Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-05
THE EVENING STORY

more pipe than was needed. and sew
eral Just such pieces as you want are
lying there useless now. saw them
not a week ago when l was at Deer
Lick. And they have a spare engine
working on the new switch grade.
can have the pipe here to two hours"
Then have it," exploded the con-
ductor, with relief. Don't lose a sec
ond. Perhaps we can make up most
of the time along down grade on the
other side of the mountain
He went to the Office but first drew
out a telegram from the desk which
he had received an hour before and
went over it again. carefully. IT read:
My dear Mr.. Blake: Why in the
cause of justice didn't you make this
discovery before? The case has been
going on for years, and we have APP
pealed il again and again, hoping to
find some trace Of Miss Ellsworth. We
had about given i.er up as dead. Next
Friday the final hearing will come.
Unless she is there the case will so
to the nominal owners of the Pin
cushion Short Line by default. You
write that you have kTrown a Miss
Carter for years, that she is teaching
school at Deer Lick. and that II was
only week ago, when you were down
there, that you suspected her Of being
Miss Carter Ellsworth from seeing the
whole name in an old book.
I'VE think we understand this. Miss
Ellsworth's uncle was a very harsh
man and made her life miserable.
Finally she ran away. and she must
have dropped part of her name TO
avoid possible pursuit and to enable
her to make an incOnspicuous liveli
hood. But he had made some amends
by dying without a will. Miss Ellis
worth is just a shade nearer to him
than the man who now holds the rail-
road. And we think it was altogether
through him that Miss Ellsworth be-
came estranged from the uncle.
Everything now hinges on her
being here Friday-four days ahead.
| you know. This will give you ample
| time to acquaint her with the facts
and get her here. If she is here the
case will unquestionably be hers; IL
| not, there will practically be no chance
! for her reopening it. The courts have
| grown weary of it's tendious length
and will not listen to any more APP
| peals. Yours,
BARRY & BARRY"
| Blake's brows knitted while read
| ing, as they had done an hour ago.
| The telegram had been written four
| days before, and had been in his DOS
session only an hour. Why?
! The answer was obvious. The tele-
| gram had been delayed. The operator
| at the main office had not dared to
/ withhold 1t entirely, as that would In
| evitably be found out; but he believed
| he could find some excuse for delay
until the message would be of no use.
/ He had sent 1t just as soon as the ex-
press passed Deer Lick. There would
be no other train until the following
day-too late for the hearing.
| We'll" thought Blake grimIy, two
can play at that game. Since Edith
| Carter owns the railroad and i am in
| its employ whatever l do in her in
| terest is right
He clicked off the following mes
sage:
Miss Edith Carter, Deer Lick:
| Come to Crosby at once. Imperative.
An engine will leave there inside of
an hour, and the engineer is my
| friend. Don't fail me.
HARRY"
Then he folded his arms and waited.
| Twenty minutes later the conductor
thrust his head through the doorway.
That pipe on its way YETI" he de-
manded.
Not that 1 know Of
! Hear from them?"
Not yet" calmly; but they're
usually slow down there. Perhaps
the engine is being run on the main
line for loading and the operator will
I wire when it leaves
Ten minutes more, and he leaned
over the instrument again.
That ought to give her plenty Of
time" he chuckled; but III make
sure"
Then he sent a demand for the pipe
! and for the engine to make the great.
est speed possible, adding: Miss Car
ter, the school teacher. will come with
| the engineer. Wait. IL necessary. Her
presence is wanted here"
Within an hour the engine arrived
and in his eagerness to transfer the
pipe from the tender to the water
tank the conductor scarcely noticed
| the young woman who dropped from
the cab and hurried into the station,
her face frightened and inquiring
"Oh, Harry, what Is it?" she asked.
Then, falteringly, II thought you
might be hurt
He drew her to the far end of the
station and explained the situation
briefly. adding, Il shall go with you.
| Perhaps what / can say about the
delayed telegram may be of service
And-er, of course. that little arrange
ment we made last week is off,"
"Why?" she demand
why" wonderingly, because am
a second-rate operator on fourth.rate
/ pay, and YOU"
Am your promised wife" she in
terrupted. That's all there is to IT,
Now, not another word Harry"
| The next afternoon a group was
| standing near the courtroom door
| Miss Ellsworth listened to the law.
| yer's warm congratulations with
| pleased but somewhat puzzled express
sion.
| What I can't understand" she
said. ''is about the water tank. I
never heard of such a thing before.
1t was just Providence"
| The lawyer bowed, with a side
| glance toward Bake.
Yes" he assented, with a little
human oversight. ! think"
The enA.