The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-10-26

Ben Larkins ! said the deacon, why
we heard you were dead
You will hear that again soon said
the new conner, 'and it will be true sto.
ry then
There WAS an awkward pause, for the
cd friends Of the poor man, with all
their curiosity had native delcacy which
restrained their questions. But the ives
tern man, who now saw him for the first
time, was wholly free from any such ell.
barrassnenl.
Stranger, said he, 1 ain't much given
to pumping man against his will, hut
should like to know how you come so.
just TO keep out OF such scrape mvself.'
Il came in here this evening" said the
ugly man. 'on purpose 10 meet as many
OF my old acquant"nces as | could, and
tell my story. | knew should have To
tell it some time or C.her, and want 10
have it over to feel that my misfortune is
known, and that am free from question
lie shifted his seat, as If to obtain All
easier position, and continued Those Of
YOU who saw me couple Of years since
| will recuilect that | was then, AS had
been for many years previously, "a warm
| and active po,,Ician. Now that | have
come home TO die among YOU, il seems Of
little moment who comes out tie " inner
III these doubtful races; but then it was
Gltlerent thing 10 me, and | believe
WAS never wanting in any service which
my party asked of me, from the time Of
the election OF the good old Gen lIarri
son, who is. trust, in II better place than
the White House now
Amen ! said tie red shirted man, sol
! EMMY.
When | emierared to Ohio, two years
since c"ntipvpel Larkins, i carried my
enthusiasm with me, anil became pretty
well known il the secrion Of country "A
| bou; the village Uf W, Where set
! tied. You must remember, at least al!
Of You who read the newspapers, that
our ias' gubernatoral election WAS An un.
usually exciting one. ] belonged TO one
! OF the State general committees, and MS
! the returns on election dav came in bv
| express, We began 10 grow fairly Wild
We had beforehand made nll the neces
sary arrangements to have the earies,
authentic news OF Tie result pos ci oft TO
the New York pagers, aud had agreed
| io zee that certain budget OF returns
which We expected TO receive durluy the
~ cnIng should be sent on To the town Cr
b, some thirty miles distant, bv the
railway, rs soon rs it arrived, and had
chartered An engine which WAS to he in
readiness ut eleven o'clock that night
We'll, the budget came promptly at
tie time and the news Was quite rs "a.
| vorabie ns We desired ard much more so
than we expected. suppose it WAS this
fact that SO suddenly determined me to
cary the intelligence on myself At any
rate, | hastily resolved TO 90 on the l.,
comoiive, and, seizing the returns, | ran
down to the depot, where the engine WAS
| fired up and whistllng its readiness for a
! start. 1t WAS but the work of moment
! To persuade the engineer to take me with
| HIM, for the fireman who WAS Ia accom-
! pany him was nowhere To be found. and
! the engineer had resolved TO run over the
/ track alone. | volunteered at once TO AS
! sis, him MS well ss could, and irnmed,
a;ey mounted the engine
1T WAS dark and wild, though warm
night, and everything gave indication Of
An approaching storm. Feariully black
! clouds were rolling up IN the sky, and,
what WAS rather singular phenomenon
At that season Of the year, the lightning
WAS flashing vividly and the thun Ter was
mu'tering as graud!y IS in IA Summer
! shower. But the excitement of success
! bAnlshed every sensation o! feai from my
mind we both knew that We had the
! nght OF way, and, 50 far as human iuge
nuIy and foresight c"u'd protect us there
was no danger in running at any rate OF
! speed At which steam could drive u.s.
Careful men had during the day been
sent forward to see that each switch was
in its place; the night train from B
Was 10 wait for our arrival the road was
reasonably straight and, except the or
binary dangers from defective rails or AK
lie trees, we had nothing 10 apprehend.
1T was thirty miles, as | said to b.
What time can YOU make it in Z said
to the engineer, rs got upon the plat
form with him. i once ran over the road
in three quarters Of an hour with an en-.
CINE replied he. Make ii half hour
this Iime,' cried ], 'and will give YOU
twenty dollars. Every minute is wor' h =
fortune i must have been insane. The
flush Of victory, after so many weeks ul
enthusiastic struggle, had almost if not
quite, turned my brain. Just at this mo
Inent the engineer discovered that the
/ light IN I,umt Of the engine was burning
dnnly, and threatening to expire. With
an "nsthema upon tie Negligent fireman,
he lesped down 10 examine II. The lamp
/ had not been filled. For Gods sake
shreked |, when learned the fact, don't
stop for that uihe; ! can travel in The
dark II you,can. You are not afraid =
| continued, launtingly, Ms the engineer
still hesitaied. j can ride to the devil as
coolly rs YOU cam he rejoined cheeFily
and resuming bis post, started the ma
chine.
AS we emerged from the station house,
\ ii 4. :.