AUTHOR OF "HELEN'S BABIES," "BRUETON'S BAYOU," ETC.
MEADVILLE PENN'A
FLOOD AND VINCENT
Chautauqua=Century Press
As the Capital Express train dashed into the village of Bruceton onebright afternoon, a brakeman passing through a car was touched on theshoulder by a man, who said,—
"The man that left this in the seat in front got out three stationsback. You don't s'pose he'll want it again an' send back for it, doyou?"
The brakeman looked at an object which the speaker held up as he spoke:it was a small fig-box, such as train-boys sometimes succeed inimposing upon the traveling public, and it still contained severalfigs.
"Want it again?" said the brakeman, with a scornful curl of the lipthat gave his black moustache a Mephistophelian twist, "of course not.He left it there so's to get rid of it, like most of 'em do. I wouldn'tbuy one of them boxes of—"
The brakeman suddenly ceased talking, and put both hands on thepassenger's shoulders with the movement peculiar to train-men whoseduty it is to rouse sleeping passengers, the effect always being tomake the victim throw his head slightly backward. Then the brakemanlooked a moment into the face before him,—it was small, weak-eyed, andcharacterless,—and continued,—
"Why, Sam Kimper, I didn't know you from Adam! That broad-brimmed lowhat makes you look like somebody else. When did you get out?"
"This mornin'," said the passenger, dropping his eyes.
"Did, eh? Well, you needn't feel so bad about it, old man. Anybody'slikely to get in trouble once in a while, you know. You got catched;some other folks 'most always don't; that's about the difference. Let'ssee; how long was you—how long have you been away?"
"I was sent for two years an' a half," said the