South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1870-06-24
A Mysterious Warning.

In the year 1861 was superintendent
of the Howrich and Rocky River railroad
1t was a line which did a good run Of
business, connecting as it did great city
with u flourishing back country, and we
ran goodly number Of trains over the
rails III the course of twenty four hours.
The daily trains were every hour, but
after nine In the evening there was only
one train until the steam boat acccmmoda-
ton at half-past three in the morning
This intervening train was the Bclport
mail. 1t was made up at Belrort and ran
as far as Clinton, express all the way.
Belport was the large city of which
have spoken, and it was there that INV 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 Bclport
on any railway map.
The 1870 train, or tho midpicht train
as 1T was more frequently designated, was
run by Earl Rogers, a young nlan of EIGHT
nnd-twcn'y, who had been employed on
the road for several years.
lie was the best engine driver on the
corporation, and for that reason he was Sc
lected tor the train, it being deemed ex.
pedlcnt to place mcu of the best Judgment
on that train, because there was a better
lookout required by night.
Earl, taken all in all, was one of the fin.
est fellows | ever saw.
Frank, handsome, generous to n fault.
and very well educated
lie had fallen into the vocation of an
engineer more from his love of excitement
and danger than anything else, perhaps
and if there was ever any Particularly
perllous business TO be done, Earl ROGERS
was always our man.
For sometime lie had been desperately
IN love with laura Domain, the daughter
Of rich old fellow just on the other side
OF Rocky River, a halfdOzcn miles be-
You'd Belport.
This love was fully returned, for Laura
was a noble hearted girl, aud dill not care
Tor wealth or ambition when weighed l..
the balance with love but old Domain aud
sho were two, and there was no rroba.
biity of his ever giving his consent to
their union.
lie had set his heart on her marrying
Prince Carleton, a young blood r.putcd
wealthy, and of an old family
Domains opposition naturally palo H..
lovers moro determined, aud they only
waited an increase Of EarPs salary to be
married in spite of Papa Domain Earl
was faithful fellow, and was doing my
best with the company to got an advance
Tor him, with every probability Of success.
Somehow, | tool, q strong interest 10
EarPs love affairs.
am an old codgcr, and love matters
are rather out Of my line, my f5Jtc being
the calculating Of accounts, tho regulation
Of freight rates, and the management of
the business so as to secure the latest
dividends 20 tic stockholders
Perhaps my interest in ElrPs love for
Laura might be because / most cordially
dcicstcd Prince Carleton He was ALWAYS
blowing our road finding fault with the
rate of speed, with the grade, with the car.
rilgcs, with the ventilation, with every
thing in short, for nothing suited him.
Then upon one occasion be and had
had few words neither very pleasant nor
very choice, and he bad called me an old
scoundrcl, aud | bad returned the compT.
ment with interest. After that Wc Fere
worse friends than ever.
One dark rainy night in November, lust
after tho nine o'clock train had been got
of, and | was sitting in the Office trying
to balance an account that would not hal.
ancc, tho door opened aud Earl Rogers
walked in. lie had on his waterproof
suit, the hood over his head, and the col
lar buuoncd closely, but / saw that his
face was very pale and bis eyes cleaned
with an unnatural Ere
What IN the world has happened, Ro-
gers ! said l. you look as grum as If
you were going to your own funeral