The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1870-03-03
Jhe 8eaford 6azette-
THE WARNING AT THE BRIDGE.


twenty four hours.
The daily trains We're every hour,
but after nine in the evening there was
only one train until the steamboat ac-
commodation of half past three in the
morning.
This intervening train was the Bel
port mail. 1t was made up at Bel
port, and ran as far as Clinton, express
all the way.
Belport was the large city of which
1 have spoken, and it was there my Of
fee was located, for the business Of the
road was all settled and arranged at
that end of the line.
OF course / give fictitious names,
and the reader need not 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 and 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 a better lookout required by night.
Earl taken all in all, was one of the
finest fellows / ever saw.
Frank, handsome, generous to a
fault, and very well educated.
r. 20 ba sNf n n
engineer more for his love of excite
ment and danger than anything else,
perhaps and if there was any particu-
larly perilous business to be done,
Earl Rodgers was our man.
For some time he had been desper-
ateIy In love with Laura pemain, the
daughter of a 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 and did
not care for wealth and ambition when
weighed in the balance with love- but
old Demain and she were two, and
there was no probability ofhis ever Civ
ing his consent.
He had set his heart on her marry
ing Prince Carleton, a young blood OF
the vicinity, 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
was doing my bost WITH tho ooafpa-
ny to get al advance for him, with ev-
cry probability of success.
Somehow, ! took a strong interest
in Earl's love affairs.
l am an old codger, and love mat
tiers are rather out Of my line, my
forte being the calculating Of accounts,
the regulation of freight rates; and the
management of business so as to secure
the fattest dividends to the stOckhol-
ders.
Perhaps my interest in Earl's love
for Laura might be because most cor
daily detested Prince Carleton. He
was always "blowing" our road, find
ing fault with the rate of speed with the
grade, with the carriages, with the
ventilation, with everything in short,
for nothing suited him.
Then upon one occasion he and had
a few words neither very pleasant nor
very choice and he had called me an
old scoandrel, and Ireturned the COM
plim ent 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 off, and was sitting in the
Office trying to balance an account that
would not balance, the door open
ed and Earl Rogers walked in. He
had On his waterproof suit the hood O.
yer head, and the collar buttoned close
ly, but / saw that his face was very
pale and his eyes CLEANED with an un-
natural fire.
"What in the world has happened,
Rogers? said l. You look as glum as
if you were going to your own funer-
AL"
"Mr. Woodbury." SAID he earnestly.
"Do you believe in presentments"
NO." said 1. 81 certainly do not,
they are old woman's whimsn
"Perhaps so. l wish l could think
sou said he sadly, ~ have been try
ing hard to-"
"What is it Earl? Anything gone
wrong with Laura ?" for did not
know but the little jade had been play
ing off with him after the manner of
women.
"No, you will laugh at me, Mr..
Woodbury., but must tell somebody,
or l will go out of my WITS" said he
half laughing, "and before heaven l
tell you it is all truth. Thursday af-
ternoon l took hand car and went O.
yer to Rocky River Bridge. l do not
mind confessing that ! went on pur-
purposeto get glimpse of her home
perhaps of herself. | stood at one
end of the bridge, looking across at the
house, enraptured at the sight OF
scarlet shawl which l knew was hers
fitting in and out through the shrub
berry of the garden.
"And while was looking at her /
heard footsteps, and glancing up | saw
myself coming up from the opposite
side of the bridge! l was dressed in
this suit of waterproof, my face was as
pale as death, and my wide open eyes