Show A lontier L Y P A C E romanel stora of tho th ahl wo airm r you fou will sad flod it a lonely out of the abe way ilsc ra perfect wilde but it is all that I 1 have bavo at my command at present tod if you are brave enough to go 0 o down into M i to the marshy country aud and do tho the combi combined nod work of agent and telegrapher you cn caz have tho the appointment 10 said superintendent wash kash referring to a on oa a rau ral 1 road line that traversed tho wild section of virginia soll 1 I cannot say that I 1 am flattered battered with the tao picture you draw sir but za AS I 1 am aai looking for a situation situa tiou und and be beg cara be choc choosers pers I 1 will tase talie ray my chance and try my luck until nothing bettor better turns up said hugh gordon the young youn mau man very well replied the enoperio ton dont abort shortly ly if you attend to the properly prop orly we ahall not give ours ourselves any about how you manago roa nago to U ahro re the life of a hermit for such it will pra be and you cannot say that I 1 failed to waru warn you he added as he turned awa away y then to himself he soliloquized that chap will not he be in bennin a fortnight hes fresh from school and has bas been accustomed to civilized cioci society 1 ety no GO it is not probable that hell hea do a bit better thau than his predecessors he hell 1 I I 1 be ba back at the end of a week weck and I 1 shall not blame him either for it is the most god forsaken place I 1 was ever in but he was mistaken for though hugh found it all that he represented it ho he was not easily discouraged and took too k hold of the work with na a much energy as if the place in in the very center of life and bubines 5 adhering to the old adage whatever mer la is worth doing at all is worth doing well 11 he performed his hio various duties in the best manner possible and though trough the railroad officials said eaid nothing from the way they glanced glan cod around the waiting room mom as clean and bright as soap and water could make it it was waa evident that they had no fault to find with the new metho methods ds which the college bred telegrapher had inaugurated there was no doubt about its being a lonely place and except the people in the well filled trains that flew vast past without stopping and the rouan section hands who occasionally came in to light their pipes and chat a few mm min utes he scarcely arcely ever saw a human face after ho he hod had been there some wee weeks ka through tho wire a he termed the acquaintance of frank reynolds tho the operator at mantua a small station fifty miles further ou on in tho the wilderness after their first introduction the two spent many pleasant hours houra con on congenial subjects one day just after blugh had returned from ua las dinner the ticking of his lo iu strument ment left this message oie seago for him IM nuy mon Huon I 1 havo bavo juet juat received roo elved word that my va vacation cadiou is 3 to beau thill my substitute Is here already anil and I 1 aul wul ba off 00 wig win pass through deaia on a ai wrt to aavo As ever M Eure kal chat ejaculated huh 1 41 I wish viall thit that im train ln would to drop him bim oa of woud wo have arwe a jolly timo tima wonder if be b could not getan got g ot aa order to have bavo it stop there would bo be no bartu martn in trying at any rate mud and then thea bit back over the wires he bo asked ashod Cont you got an order omer to ho bavo the roll you off at Dooni of I 1 should like to bavo ja alio 3 pleasure of your esmao dazing a tew few of your daya A fow fe minutes leter latr b he tod hb mi m answer i no 8 Is 13 a tyrant with ralea tand aad never cou consequently I 1 honor rohlf by opting ybur caer affey qt ol hoaps tl clity ity what cant be cured cared must be en dureal muttered hugh when ho knew the di decision slon wall awell ther jis Cf ono thing sure 1111 isee BC the delff f fellows fare facok auT having elso t to do clohe no fell to weaving we ovin fancies conc conchin carn nin i 1 1 n t the app appearance earence of frank reynolda for up to tho the present date tho the young operator had bad studiously avoided exchanging pictures and further than that ho he had baa brown hair and eyes hugh hub bad not the remotest idea of the looka of the friend he be hd learned to esteem so highly no 8 passed tIr through rough bennin a short hort time before midnight and twenty minutes later the lightning express thundered down the stoop steep grade rado at the rate of a mile a minute fairly shaking tho the little frame depot on ita foundations at lyman two miles above the two trains met m i et theone reaching the place first side iside tracking utu until tho the other one passed As there was no night operator at and no important trains stopped during the night hugh was at liberty to close up the office and go home at ten but he was quite a nighthawk and usually remained at his hio post until after the hands of the clock marked tho the hours of the old day off and began with its long fingers to io count the minutes of the new on this particular night he was so wrought up on account of the treat in store for him that lie he found it i impossible to study or even become much late interested te to rested in the new novel that lay with ita leaves only parti partially alfy cut cui on his of fico ue a table how flow long he sat there sleeping or daydreaming day dreaming he s scarcely t co could coald ald tell ell t it anut have been cv over or an hour however for it was long after the clock had struck eleven he wan waa startled I 1 by a stealthy stop atop close by his bide be fore liei lie had time to io speak or change his post position lon a heavy hand was assid on his shoulder and a a harsh voice hissed in his eav ear dont ser scream cam or try to escape it you dont boix ta FM want to make tho the acquaint acquaintance auca of this 0 Z tho handle of ti a revolver it is the other oilier end that Is roa thoun but if you obey orders you have no cause to be alar alarmed hors are my pala RS two dark daric faced evil looking men stepped boldly in at tho open door we vvo dont wish to harm you youngho ster oter but we want money and by ging the beat train no 8 yoi yo ibi ill help us into a 0 fortune aa wo we have soma knowledge concerning concemi conc emm the valuable is it co carries why that Ls ia a hroch through train it uever never stops here beverl I 1 gasped do you wod axed for your help belp if we known that su sneered 0 otio t 1 0 of tho ho 1 other otheo men wo have no time to fool and if you dont don help us well fix you and take business into car own hands hanas what do you say oay will wua you stop tho the train in or not 1 4 I cant 1 I 1 dare noti exclaimed n hugh u byh do bayou you think I 1 would betray my trust in that shameful mauu manner er 1 I told you tho the cub sand stand up in a job like tah 11 said the third man better tc r a gaga r aar 0 o r 11 I 1 him at ai first and it would havo hava been over there is no use in making con of of such cowardly spooks shooks as you fled find down in those virginia swamps 1 I believe in doin everything U P in a square and ana honest fashion returned retura ca the mancho ho had mode made the first assault talk about honor thle voa re tho the little bold hadad man but if wo we are goina euln to grab ourselves rich cant stand hero here arguin any longe lonar Clan glancing clug at hia expensive timepiece youre n nhi 0 exclaimed claimed es the first M rogue vue as lie ho placed a gas gag in 10 poor frightened IS ugh mouth this done the hn unfortunate fortunate fellow was tiei tied liand hand and foot and then helpless liel aa ho he was the rope that bound him was mado fast to the little iron safe the danger lau lan tern waa swung gwun out in tho the dark darkness nesi and tho cowardly ruf ruffians flans hurried awa away Y to fie crote themselves expecting esc pectin to ho hop P on oa the express car as soon as tho the train traia cal camo to a standstill stU and by fair or foul means tho mouth of the express ag abent zut secure the booty coveted and made their esea escape pe unobserved when the train slowed up at the station above the first part of their plau plan worked admirably und and when the train stopped one of the gang in the of a section liand hand ran up to the conductor exclaiming breathlessly I 1 I 1 A bowlder boulder rolled down ou the track and as none of the other men wera in calling distance I 1 was afraid I 1 could not get et it off in in time und and so had the danger signal swung out but it Is ia sl right now pointing to a huo huge by b the side of the track neither the conductor nor engine eng neer suspected eted treason and iu a few min utes the train was aguin in motion th disguised roue rogue hopping on the ex press prem ear car platform on the opposite sid of the train from the gration aia Gua tion as aa it pa passed ased the place whore he stood not seeing the benning bennin operator according to frank reynolds stepped off the train and into the little waiting 0 room 1 where a light igat 1 was dimly burning hearing 0 groans somewhere in tho the neighborhood she ventured into the loftice where poor hugh vaa was lying bound hand and foot ho he had in forcing the gag ag partially out of his mouth and just as the train started off his hia efforts to malce make lier her under understand the sil situation k becaro clear and sent her to the instrument to flush flash the news to the station awve above the message was brief but startling 44 look out for robbers on express oar car no 8 send sand nae istance to by hext best train op badly used up she waited a few minutes and then bacz back over the wires came 4 all right you win will davd assistance very ory soo with this as assurance aranco she went back to release hugh still a prisoner in tho the inner of office lice the poor fellow had been roughly rou hl 1 and before ho he was free fainted several times from the loss of blood lie ile was still unconscious when tho the train stopped a few minutes later with a surgeon and the assistance promised on board they brought tho the 0 Y news of the capture of the train robbers but hugh 0 was too weak to pay much attention to the conversation th t ra naf I 1 bic oil il be all right by morning said the doctor confidently but ho he was mistaken mi for the next nest day found the poor fellow tossing uneasily in 0 a high fever day after lay day and night alter after night frank reynolds remained to nurrie dimand him and attend I 1 to Q his dutli dul ta 1 08 a until antii 1 her er wh oe fo fortnights fort nights va cuton oa was gone not until the morning the went away however did hugh 0 identify her with frank reynolds his friend telegrapher lie ie had supposed that frank waa vms a bright witty young mau man about his own age but when he found out his mi mistake stale weak and helpless as he was the shock did not injure him in tho the least on the contrary ho he made a very good recovery and the messages that continued to pass between benning and mantua though they changed cha i aged somewhat in character never decreased in number six months have passed since that eventful night that marked marke d their first meeting and well hugh lias has taken charge of a larger office with double pay and as frank has agreed to make a homo for him the office at mantua will be without an op orator again belle V Chie bolm in ia chicago news mews |