The Snowflake herald., 1920-07-23
BY FREIGHT.
By ALISON DRURY.


the Dayton & Circle railroad A single
track line traversing fifty miles once
day its one locomotive, two gondolas
and three box cars swung around the
belt circle taking in twelve small
towns.
The d. & @. was private enter
prise owned by wealthy business men,
its functions simple, its profits pre-
tentious. The train was manned by
the engine crew only.
Aleck Pearce, an estimable young
man at Brompton, was in charge of the
one small freight house. He had
gone away on vacation and a visiting
cousin, Rodney Walton, had Temporal
rily taken his place. The latter was
young man of fortune and leisure and
rather enjoyed the novelty af real
work. He looked around from his
desk as footsteps echoed. Then he
turned around, for a sweet-faced,
bright-eyed girl of eighteen confronted
him with an eager, excited face
please, l wish to go to Fairville,"
she spoke
"On the Circle? Hardly" replied Rod
ney, you see, under our charter we
are not allowed to take passengers.
There is the Central"
Yes, l know. but / missed the ten
o'clock train by three minutes and
there isn't another until i've And l
must be at Fairvile by three, for
am to be bridesmaid to my dearest
friend. Can't you take me, please?
And stow me away in any odd corner"
Rodney Walton shook his head in
negative.
you see, Miss, I am only acting as
substitute and have to obey orders.
Hold on" added Rodney quickly, as
the applicant bordered tearfulness,
and he took down a book. "No pas
sengers but-Iive stock. Let us see.
All! here it is, we take on'-pigs, he
was going to say, but substituted
lambs, yes little lambs"
Then why not II"
But they have to be Grated"
''Then-then crate me-" courageous
ly suggested Ada Morton. ooh, l must
not be late at the wedding"
You would have to ride in dusty,
rattling freight car" Rodney advised
her. ."And you would have to be
weighed and tagged, just like a piece
of freight-impOssible young lady!"
But Ada Morton was all the more
determined. Rodney took a cardboard
form from pigeon hole. Il would
have to write your name and destina-
tiOn,'' he declared, land tie it to your
arm and schedule you as live stock at
so much a pound"
''But I don't care if you'll get me
to Fairville and dear, waiting Elinor
Wayne!"
The unique situation caused Rodney
to smile He went into a lumber room
and came dragging thence a light
framework that had held a piano lamp.
He carried this outside and thrust it
into the half loaded box car.
When, five minutes later, he helped
Miss Morton into the car, he had
placed a stool inside the upright craze,
had tied a freight ticket to her arm
and loosely tackled a thin piece of lath-
ing across the frame.
Not very luxurious, he commented.
"Oh, it's just delightful :" declared
Ada. you dear, good man And the
novelty of it,"
He left the car door partly opened
seated himself on a box, a small
satchel between his feet, and rather
congratulated himself for providing so
acceptably for the darling wishes of
this captivating young lady, who
beamed with grateful smiles.
The train did not halt until it had
progressed over fifteen miles. 1t came
to an abrupt halt and Rodney went
to the door and looked out.
Something out of order with the en-
gine," he explained. "Tll go ahead
and find out what the trouble is.
Please keep your eye on this, will
yOu?" and he moved the little satchel
near to Ada.
Five minutes had elapsed, when Ada
bent forward, fixing her eyes upon two
men emerging from some bushes. They
conversed, exchanged revolvers and
one of them ran to the car:
"Hello!" he calculated, staring won
deringly, "who are your
I'm freight, please" announced Ada.
Just then the locomotive whistled.
Rodney appeared.
Hands up?' ordered the intruder
Now then, you produce the cash you
are taking for the bank to Fairville."
where is it?" coolly submitted Rod
ney. ''The Central does that by ex-
press"
"Well, we've got tip you're doing
it today. Satchel-twenty thousand
dollars. Come, producer
Search for yourself, if you're SO
sure it's here" and in wonderment
Rodney observed that the satchel had
disappeared The other ransacked
among the boxes. Ada had arisen.
her hands clasped in real or assumed
terror. The train started up. The baf-
fled road agent leaped outside mutter-
esJ foyo1y vx-a ofot xx,YoY,cr o+oo,.