The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-10-02

der, "what is the matter with you
Wake up! It's eleven the express is
coming !"
He breathed heavily, but made no
sign. What was the matter with him
He appeared in no natural sleep. In
my alarm at the flying moments, fond
mother as / was, forced Maudie to
cry, hoping that might awaken him. 1t
did. Slowly he looked up heavily; but
only to sink back to sleep. At the same
moment 1 heard in the distance the
faint whistle of the express train. 1t
was coming, and the Hensher mail had
not yet passed. The terror of whole
life was condensed in those few minutes
The collision John had foretold had
come at last. All my efforts to arouse
him were futile. / stood alone the
trains were rushing to their fate. L
saw the awful sight of my dream real
lied; saw men, women and children
in one fearful heap, amid broken car
riages. My head reeled; turned sick I;
then the intensity of my fright appar-
emily cleared my brain.
Why should I not save them?
As the question occurred, the whistle
of the advancing mail sounded. Look
ing right and left, 1 perceived the glow
ing lights of each engine coming nearer,
for the line was clear. waited no
more. 1 recalled what John had told
me, and turned the signal lantern for
the express to slacken speed. Eagerly,
breathlessly / watched. Had l, after
all made a mistake? Yes-the lights
still approached. No = they had
stopped.
The next moment the signal box was
shaken to its base by the rush of the
mail train beneath it. 1 watched it fly
off in the distance, turned the light,
heard the Wyoming express in its turn
wheel under me, and knew, as / fell
insensible on the floor, that nearly two
hundred people had been on the brink
of the grave, and that L had saved
them.
My baby's cries, however, soon re-
called my senses, when, fetching water,
L dashed it over John, and at last
brought him to. / shall ever remember
his look when / told him what had &C.
CURED. He could not believe the mail
had passed; but proved it to him be-
yond doubt.
81 can't make it out, Jane" he ex-
claimed. 81 have not the slightest
recollection of going to sleep. In fact,
| WAS doing ali could to keep awake.
1t must DO my cold.
"What is that?" 1 asked, abruptly,
pointing to glass.
"Part of tumbler of beer Dick Malin
left me-, he answered.
L saw it all. The beer had been
drugged to work our ruin. John would
not hear of it.
There being no more trains, we went
home, taking the beer with me.
John" L said, when there. "I'm
going to show l am right about Richard
Malin. See - And, before he could
prevent me, had drank the contents of
the glass.
A quarter of an hour after, was in
dead sleep as he had been.
But this act had destroyed any proof
we had against Richard Malin, who,
however, confirmed our belief by dis
charging himself from his situation.
But the most singular part OF the
affair was, in that very express train
travelled Uncle Thompson, who had
come down to see us. When he heard
of his narrow escape, and how L had
saved him, he vowed he never would
forget it. He kept his word. He started
John in business, lived with us, and
made his will in our favor. Now ex-
press and mail trains no longer give us
sleepless nights, though we never travel
by rail without thinking of that fearful
night in the signal box.