The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-02-21
Catching the Train.

for dinncr. You remember the rail.
rad depot, centrally situated, with
it's Eastern aud Western entrances
exactly alikc-as much 80 as the ends
# II Car. After We had diued, the
depot. or informed mo that we had
seventeen minutes to spare before the
departure Of the Eastern train. This
thought l, will give me an cpportuni-
ty to see tho city and glorious
chance for a smoke, provided a
clergyman could be tempted into such
was,eful and worldly amusement.
lsauntered forth, and aftor on ab.
'cuce If exactly thirteen minutes,
having enjoyed delightful and sooth.
Ing St,vll, was lcisurely returning,
watch in hand, when. to my sudden
as,oni>hment, bcheld the train
slowly gliding out of the other end Of
the depot and increasing its speed at
every puff of the gigantic loco otive.
lle'c, Indeed, vas o "call" which
admitted neither correspondence nor
delay there was no timo for stalking
into consit Z, a. ion.'
So, wi,lrut conferring with flesh
AID blood, put like a sky-rockct
with double fuse. For moment
thought I was guining ground, al.
though knew was losing wind. I
was discouraged in tho race by
supdry helpful fellows who kept cry
irg out as [ pa sscd, "Go it, CATERS -
"Plucky boy ~ "He ain't left, oh,
no p aud well-mcnning and benig-
n,nt exhortntions. Though thoy in.
tcpded, perhaps, to help me over the
cour:e, found that the moro they
shouted the less I was inc}iued
to run, and moro decidedly did tho
locomotive make its terrible way
against me.
Il. give up tho chase, to submit to
the chagrin of being left to lose my
party snd my passage, meet with dis.
appointment aud not to meet nv
triends--ull this was enough but the
thoughts of onoountering, all tho way
back TO tho depot, that line of inter-
csted individuals who with their
ch, criug cxclamations, had 80 feel.
mgly encouraged mo on my outward
] nrney, this was the bittcrest pill in
the unexpected dose.
But IL must be done. So, taper
ing .f gradually, Igave up the contest
and turned back to meet my fate, and
If | could find him, tho depot master,
whose laundering state cnts were the
c'use of all my trouble. Without
telrch that individual advanced to
meet INC with the bland recognition of
fact'hlt nobody could we'll deny.
swell, you got left, did you p
! replied only with tho resentment
of 'si:cnci2g eye" If l looked as
| tried to look, my photograph takon
ut thnt instant would hardly be chosen
to grace an album gallery of "omi
nent divincs."
Several by.standors, soeking infor
m .tiop, asked with show Of conli-
dental interests in my case, in what
W sc tho thing had happened; and
others, wishing to point moral, and
advised me to be On hand little ear
licr next time.
Win returning breath, relief and
Wo dS came together, and squarely
clagod the railroad official with all
th' blame. spoke of his incompe.
t "cy in no measurable terms, rocal.
ing how, after had placed nv part,
H. 90 car, he had assured mo tha,
t,ero were full seventeen minutes &c
ar" bef,re the train went on,
"wh |, here" said l, with trium
phnnt exhibition of my watch, "tht
seventeen p'inut.s are even now bare.
ly ur, nnd yet the train is gone ou,
Of sight"
Alter much hot shot cast ba ok and
forth, with the usual variations and
hnal Pererati,ns Of "you did," and
"you didn't" "you're another" etc..
| asked him whether I would be risk
log another chance of being left if l
depended on him to give mo tho exact
hour of tho departure of tho next Eas
tern train.
"Enstern ?' exclaimed he.
eyes, Eastcrn," I replied, with q
decidedly upward and sarcastic in.
Hcctiun.
"Why," quoth he, "ho train you've
just boen chasing with such good
LUCK wasn't tho Eastorn train, but the
Western Express
With suoh interesting confusion and
exoitcmcntr | stammcred out. Then
where, in Jobba, i, the Eastern
train ?"
"Why,the-o it is," replied he, "jus,
getting under way, ut the other end
OF tho depot log it or you'll lose
Lnat."
If ever I made Dexter time, M nd G
1t then: l passed light through tho
depot like tho wind. l felt as if W as
all legs. Ono glance, however, at
the rear door Of tho last car az was
nearing it camo near being too much
f'r mo. | discovered the group Of
my long-lost riends whose forms and
fanta so q mod hnrsA inn .n;l l. a.l 49, >..