
Tell your chief it's all right or
dered Barnett to the other. mo one
on this end will ever suspect. Now
we'll catch the guilty ones
1t seemed to Frank Young, huddled
inside the poorly ventilated packing
sand miles before he heard the
crunching brakes and felt the car
| come to a standstill.
/ Brooks Meadows" he muttered to
with a heave of his shoulders he stood
upright after a few seconds and
vaulted out of the case. About him
| lay case after case of canned goods,
but these passed unnoticed as he
| peered thru a hole in the door into a
vast stretch of open country. Then
after while he sat down and opened
| a box and started to eat. Then as he
was finishing he stopped breathlessly
and listened. What was that? 1t
/ WOTkLnK
on the door.
Silently and quickly he cleared
| away the evidence of his lunch and
| slipped back in the box. pulling the lid
| down over him. Another minute and
he heard the door roll back. Some
one furtively climbed into the car and
stood close to the box, for he heard
| heavy breathing And then he heard
a case being lifted, and after a min
ute the sound of footballs on the
graveled right of way alongside the
track. Still he remained within the
case, and after a few moments the in
truder returned. The same process
was repeated until six cases had been
removed, and then after long wait
Young jumped out of his hiding place.
he sprang to the doorway. No one
was in sight,
The thief had eluded him! What
would his chief say to that? Should
he desert his post and start out on a
wild-goose chase, for it was unknown
Evidently his quarry lay here, and he
determined to act at once. He felt
for his revolver. and then jumped
from the car to the roadway. For a
dozen or more cars lay ahead of the
one he had left. And the doors OF
each had been opened!
He peered about him on the ground,
and then, bending over. suddenly
made an exclamation.
"Sawdust! he muttered, and then
he started ahead to follow the trail
, Cautiously he made his way down a
long dirt path. and then. circling a
> thick pine grove, he brought himself
) up short. Ahead lay a farmhouse
, and beside it a barn. And the trail
led direct to the barn.
| Selling his pistol in his hand, he
, went to the barn opening.
, Hands up!'' he commanded, and
then his hand dropped.
A slender little girl, whose long
, brown hair fell about her shapely
shoulders, framing a tanned, exquis-
J itely featured face, who was bending
, over a case of canned goods, rose and
| faced him. terrified.
please" she cried in alarm, don't
shoot"
What are you doing?" demanded
, Young, dumbfounded. who brought
-those-here?" He pointed to the
cases, piled up all about her.
She regained her composare and
faced him squarely.
Il did,
"You," he echoed and then he
= jumped around, fearing a trap. But
/ they were quite alone, he and this
young girl.
i, ed, coolly. II don't know you"
S You will soon enough" he an
swered. grimly. It's my business tc
, ask. I have been detailed by the C.
$ T. & @. to detect robberies. There's
been quite a. lot stolen, but nothing
$ offered for sale by the thieves. A,
| first we suspected the yard men. One
S man, the freight agent at Newmarket
I was discharged. But still the thefts
continued. And now I've found out >
s The girl eyed him in horror.
r, Surely she pleaded, wide-eyed
you don't think I'm a-thief?"
It's called stealing" he returned
I grimly. Tim afraid I'll have tc
take you away-under arrest"
/ She shrank back, but her eyes new
I er left his. ..
"After-you." she began, falteringly
? "After-you-the railroad found out
. lit wasn't the freight agent at New
7 | rle ttat IA q StaIera I Al I