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Show 1 The Car f Rider f By Walter Delaney f- Copyright. 1918, by W. Q. Chapman.) 1 1 was for years a train rider. Do you know what that means? If you do, you are wiser than the great majority, ma-jority, for the phrase is a new one and covers a calling somewhat unique. A train rider I was, with all its jar, risk and peril,' and would probably prob-ably be one today but for Imogene peerless, patient, practical sharing all my JoyB. A train rider is a man not listed as a railroad employee, but always on their corporate pay roll. He is a special spe-cial officer. The pay is eighty-five dollars per month, and fifteen dollars extra for expenses. The work Is-neither Is-neither regular nor onerous, only the train rider of a railroad division must be at the censorious and unalterable beck and call of the railroad at all odd, even or unusual hours. In a word, my functions were these: to proceed on order to a certain train, to locate a special freight car and until un-til that car left the end of the division not to allow It or Its contents to leave my sight for a single moment of time. When I turned my watch and ward over to the car rider of the next division di-vision my duties were completed, all except sending In a report of any untoward un-toward incidents that might attend the transmission of the car of which I was the guardian. Sometimes it was a blooded horse, more often an opulent shipment of bullion, once a few small boxes containing con-taining watch springs. Valueless seeming tiny pieces of steel, I was amazed when I learned that this precious pre-cious consignment represented nearly near-ly a million dollars. I was notified to meet a freight at Hopeton at noon one day anS presented present-ed myself to find the train stationary on a switch at the end of the yard. Beyond this was the residence section sec-tion and open country. My car was I A Red-Faced, Excited. Man Rushed Up. No. 4321 A, I recall. I saw to the seals, made a memoranda of the transit card and mounted to my post on the top of the car. It had a small grated window at either end and a movable ventilator trap about the center cen-ter of the car I opened this and investigated in-vestigated the Interior of the car, for It v.-as a slow run of some eighteen hours. In case of rain I was at liberty to go inside. I flashed my electric light tube down Into the dark void beneath, be-neath, made out what from experience experi-ence I took to be a shipment of brocades bro-cades and velvets and , marked out the spot where I would rest if driven to shelter by the elements. A call from the brakeman down the track sent me toward the iron ladder at the side of the car. Just as I reached the edge of the roof to descend de-scend I drew back. A stranger, ascending, as-cending, fairly forced me back. In wonderment I faced a beautiful young girl, though pale and distracted looking. look-ing. She was gasping for breath nd directed a frightened glance back over her shoulder. She sank to the car rouf as though exhausted. I noticed that the filmy dress she wore was torn as If by brambles or fence wire. She wore no hat or wrap and her hair was disheveled. "Does does this train start soon?" she panted out. "Why, yes," 1 answered, "but not with regular passengers." "I know, I know," she breathed hurriedly, hur-riedly, "but couldn't I stay here and ride Jr.st a Uttle? I wouldn't make any trouble. I'd keep real quiet," she add:d, with eyer full of a piteous entreaty en-treaty that stirred my heart. Just then the signal whistle was repeated. "I will be back In a minute and see what I can do for you," I said, marveling marvel-ing greatly, for at a glance I discerned that this was no girl tramp or that genus and I was at a loss to sense the cause of her distraction. When I got to the ground down near the caboose the conductor was waving a paper. It proved to be orders or-ders to belt road the car I was in when we reached a certain junction. Just as I completed reading it a red-faced, red-faced, excited man rushed up. Pompous, Pomp-ous, irascible, 1 think he had the meanest countenance and the most treacherous eyes I have ever seen. "You, men!" he shouted. "Have you seen anything of a girl?" and he rattled rat-tled out a description of the very person per-son whom I had left on top of my car. "Look In the caboose there's six way fares there," observed the conductor, con-ductor, and I hurried back to my car to find no trace of the mysterious young lady who had so recently appealed ap-pealed to my chivalry and sympathy. She was gone. I scanned the level stretch beyond the tracks, expecting to glimpse her flying form, for I doubted doubt-ed not that she was a runaway. I pitied her if the man I had just seen was her guardian or relative. She did not drift soon out of my mind. So vividly had she impressed me that I could reproduce her mentally mental-ly with clearness. We made our run and dusk came on just as we reached the Junction. As we made up a new train and got well on to the belt spur I determined to open the trap In the roof and get inside and by the aid of; my flashlight enjoyed the lunch I had tossed among the packages below. We were Just passing an overhead bridge when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a descending form. In a flash my suspicions were excited, and rightly. A man had dropped to the roof of the car from the girders. He bore down upon me. Of course I realized what was doing. do-ing. A gang were after the contents of the special car, and here was the forerunner of the group. He made for me and we collided. I went flat, and he, too. He was Intent on throwing me off the car and later cast the precious pre-cious freight to confreres awaiting him farther down the line. I slid and, lying extended, seized the rod of the brake wheel. He would be upon me In another moment, when he uttered a sharp cry. Turning, I saw a figure beside the open trap. I saw the ankle of my enemy seized. He was swung backwards and then squarely over the side of the car Into space. The girl! In a flashing second I understood un-derstood It all. She had got down Into the car hours before, doubtless frightened fright-ened Into hiding from the man who was looking for her. She had thrown back the scuttle cover Just in time to save the freight and myself. And now, having shown the courage cour-age of a true woman, she became timid tim-id and reticent. I could not influence her to explain her situation. "Only to get away from persecution!" she uttered more than once, and shuddered. shud-dered. "Only to find some secluded home, a shelter, a safe retreat for a single month!" I won upon her confidence during that strange night journey. When we reached the terminus I took her to the home of my sister. She told her everything, but the Information was not imparted to me then. The company traced the man who had been halted so summarily in his scheme to loot the special car. They found him a cripple for life and broke up his thieving gang. By the end of the month my mystery mys-tery girl became my true love. In another an-other thirty days I was ordered by this imperious little tyrant to abandon hard work and peril. "For I am an heiress, you see," said Elvira, "and the cruel guardian 1 was escaping from, bent on forcing me to marry his Bon. has no further power over your loving and happy wife " So I ceased to be a car rider, but blessed the day ever that made me one whereby I gained the love of the dearest dear-est little woman in the world. |