Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-10-01
The Warning at the Bridge.

road.
1t was lue which did good run o1
business, connecting o. Il did great city
with aourishing back country, and VI
run pretty good number of trains over tn.
rails 10 the course Of "a hours.
Tho daily traiss wsrs every hour, bu
sfter nine iu the evening there was only
one train until the steamboat accommoda
'>is~Se Aslepsss thseeiu the morning.
This intervening train was the Belpor'
mail. It was made at Belport, and ran
as far as Clinton, express all the way.
Belport was the large city Of which
have spoken, and it was there my Office was
located, for tho business of the road was
all settled and arranged at the end of the
line.
OF course, I give fictitious names, and
the reader need uct expect to find Belport
on any railway map.
1890 train, or the midnight mail, as it
was more frequently designated, was run
by Earl Rogers, young man Of seven or
eight aud twenty, who had been employed
on the road for several years.
He was the best engine driver on the
corporation, and for that reason he had
been elected for the train. because there
was better lookout required by night.
Earl, taken in all, was one of the finest
fellows I ever saw frank, handsome, gen.
erous to fault, aud very we'll educated.
lie had fallen into his vocation of an
engineer more from his love of excitement
aud danger than anything else, perhaps ;
and it there was any particularly perilous
business to be done, Earl Rogers was our
man.
For some time he had been desperately
in love with Laura Domain, the daughter
Of rich old fellow just on the other side
of the Rocky river, a half dozen miles
beyond Belport.
This love was fully returned. for Laura
was noble hearted girl, aud did not care
for wealth aud ambition when weighed in
the balance with love; but old Demain
and she were two, and there was no prob.
ability of ever getting his consent.
He had set his heart on her marrying
Prince Carleton, a young blood of tho vi.
cirity, reputed wealthy, and Of an old
family
Demain's opposition naturally made the
lovers more determined, and they only
waited an increase of Earl's salary to be
married, in spite Of papa Demain. Earl
was faithful fellow, and l was doing my
best with the company to get an advance
for him, with every probability Of success.
Somehow, | took a strong interest in
Earl's love affairs.
am an old codgcr, and love matters are
rather out Of my line, and my forte being
the calculating of amounts, the regulation
of freight rates, and the management of
business so as to secure the fattest divi-
dends to the stock holders.
Perhaps my interest in Earl's love for
Laura might be because I most cordially
detestcd Prince Carleton. He was always
" blowing our road" finding fault with the
rate of speed, with the grade, with the car.
riages, with the ventilation, with every.
thing in short, for nothing suited him.
Then, upon one occasion. he aud had
q few words, neither very pleasant nor
very choice, aud he called me an old
scoundrel, and l returned the compliment
with interest. After that We were worse
friends than ever.
One dark rainy night in November, just
after the nine o'clock train had been got
of, and was sitting in the Office trying to
balance an account that would not balance,
the door opened, and Earl Rogers walked
in. He had on his waterproof suit, the
hood over his head, and the collar buttoned
closely, but saw that his face was very
pale, aud his eyes cleaned with an uunatu-
raj FIRE.
"What 10 the world has happened,
Rogersl :" said I. "You look as glum as
if you were going to your own funeral"
"Mr. Woodbury." said he, earnestly,
"do you believe in presentiments ?"
NO." said L; II certainly do not.
They are old womeu's whims y
Perhaps so. wish I could think so, p"
said be, sadly. II have been trying hard
to-"
"What is it, Earl9 Anything gone
wrong with Laura!" for I did not know
but the little jade had been playing of
with him after the manner of women.
"No. You will laugh at me, Mr.. Wood.
bury, but must tell somebody, or l will
60 out of my vits," said he. half laughing,
"aud before Heaven, I tell you it is al!
truth. Thursday afternoon I took hand
ear aud went over to Rocky Rieer Bridge.
do not mind confessing that vent on
purpose to get glimpse Of her home
perhaps Of herself. I stood at one end Of
the bridge, looking across at the house, en-
raptured ct the sight Of a scarlet shawl
which knew was hers, fitting in an oul
through the shrubbery of the garden.
And while l was looking at her heard
footateps, and glancing up I saw myself
coming up from the opposite side Of the
bridge! I was dressed in this suit ol
waterproof, my face was as pale as death
and my wide-open eyes were blank and ex
pressionless
"Sir, you think I am dazed. but I am
telling ysu only the truth! While l stoot
Startling at the vision it disappeared, and
veak and tranhlinr camc hack to town