Year: 1877

may suppose that | felt Just a littl,


bit squeamish about accepting sucl


an unlnvltlng berth; but the super


lntendent gave me my orders, aud


always meant to do my duty. howey


er disagreeable it might be. Tber


the pay was larger than l had eve


received before; and as l was ac


quainted with a good girl who wa,


ready to help me inhabit hous,


whenever | should be able to owl
one, that was quite an object to me


| can assure you.


We'll, everything passed of smooth
ly enough for several weeks, and
had become accustomed to the route
and made dozen or so very pleas.
ant acquaintances, and l was grow.
ing to be pretty well contented with
my life. | had almost begun to
think that the robbers, whoever they
might be, had given up all thought
of ever making anything out of my
car. and had sought another field Of
operations.


One day | was informed by the
agent at R that sometime within
week l would have to take charge
of about eighty thousand dollars
in specie in its transit over the road,
from Washington San Francisco.
The officers OF the express company
had been advised of this important
shipment, in order that they might
exercise redoubled vigilance in view
of the great risk incurred in the
transportation of such a valuable
consignment.


The evening after my conversa-
tion with the agent he called me in-
to his office, and to me that the
specie was to go over the road the
next day but one. He produced an
envelope, and handed it to ME, say
ing as he did so:


"There, Bill, are your orders, di-
rect from the superintendent, with
his own signature attached. Read
them carefully, and obey them to
the letter; for little missmove
might cause a great loss to the com
pany, and cost you your position.


81 shall do my duty to the very
letter." replied.


81 am sure you mean to do so" re-
turned the agent, "but you can't
be too careful. Some members of
the light fingered profession are as
smart as lightning, The plans they
can't devise amt worth thinking of,
and they are as fertile in expedients
as the evil one himself. l thought
I'd just put you on your guard in
friendly way, and"


There was a slight sound at the
door. If the depot hadn't been de-
serted by everyone except us two,
and the switch engine hadn't been
put up the head of the yard, where
we couldn't hear its incessant putting,
l don't believe we would have heard
the sound at all. But we both no.
ticed it at once, and as | looked
out of the office into the large room
beyond, | saw a man standing Just
inside the outer door, with his head
inclined towards US, as if he was
trying to overhear our conversation.


He saw me about the time, | first
noticed him. | knew it from the lit
tie start of surprise he gave when
his eyes met mine.


He was all over his awkwardness
in aminute, for he drew his face
down into an expression of the ut
most unconcern, and came boldly
forward to the window of the office,
through which the agent always
transacted any business he might
have with parties without.


He was very fair appearing
man, apparently about forty, though
he might have been little older.
He was dressed in black, and wear
ing high hat, he might have pass
ed for one of the cloth, if his nose
hadn't been a trife luminous. The
only other peculiarity | noticed
about the man was that he had
queer sort of red-looking eye. 1t
appeared fixed and staring, and, as
he came nearer, l concluded it was
glass 1t was so strange and unnat-
ural in its expression that l thought
1 should know it if | should sac it
peering at me over the top of the
great wall in China.


''Is there small package here for
Isaac &. Van Scotter?" he asked, in
a business-like way, in answer to
the inquiring glance of the agent.


The agent referred to one of his
big registers on the desk, and an
swered in the negative.


"Qneer," said the man with the
red eye. SIT ought TO have come
yesterday. Have you seen the E0eu-,
ing CIronicLe?"


And after this abrubt interoga-
ton, the stranger stood quite mo-
tionless, eying the agent intently for
much as minute.


We both answered "No."


The man took paper out of his
pocket, and spreading it open before
us put one of his slender forefngers
upon the following paragraph:


"FATAL ACCIDENT.-This after
noon as two men, named respective
ly Henry Van Scooter and G. H.
Griggs, were at work chopping
timber in the pineries near Scranton,
a tree fell upon them, killing Van
Scooter instantly, and inficting in
juries upon the person of Griggs
from the effects of which he died
in less than an hour. They are resi-
dents of G., an it is understood
their remains will be taken there for
burial"


"Henry Van Scooter was my only
brother-my twin brother-who re-
sembled me very much" and Char
lie Griggs was my sisters husband.
1t is sad blow! sad blowl It's
about this sad affair that l came
here, chiefly. l want to send the
two bodies through to G. by ex-
press, Thursday, by the ll:4O train.
What will the charges be?"


"The charges will be twenty-five
dollars" answered the agent.


The stranger only bowed solemn
ly in recognition OF the reply.