The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-18
ENSBURG, PA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER l8, 1871.

A-OhAAoA " lLlC lOl Allc III 81
time for many months. This conductor,
however, was not my old acquaintance,
being sallow, dark-syed, cross looking
man, as different as possible from the other
one. | felt a little disappointed at first,
but after he left me leaned my head back
again, and thought no more about it.
After a while / fell into dozs, which
lasted until the call of "Lancaster-twen-
ty minutes for dinner ~ ringing through
the cars aroused me, and informed me that
We were just entering that city.
l sat up then, sleepily and languidly.
1t was warm day an October, and the
windows of the cars were lowered l
leaned my elbow upon the sash and looked
out upon the scene before me. As was
thus gazing, drowsy and Indifferent. neith-
er caring or thinking about what l saw,
| noticed a man on tie roadside, little in
front of the car in which ! sat, gestulating
violently with his hands and arms. 1.
The next minute l was sitting bolt up
right in my seat, my heart leaping almost
into my mouth with sudden fright, for in
the gestures that were being made | re-
cognized the signal which, two years be-
fore, the one eyed conductor told me meant
changer ahead"
The cars were not moving very rapidly
and, during the moment that we were
passing by the man who had given the
signal, | had full view of him-his face
being turned toward the cars, and his
eyes meeting mine so directly that could
ha. IN, hI,,, h,I I ohn /
cognized him at once, it was the one eyed
conductor, and seeing that l was worse
scared than ever, being now quite con-
firmed in my belief that an accident WAS
impending for know that he must oc-
cupy some responsible position upon the
road, and could therefore have made no
mistake in the matter.
No one else, however, either inside or
outside of the cars, seemed to partake of
my alarm. The cars were slackening
their speed, but that was because we
were approaching a station, and from no
other cause that could ascertain. had
not intended getting out of the cars until
/ reached the end Of my journey, but l
had been so startled by what had seen
that l could not sit quiet in my seat.
l got cut with the rest of the passen-
gers, but l did not follow them to the
hotel. l stood upon the platform, gazing
up and down the track uneasiiy, but |
could see nothing at all that could awake
apprehension.
The one-eyed conductor was nowhere
to be seen, though watched the road in
the direction where we bad passed him,
for some time, expecting every moment
to see him to come into sight.
A porter trundIing a wheel-barrow "
passed me, and of him | ventured timidly
to inquire:
''Is there anything the matter with the
ergine or with the track ?" -t
''Not that l know on" he answered
grufiiy, and passed on. -...
was still terribly uneasy; | was cerA
tain that / had not been mistaken III the
man or signal ; the latter, especially,
remembered-a forward motion with the
hands, as if directing the cars to go back.
could recall distinctly the face and gos-
lures of the conductor when he had ex-
planned it TO me, as also his words, ''Ii
ever you see that signal given, preHare
for flying leap, for the probabilities are
you'll soon have to take it," and the
longer dwelt upon what had witnessed
the more convinced did l become that the
signal had not been given carelessly.
| went into waiting room to sit down
until | could determine what it would be
best for me to do. felt a most invinci
BILE repugnance to return to the cars and
continuing my journey; the excitement
and worry had made me sick and faint,
and l felt that l ran great risk of be-
coming ill before l reached my journeys
end, even if there was no other danger &c
be dreaded. What if l should stay over
at Lancaster until the next day, and tel
cgraph to father to come to meet me
there +? And at the same instant | re-
membered that there was in my travel
ing satchel, in the little outer pocket,
where it had rested undisturbed for two
years, Tie card which the old Quaker lady
had given me. bearing the name and adj
dress of her daughter, who kept board
ing house. That remembrance decided
me if could find lodgings at that place,
/ would remain over night al Lancaster.
There were plenty of eoDveyances about
the depot, and summoning a driver to me,
| showed him the card, and asked him il
he knew the address.
''Certainly, mum, said he promptly,
stake you there in ten inmates /; Mrs.
Elwoo1s boarding house, quiet place, but
excellent accommodations, mum,
Thus assured, ! entered his carriage,
and he fulfilled his promise by setting me
down after short drive, in front of an
unassuming, two-story frame house. whose
quiet, orderly appearance made it look
very unlike a boarding house. A board
ing house it proved to be, however, and
in the lendlady, Mrs. Elwood, who
came to me after / had waited awhile in
the dsrkened parlor-I traced at once SO
strong resemblance TO my old Quaker
friend, as convinced me had found the