The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1872-02-07
Catching the Train.

We stopped ut Syracuse, n. Y,
! for dinner. You remember the
railroad depot, centrally situated,
with its Eastern and Western en-.
frances exactly aIillc--as much 80
rs the ends Of II car. After we
had dinrd, tho depot master in.
formed mo that wc hnd seventeen
minutes to spare before the dcpnr.
turc Of the Eastern train. This,
thought |, will give mo an oppor.
tunity to SEQ tho city aud II glo.
rious chance for smoke, provided
II clergyman could br r"mp,cd in
to such i wastcluI IT. worldly
amusement. saunlcrcd forth,
and after an absence Of exactly
thirteen minutes, having enjoyed
~ delightful and oothiug stroll, ]
was IcisurcIy returning. watch in
hand. when, to my sudden aston.
ishment, | bchcld the train slowly
gliding ont OF The other cnd of he
depot and increasing its speed ut
every puff of the gigantic locomo.
tive.
i Here, indeed, was Il "calI' which
admitted neither correspondence
nor delay there was no time for
stalking ,uto consideration"
So, without contrrring with flesh
and blood, put like Il sky-rocicl
with double fuse. For II momcn,
J thought | was gaining ground.
although ! knew was losing
wind. | WAS encouraged in the
raco hy snndry helpful fellows who
kept crying out as | passed, eco
it, gaitrrs - "rIucky boy " "IIr
ainL left, oh, no." and wcIl-mrun-
ing AMI bcniguant cxhortntions.
Though they intended, perhaps,
To help me ovcrthc course, found
that tho moro they shouted the
less | was inclined to run, and
more decidedly did the locomotive
make its terrible way against me.
TO give up the chase, TO submit
to the chagrin Of Lcing left. to
Ioso my party and my passage,
meet with disappointment and not
to meet my fricmls-aIl this was
bad enough but the Thought of
cncounlcring, all tho way back to
the depot, that line of interested
individuals who, with their cheer.
ing eNclnmntions, had ~ icelingly
encouraged mo on my outward
Tourney, this was tho biltcrcst pill
in tho unexpected dose.
but it must he done. So, tarcr.
ing Off gradually, | gave up the
contest and turned back to moct
my fate, and, if | could find him,
the depot master, whose blundor.
ing statements were tho cause Of
all my trouble. Without search
that individual advanced to mcct
mo with the bland recognition of
{" fact TINT nobody could we'll dc
ny.
"Wcll, you got left, did you !"
! replied only with tho resent.
mont Of ii "siIcncing eye" If |
looked MS | tried to look, my pho.
t"graph taken ut that instant
would hardly be chosen to grace
IN album gallery of "cmincnt Iii
vines.'
Several bystanlcrs, seeking in
formation, aslrh with II show of
confidential interest in my case,
in what wise the thing had hap
pcncd and others, wishing To
point Il moral advised me to be
on hand Il little earlier next time.
With returning breath, relief
and words camo together, and |
squarcly charged the railroad off
cial with all the blame. spoke
Of his incomprlcncy in no meas
nrablo terms, recalling how, after
| | had placed my party in the car
he had assured me t hat there wore
full seventeen minutes to spare
before the train went out, "whiI,
here" said |, with u triumphant
exhibition Of my watch, "Ihc scv.
cntrcn minutes are even now bare
ly up, and yet the train is gone
ont of sight,
Aflermnrh hot shri icast back an,
forth, with the usual variation,
and final pcroralirn* of "you did.
and "yon didn't" "you'ro anoth
or" etc. | asked him whether
would be risking nnothor cbanc,
of being loft if | depended on hin
to givo mo tho exact hour Of tn,
departure Of tho next l;astcrl
train.
"Enstcrn - exclaimed no.
eyes, Eas,orn," | replied, witt
II docidodly upward and sarcastic
infection.
"Why," qnoth he, ".ho trniI
you've just been cha<ing with sucl
good luck wasn't tho Easter,
train, hnt the Western Express"
With such interesting confusion
and excitement, | hammered on.
"Thon, where IN Jobbu, is tn,
Eastern train ?"
"Why, thcro it is" ropliod hc
"inst getting undor way, at tho
other end Of the depot lex it, o.
you'll lose that"
II ever made Dexter time, |
made it. ,hon. | passed right
through tho depot Iillo tho wind
|