St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-11-22


watching Ben with an amused pleasure
as he hustled tn and fro.
"llaVc you il carriage , coming up
t" me at the moment the telcgraph-op-
orator put dispatch in his hand
''Station No. 10. Five minutes late.
Ncll" with Il puzzled look. and then
crIlmpling it up and tLruSting il into
his wai>tcoat pocket. Ibid Nnu SAY
Nou had not ii carriage! There's Il cab
man here that | know most ohlgimg
fellow. I'll just run around the cor
ncr-
But your dispatch ," said unca>ily.
''Thats nothing. I'll look into it in
Il minute"
He ran of like IL boy. WAS gone Il
short time. and returned. bringing Il
>l"urhimg Iri>lman cracking his whip.
Here he i>. Bring yorlr carriage M.
Pete. The train is due now"
At that moment. the New York cN-
press. heavily laden. went thumdcrimghl
on its way to Baltimore. stood watch
ing idly how the line of figures in the
windows made Il long whi>k of color
against the night. when the sound of il
sudden. martIculatc effort for breath
made me turn to Ben. He WAS looking
after the ears, holding the open dispatch
i'll his hand. Something III his face
told me the whole truth. Yet | WAS
calm a> men usually are when death
meets them face Ia face ON the high
way.
"Wlat have YOU done ,"
Il did not read all of the di>patch."
took it. 1t was from the train ON
which my wife was to come. Station
No. 10, Five minutes late! Keep
track clear"
Il ought to have stopped the New
York cNprc>> at the station before this
one. They will meet ten miles down
the road"
"Iou can telegraph now"
''Ihcrc i no station between thi- and
No. ID.
He turned to the superintendent. who
came out of his office and gave him the
dispatch. saving quietly: Il neglected
To stop the New York train. Iou see
what have done. And then he fol
lowed me down the road. remember
how | heard behind lis Il sudden "utcIN
of mems voices. and then an awful
hush as the comprehension of what WAS
Vet To come. that could not hc helped.
struck them dumb. remember duly
understanding. too. that they were
sending to the city for help. surgeons.
Some of the officials passed lis in Il few
moments. driving furinu>ly.
| walked on down the road. and Ben
followed me. Some lahnrcI> from about
the station came up alongside, of u>.
.'If it nd been daylight" said one in
Il >uhducd tone. there might IA been Il
chance: hut AT night
An both express. and gnin' at full
After that they were silent. hrurying
ON beside us. The night was dark. We
came At last To where the road made Il
>uddrn bend around Il hill. below which
Il creek glimmcrcd in the tng. On the
other side of the bend were heard II
sound of horses trImping.
Its the huggic> of the men aS rode
down.. said one of the Iri>hmcn. "Tlc
trains have met hcyamt."
They went ON. stopped. | do not
know for how long. holding my face
against the clay of the cut in the hill. |
remember CROPPING with my hand. and
thinking ! had Il w"nan'> hair i'll it. "r
the ClnId>. ! Crcpt around the bend
presently and down the road.
There. on the track. lay Il long train.
the engine >n"rtimg and putting druW>l
but composed womenS faces pcclinw
ont of every window. From one of the
tr>t Mcliccmt looked culiou>ly. and
Sandy beat on the glass with his hands.
Groups nt men were standing along the
road. all talking at once.
Jake RcdmUnd'S on the engine this
run. said Il brakeman Ia Il crowd near.
land that's all that saved us. Jake
>rr> the light of t'nthrr train tuInin' the
hill. and switches back. He hadn't an
inch to spare. sir. .Jakc'S got the best
eye and hsind on this road. and he'll hc
promoted for t"-night'> work. If the
company don't take account of this
nights work of .Jakc'> its all internal
shame. Both them trains saved God
help u~, here's one man that appears I"
l'c dead - stopping to lift Il body from
oil the muddy track. \> he turned it
mp /" the lamp-l%ht. | >aw Bcn'> thin
face and hnlf-"p"m mouth.
''lillcN has been dismissed from the
service of the company. said Saul. Il
day "r two after.
''Ot course.
''Ghcn the company were exceeding
ly unjust =" said Mcliccnt. ben never
would have neglected Il dispatch again.
whoever might. that i certain. What
does the company expect him to do
Starvc -
Il have good news for you." the doe
tor said. his eyes shining. ..Bnchm. il
seems. would not leave Bonn T." take
the pr"tc>>"r>hip. and il is given to Ben
at last"
"Tacrc is Il poetic Justice :" McIiccnt
said with Il triumphant nod t" me.
THAT Ben should he rewarded for
selling his hiIthright for Il mess of pot
tagr," though WAS better pleased than
she WAS after all.
Ben Pillry holds rank now in the
world of science. where business men or
railroad kings would bc looked on H.
but cnmmomcr> or I5riahS. But he
takes a> keen delight in trout fishing IL
ever. and is every whit the same old
Ben to my mind. Mclicrnt has Just
come home from her usual fall visit to
them.
"Thcy have every comfort and luxu-
rN. of course" she says diScontcntcdlN
"Culturcd society outside. and lovely
scenery, and ali that. But the elegant
house is all upside down, and the sci
wants rule. and the children go tumb-
ling about in their summer clothes thcS,
freezing days, and Su>y sits smiling
with folded hands. and Ben tiddlcS, and
they re as happy aS kings and queens.
It's intoler.ibe - RcbeccU DdriS in
Uedrth dnd UOmP.
Death by the Nerves.
When Il man is wounded in battle. !
even slightly, hc is likely to hc knock
nI ,rnstT.It, which i in fact nft.u tL,.