Year: 1879

About eight years ago, when I had
not railroaded it as long as 1 nave
now, ~ S,ss, - employed as a messenger
on w ~"Ssestern railway. I do not
know as it is necessary for me to say
what line it was. but will call it the
b. L. & 6. r. R., just to save my
self the trouble of pronouncing the
whole name.


had not been on the run for more
than month previous to the date of
the occurrence of which / am going
to tell. / had been running on a
branch route for more than q year,
and L might have staid there a good
deal longer if l had not chosen to
take Paxton's place when he went
off.


You see, two or three attempts had
been n ade to rob the express car,
and, at last, at the end of long run,
Paxton was found dead in the car
with bullet hole in his head. But
the safe was closed tight and secure,
though an attempt had been made to
blow it open, which proved Intellectual
But the strangest part of all was that
the key was missing from Paxton's $
pocket, and it was not found till a
good six months afterward; then it
was discovered at the side of the
track with a card tied Cn 1t, on which
was written that the robbers were in
the car and he expected they would
murder him if he refused to give up
the key. He was true to the last
Well, you may suppose that L felt
just the least bit squeamish about ac-
cepting such an uninviting berth, but
the Superintendent gave me orders,
and meant to do my duty, however
disagreeable it might be. Then my
pay was larger than L had ever re-
ceived before and was acquainted
with good girl who was ready to
help me inhabit house whenever L
should be able to own one, and that
was quite an object to mt, Il can assure
you.


Well, everything passed off smooth
ly enough for several weeks, and i
had beome accustomed to the route,
and made dozen or SO very pleasant
acquaintance, and was growing to
be pretty well contented with my life.
had almost begun to think the rob-
bers, whoever they might be, had
given up all thoughts of ever making
anything out of my car, and had
sought another field for operation.


One day wis informed by the
agent At that sometime within
a week L would have to take charge
of about $4,000 in specie in its
transit over our road. The officers
of the express company had been adj
vised of this intended important ship
ment, in order that they might exer-
else redoubled vigilance in view of
the great risk incurred in the trans
portation of such valuable consign-
ment.


The evening after my conversation
with the agent he called me into his
Office and told me the specie was to
go over the road the next day. He
prodnced an envelope and landed it
to me, saying as he did so:


There, Bill, are your orders, direct
from the superintendent, with his own
signature attached. Read them care
fully, and obey them to the letter, for
little mismove might cause great
loss to the company and cost you
your position


Il snail do my duty to the very let
ter replied.


Il am sure you mean to do so,
said the agent, but you cannot be
too careful. Some Of the members
of the light fingered profession ere
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. 1 thought
I'd just put you on your guard in q
friendly way, and


There was slight sound at the
door. If the depot hadn't been de-
serted by one us two, and the switch
engine hadn't been put up at the end
of the yard, where we could hear it's
incessant putting, 1 don't believe we
could have heard the sound at all.
But we both noticed 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 toward US, as
if he was trying to overhear our con-
versation. He saw me about the
time / first noticed him. / knew it
from the little start of surprise he
gave as his eyes met mine.


He saw all over his awkwardness
In a minute, for he threw his face
down to an expression of the utmost
concern, and came boldly forward to
the window of the office through
which the agent always transacted
any business he might have with per-
sons without.


He was very fair appearing man,
apparently about 40, though he might
have been little older. He was
dressed in black, and, wearing high
hat, he might have passed very well
for one of the cloth if his nose hadn't
been just trifie luminous. The
other popularity noticed about the
man WAS that he had queer sort OF
red-looking eye. 1t appeared fixed
and staring, and as he came nearer 1
concluded it was glass. Il was so
strange and unnatural in its express
sion that thought / should know 1t
if I should see it peering al me over
the wall of China.


sis there small package here for
Isaac G. Van Scoter?'' he asked in q
business-like way, in answer to the
inqulring glances of the agent.


The agent referred to one OF the
big registers on the desk and answer
ed in the negative.
"Queer!" said the man with the
red eye. "It ought to have come
Yesterday. Have you read the even
ing papers p


And after this abrupt interrogation
the stranger stood quite motionless,
ieyeing the agent intently for as much
i - .o;n.,fa