Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-06-11
CHAPTER /.
The Wreck of the Limited.

@~-~
cab of the giant Atlantic-type locomo-
tive and ran over toward the disused
freight shed beside the Lordsburg sta
ton. Five minutes before he had been
an irreproachable, Well-p0ised railroad
passenger engineer; but the suspicious
oft-repeated trips Of a diminutive,
sepia-colored man carrying. milk be-
tween the station restaurant and the
old shed excited him to a pitch where
rules, regulations and even dement's
counted for nothing.
There was something peculiarly fur
tive and wary about the little brown
mans stealthy look arOund-a mySteri-
Gus. unexplained air Of WatchfulnesS-
as if guarding some secret, the nature
of which Davenport could not imagine.
'Why should that sneaky-loOking
little devil be carrying milk into that
shed?" Tom asked himself at the first
trip. "Why don't he drink it in the
restaurant if he's so alfred fond OF
it, or go back in the diner and glzzle
it down until he busts-if that's his
game?
The second journey between the two
points was even more mystifying to
the engineer. AS the door to the ram
shackle structure closed behind the
milk-bearer Tom itched to follow him.
IN bet 'dObe dollar to a centay0
he amt drinking it himself he grunt-
ed, sliding from his seat to the roOmy
gangway between the boiler and the
tender. ''But somebody's drinking it
that's a cinch. He amt buying milk
down in this desert country to spill it
around promiscuous like. But if he
amt drinking it himself, who is? And
If somebody else is drinking it, why
is he hiding out in that old shack?"
The st0ical figure was padding back
again toward the restaurant, evident
ly intent on procuring still more lac
teal fluid. Then it was that Tom
dropped to the ground and shot over to
the disused building
He popped his head into the open
door and withdrew it with a celebrity
which would have made his train on q
Straightaway tWO-per-cent GOWn-grade
resemble a handcar climbing a hill pro-
PEELED by a lone section hand.
His fireman, Patrick Mahoney, from
the opposite side Of the great machine
observed Davenport's action with pro-
found amazement. It was not only
against the ruleS-it was unprecedent-
ed. unheard-Of.
Whats matter?" demanded Ma,
honey, as his obese chief climbed back
into the cab with a speed as marvel
GUS as unWOrted
Davenport swung to his seat without
deigning reply. His face was very
pale. lie did not look toward his run
ming mate-instead. his Mortified gaze
might be said to have been frozen to
the door Of the old freight shack, al
lowing, of course for the intervening
distance.
He intently watched the return Of
the brown-skinned atom Of humanity
with something between apprehension
and awe and studied him intently as
he again entered the tumble-down
building for the third time.
The conductor emerged from the
telegraph Office, clutching train or
der simultaneously with the reappear-
ance of the sepia~colOred gentleman
from the former freight house Tom
saw that he was now carrying a small,
round, covered basket of odd shape
Not until then did the engineer seem
to rouse from the fascination which
the little brown man had thrown over
him, and even as he waited the start
ing signal he leaned from the cab win
dow so far, as ne followed the stranger
with his eyes, that MahOney feared he
would fall out.
AS he turned to look across the cab
at the fireman Davenport did not have
the appearance of q man who is still
possessed of curiosity; but what he
had seen he evidently had no intention
of revealing.
Give her the gun, Paddy" said he
in q harsh, unnatural voice. Were
fifteen minutes late now, and if we
don't want to be dancing on the carpet
in the super's office in El Paso we've
got to make up that time if we burn
out crown sheet to do it."
IahOney nodded as he reached for
the firing-Valve and shot another pow
erful jet of oil against the sides Of
the "wrinkle-belly" firebox. While he
opened the blower to its fullest capac-
ity. He was debating what had come
over his phlegmatic superior.
The thick, black smoke roared out
Of the short stack as Tom leaned again
from the window, wondering why he
did not get the starting signal The
conductor was standing eXpectantly on
the platform hdgeting with his watch.
Impatiently the engineer was reach
ing for his detention card to note the
new loss of time as a partial measure
OF sel1-pr0tecti0n, when a tall, 1.-THE,
athletic y0upo ..lan rushed across the
platform and lonped Up the steps of
the Pullman. simultaneously the air.
whistle ~aun1o5 and Tom yanked his
l!tr,. C. .,eEot n obvious disgust.