Free The Golden Leg by Dale Jarvis Page B

man’s ticket. “Cold night tonight.”
    “Indeed it is,” said the man. He handed over his ticket. The conductor punched
     it, handed it back, and continued on to the next car.
    The rhythmic motion of the train as it rolled along had a soothing effect. The
     man leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and dozed off for a short
     while.
    When he opened his eyes, the elderly gentleman was no longer alone in the train
     car. Sitting across from him was a slender young girl wearing a small straw hat
     decorated with velvet flowers, and with an old-fashioned shawl draped about her
     shoulders. She was a lovely girl, about sixteen years of age.She had large blue eyes and long blonde hair which was pulled back off her
     face.
    “Does this train go to Bayswater?” the girl asked in a soft, sweet voice.
    “Yes,” the man answered, checking his watch. “We should arrive in three
     hours.”
    “Will the train stop many times before we get there?” asked the girl, in a
     worried tone.
    “Not once,” said the man. “This is the direct route, with no stops at
     all.”
    “Oh, good,” sighed the girl in the hat, as if in great relief. She settled
     back in her seat, staring out the window at the passing countryside.
    “Are you meeting family in Bayswater?” the gentleman asked.
    “Oh no,” the girl answered, “I am going to school there.”
    “It will be late when we arrive,” he said. “Will you need any assistance when
     we get there?”
    “Only a taxi,” she replied, “and from there I will be fine.”
    The express train thundered on with a steady roar and a constant clatter from
     its iron wheels. Suddenly the train whistle screeched out a mournful cry, and
     the train started to slow down. The wheels slowly ground to a halt, and looking
     out the window, the two passengers could see that they had stopped at a small
     station in the middle of the forest.
    “Is this Bayswater?” questioned the girl.
    “No it is not,” said the man. “I can’t imagine why we’ve stopped here.”
    “Does this train stop at every station?” she asked, in a
     trembling voice.
    “Usually never,” said the man. “They must have gotten a special signal.”
    At this the girl drew her shawl closer about her thin frame, and
     shivered.
    “You are cold,” said the man in a grandfatherly tone, concerned.
    “Yes,” said the girl. “I am very cold.”
    After only a moment, the train started moving again, and the conductor entered
     the car. It was a different conductor from the one who had collected the man’s
     ticket. The gentleman stopped the conductor and asked why the journey had been
     interrupted.
    “We had to pick up a man,” said the second conductor, “a detective. There was
     a murder, and he is on the lookout for a suspect.”
    “Not on this train, surely!” exclaimed the man.
    “Yes, sir,” said the conductor, passing on into the next car.
    “Did you hear what he said?” the gentleman asked the girl.
    “A murder,” she said. “How horrible.” She looked very pale.
    The man told her not to worry, and that he would look out for her until they
     arrived in Bayswater. The girl gave a sweet, sad smile, and turned back toward
     the window. She looked very much alone as she sat there, fiddling with her hands
     and their long, white fingers.
    The train continued for some time, and as they drew toward
     their final destination, the girl seemed to grow more upset. As they entered the
     town, the train ran over a bridge which spanned a wide river. Suddenly the girl
     rose, and ran quickly to the nearest doorway. Before the man could stop her, she
     wrenched the door open and threw herself from the train. Horrified, the man
     watched her fall from the bridge and land with a splash in the river
     below.
    The old man was so shocked by this that he fainted dead away.
    When he regained consciousness, he found that he was back in his seat, alone in
     the car. The train was still rumbling along, and he saw that