The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-03-19

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his face My heart seemed ready Il
burst; my hand trembled; / slOOke(
at my watch had only just fiv'
minutes to reach the depot y o. !gslr
Joe's words came to- my mind
Was ] fit to take charge fan engine
/ was not fit to answer. ought t.
have asked some sober man. AS i
was, / only caught my hat and rush
ed away. i was Just In time. 'o5as
The, San francisco glistened in thu
sun. Thec cars were filling rapidly
From my post could hear the peO
pie talking-bidding each other good
by, and promising to write and come
again. Among them was an old
gentleman knew by sight--One Ol
the shareholders. lie was bidding
two timid girls adieu. -, y, L. .,s :,
Goodbye, Kittie; goodbye Lue,' y
Iheard him say; 'don't be nervous
The San Francisco Is the safest engine
on the line, and Guelden the most
careful engineer; / would not be
afraid to trust every mortal in their
keeping, Nothing could happen
wrong with the two together" 60.
: said, "we'll get through il some
how, and Joe shall never talk to me
again. After all, it was easy enough" /"
Ireeled asI spoke heard the sig
nal. We are off. ~ ~ se,s.r - -.fy.
Five hours from l.. to ID. five hours
back again. knew now that on my
last run l should be myself again.
saw q flutter, and never knew what
it was until we lal passed the train
mt the wrong place Two minutes
more and we should have had col
lision. SOmehody. told me, and
laughed. l heard the shareholder
say, respectfully: &
"Ofcourse, Mr.. Gnelden, yon know
what you are about ?" GA
Then was alone, and wondering
whether l should 60 faster or slower.
l did something, and the cars rushed
on ut afcarful rate. The same man
who had spoken t0he before was
standing near me. ] heard the ques-
"HCw many miles an hour are we
making sysz,,Esgs,,, ,.'n;;s-z'lEgsas-Ey
Ididn't know n a "a Il &c. "a
Rattle, rattle, rattle {! j was trying
now TO slacken the speed Of the San
Fraucisco.1 j could not relnembey
what 4 should do was It tlfis or that
faster or, slower2 ~ i WAS playing
with the engine like a child.
Suddenly there was an awful ROAR
crash. 4 was flung somewhere. It
was In the water. by a piracle /
was sljbered, not hurt. j gained the
shore. Istood on the ground between
tile track and the waters edge and
there gazed at my work,
The engine was In fragments, the
cars in splinters dead, and dying,
and MOundcd WerestreWn arOund--
men, and women, and children, old
age and youth. There were grOans
and shrieks Ofdlespair. The maimed
cried ont i'm pain, the uninjured be-
walled their dead, and q voice, uTi-
heard by any other, was in my ear,
"Murder
The news had gone to A., and
the people had come thrOnging down
to find their lost ones. Searching for
an old mans daughter, / came to a
place under the trees, and found five
bodies lying there in their rigid hor-
rOr-an old woman, young one, n
baby, and two tiny children. Was it
fancy-was it fancy, born of my an
guish? They look 1ike-zOh, Heaven,
they We're my mother, my wife, my
children--ah cold and dead
How did they come on the train?
What chance had brought this about?
No one could answer. i grOaned, |
clasped my hands, tore
my hair, / gazed oh the good face of
her who gave me birth, on the lovely
cold face Of my wife, ON my innocent
l called them by name.
There was no answer. There never
could be-there never would be.
A whistle! Great God Onward up
the track thundered another train
Its red eyes glared upon me; / threw
myself before it; felt it.crusli me
to atOms! - - " ~ ~
ellis head is extremely hot" said
somebody.
/ opened my eyes and saw my wife.
"HOw do you feel ?" said she "a
little better ?' -
j was so rejOiced and astOnished by
the sight of her that could not speak
at first. She repeated the question.
81 must be crushed to pieces" said
/, "fOr the train went over me, but /
feel no pain"
"These he goes about .Tthe- train
again., said my wife. sla4 - 81 -
Why, / tried to mOve-there was
nothing the matter with me. / was
In my own room; opposite to me was
q crib in which my child was asleep.
My wife and child were safe. Was /
deliriOus, orwhat could Il lie? e'nI gu
"JOe," ] cried, "tell me what has
happened" sislsnas 4, IA w
"Ips o O'clock" said Joe. "Y0u
came home i'm such state from the
club that j couldn't wake you. You
wcrn't fit to manage steam and risk
peoples lives. The San Francisco liz
half way to A. / suppose, and you've
been Tightening me half to death
with your dreadful talk"
And Joe began to cry.
1t was only dream-Only an aw-
full dream. But lived through itas
though il were a reality.
"Is there a bible in the house, Joe?"
said.
care we heathens 2" cried Joe.
"Givc il to me this moment, Joe"
She brought it, and I put my hand
on 1T and took the oath (tOO solemn
to bercpeated here) that what had hap
pened never should occur again. And
ifthe San FraciscO evercOmes to grief
the verdict will not bc "The engineer
was.drunk."' 4, $50.
The Man6uyring Maiden.