Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-09-07

our suspicious.
1t was dark night in November
with considerable fog in the air, anC
strong appearance OF rain.
was at Golosha, the northern ter
minus Of our road, looking after som,
repairs on defective boiler, and
was coming down to New York OF
the z: 80 train-Kirke's train.
About z. there came a telegram
from old Whately, whose summer
residence was nearly midway be
tween Golosha and New York, ant
the old heathen had not yet forsaker
it for the city. The telegraph opera.
tor came into the engine where Kirke
was at work. for he was always al
work, and read it to him. Kirke
made a note of it in his pocket
book:
Paw train on the line. viii meet you jus,
at Deering's Cut and we'll. whately.-
Kirke's watch hung on a nail be-
side the clock. It was fancy OF his
always to hang it there when he was
off a train. so that he could make no
mistake in the time.
He glanced at the clock. and from
il to his watch. Both indicated the
Same fima hour 7.15
@7:15," said Kirke, meditatingly
~we leave at 7:5O, and the pay
train meets us at Deering's Cut at
1880. Scant time to make the run
in this thick weather, but IL must be
managed"
And he turned away to give some
orders to his fireman.
Jack Halliday was there; he had
been strolling in and out OF the room
for the past half hour, smoking ci-
gar, and swearing at the bad weather.
The train did not leave until near
midnight, so he had plenty OF time to
swear.
We all went to the door and took
look at the weather, and unani-
mously voted it deuced bad, and then
We walked up and down the platform,
and smoked our after-supper cigars,
and by the time we were through ir
was time for the train hands to be
getting into their places. Both the
clock in the engine room and Kirke's
watch indicated z 40.
Kirke was putting his watch in his
pocket as he said:
Garth, are you going with me On
the Flyaway?"
mo thank ye," said ], Il get enough
of that sort OF thing in my everyday
life. am to do little swell business
tonight and take passage in pal
ace car. Want to rest my back.
Good night to ye, and hold her in
well round Rocky Bottom curve. The
roads little shaky."
AYE, aye, sirl' responded Kirke,
and he swung himself into position
on the Flyaway.
The bell rang; 1 scrambled into
my compartment on the Pullman, and
felt horribly out Of place among the
silks and broadcloths and smell OF
musk; but was in for a first-class
ride and made the best OF 1t so effect
ually that, five minutes after, Glib
son, who now fancies he owns all
creation because he has got a silver
coffin plate on his breast, with con-
ductor on lit, had shouted "sll
aboardl' I was sound asleep. -
What occarred in other quarters to
affect the fate Of Kirke's train learn
ed afterwad. fHst
~ Old Whately, the superintendent OF
the road, as guess I have already
said, had a country residence in Leeds
on a mountain spur, which command
ed view OF the surrounding coun-
try for more than a score of miles.
The line Of the railway could be dis
tinctly seen in each direction for fif-
teen miles, and Whately was wont to
say that his lookout was worth more
to the safety OF trains than all the
telegraph wires on the road.
Whately was a rich old bufl er, kind
enough in his way, but sharp as
ferret in looking after the road
hands, and determined that every
man should do his duty.
He had but one child, daughter,
and Floss Whately was the belle of
the country. She was brave, beauti-
full and spirited, and more than once
when her father had been away, had
she assumed the responsibility Of di-
recting the trains. and she had always
acquitted herself with credit.
Old Whately was very proud OF her.
as he had right to be, and kept all
the young fellows at distance, until
it was said that he intended keeping
his daughter single till the Gear of
all the Russians came on to marry
her.
This night in November old whate-
ly and Floss were out on the piazza
Of their country home, peering
through the gloom and fog for the
signal lights Of the Golosha train,
which was very nearly due.
@It't devilish strange it doesn't
come in sightl" said Whately, laying
down his night-glass in disgust. 1T
is hard on 10 nowl They ought to
show their light round Spruce Pond
by this timei" ,f
you telegraphed them, father?
You let them know the pay-train was
on the road?" asked Floss.
@To be sure. And .good heavensl
there is the head light on the pay
train nowl See not ten miles away,
and running like the devil, as it al
ways does" s,r.
He pointed with trembling finger
down to the valley forge, where, far
away. Q mere speck in the gloom,
could be seen bright light, scarcely
moving, it seemed, but those anxious
watchers knew it was approaching at
li0hfnin0 snead