Middletown transcript., 1875-09-25

| r. .aiss3 .G aA - VISA ts>@ +f
seWhat is the matter with you. Kirk
Somehow you have looked and acted
strangely to me to-day
Il said this to the engineer of my
train az we stood on the platform of the
station at W, about ready to start.
Mine was late train. We left W
at $3.50 P. M. for a run of three hours
and a.half. to the junction at K
river. 1t was 10 November and the
days were 50 short that it was already
dark. Il would be dark night for
the sky was overcast and there was no
moon. Ifit did not rain before we got
to our destination, + felt that 4 should
be mistaken.
My engineer stood op the platform q
little ahead of his engine, so that the
glow from the headlight revealed him
plainly to me without the aid Of the
lantern which 1 held in my hand. He
stood motionless. looking away down
the track as though be was gazing upon
the rails stretching outward like two
bars o. cleaning light. growing less
andolessq brilliant until they were swal-
lowedi1p inl the darkness, beyond.
4 That afternoon, whenever Iss had
Icban;ed to see him, Kirk, bad'sppeared
strange to me-; He, seemed excited az
I,nevef noticedsbefore. He did not look
or act like sensa who bad been drink
ing. and had no reason to think that
he had, for to my knowledge he never
took "a glass of liquor in his life,
As IspokeAto him be turned quickly,
and / saw again the look I have mem
toned. 1t was only for moment and
then il was gone, and be- seemed @ him bi 9 :
self again.
What do you peeuY be, said.
There is nothing the matter with me.
Why do you AK r ga-isiss9
Because you have hardly seemed
yourself to-day YOU don1 Hook siek.I
still there seems to be something the
matter. There has nothing gone wrong
a5lSiss. { answered. suasa f19sa never
was 10 bettsrspirits. 1T Is almost time
to 60, is it not pro- Ira a5:i1Ha
I took out ny watch and glanced at
the time. He did the same, and we
compared them. 1t still lacked three
minutes Of the time of starting. There
was hardly asecond's difference in our
time-keepers. aeei 'st ioiig oiiA
l turned and walked back to the
other end Of the platform. The passen-
gers we're pouring into the oars, and l
saw that | was to have q large train.
As l watched them passing in, l was
oppressed byia feeling such as l had
never felt before 4 It seemed that they
were intrusting their lives to my keep
ing and that if any accident happened
i would be guilty Of their DEATH
l shouted 'All aboard!' gave the
signal to start, and we were off into
the gloom and the darkness of the
night, Ag y.
We were. to make bat three, stops be-,
tween our starting point aud K
River junction. The first one was
twenty miles away, and therefore there
was no necessity Of haste in going
through the train. For several min
utes l remained in the baggage car.
and then commenced my work of exam
ing the tickets Of the passengers. l
had gone through the smoking car, and
was passing between that aud the first
passenger-coach, when it occurred to
me that we we're going at higher rate
Of speed than was necessary for us to
reach the first stopping place on time.
Still did not know but what might
be mistaken. Kirk bad always been a
careful driver, and took up ALI bis time
between stations. so that our pauses
might be as short as possible
The thought was uppermost in my
mind as I slowly made my way through
the next car; it was crowded one and
it took me some time to get through.
One woman had lost her ticket, and
after looking eysrywhere except the
right place. il was, found At last in her
satchel. - taE
Before this was accomplished. it GER.
taioly was forced upon me, that we we're
going at terrible rate Of speed. The
car swayed from side to side with