Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 352: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TRAIN AND STATION. Assuring her he would return in a few minutes, he flew over to the board- ing house to summon Kitiney. He did not think of Forsdyke, and even if he had, he would probably have decided that that young gentleman had not reached his bed. In a few minutes he returned to the depot with the express assistant, and the latter got the cot from the room back of Forsdyke’s office. Dorothy was made more comfortable upon this, with clothing brought from the agent’s room, as it was out of the question to think of moving the young girl from the station till the storm subsided. An examination of Forsdyke’s safe showed it had not been tampered with, and it was becoming a mystery as to what had been the motives of the masked men. In the early morning the orphan girl was taken to her home. It was found that the bridge on the old country road had been burned early the evening be- fore, which was the reason Mrs, Hand1- ford had not been able to return home, and the prostrated girl had to be taken to the cottage by the railroad. As several engines and crews had been stopped at Madrid on account of the wrecked bridge, Dorothy was placed in a coach on the cot, and the car was run down opposite the cottage. Brawny railroad men carried her ten- derly to the house, and as they had all heard of her venture, they looked upon the girl with admiration. Mrs. Handiford and Need returned home the same way, and Dorothy com- manded their immediate attention, for She was at once taken with a serious attack of brain fever. Superintendent Layard was about the station early in the morning, look- ing over the situation after the great storm, and Dykeman took the very first Opportunity to hand him the package of money he had received from Do- rothy, and to repeat her story, together with an account of the other events of the night. 343 The superintendent was amazed and humiliated at Forsdyke’s villainy, and he could hardly wait till the latter showed himself at the office. Forsdyke was rather late, as usual, and had a piece of court plaster deftly placed over the black and blue contu- sion on his forehead. He was about to greet the superintendent, when he paused and stared at him in surprise. He had never seen such a look on the official’s face before. “ Forsdyke,” said the superintend- ent, sternly, without prefacing this re- mark, “ you might as well confess. We know all about it.” Forsdyke opened his eyes in feigned amazement, and gazed at the superin- tendent as if he did not understand him. “ Black Sam, who was here night be- fore last, and went down to take his engine, saw you put that money on the shelf in Dykeman’s closet,” continued Mr. Layard, as Forsdyke’s dignity and nerve fast forsook him. “I don’t won- der you're pale and tremble. You can save yourself a term in prison by hand- ing over the rest of that four thousand, for you robbed the safe yourself, and know where it is.’ The superintendent’s clerk could not sayaword. The rapidity of the agent’s vindication, and the way it had been accomplished, almost stunned him. And if he had been aware that Dorothy Orloff had been the instrument of his undoing he would have been com- pletely crushed. The disappearance of part of the money he had put in the closet had filled him with alarm, and what he then feared had happened—some one had seen him put it there, and after stealing one of the packages, had confessed. “ Here’s the balance of the money you put in the closet,” said the super- intendent, bringing forth the second package of $300. “ Now you can return the thirty four hundred dollars, or be arrested. Take vour choice.” Forsdvke sank into a chair, and Corn oles. CO