There are few if any details in the story that place it specifically in the late 19th century. But there are nonetheless certain clues that it takes place at some point in the 19th century. For one thing, there's a reference to a peddler in the square below crying his...
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wares. This would've been a frequent sight in the 19th century, both in the United States and in Europe.
Then we're told that news of the railroad disaster was received in the newspaper office by telegram. In the days before radio, TV, and the internet, this is how people received news.
Last but not least, we have the gripsack carried by Brently Mallard as he makes his surprise—and to Louise, unwelcome—return. Gripsacks were little traveling bags that became popular in the late 19th century. Indeed, the word gripsack itself entered common usage around about 1875 to 1880.