The Van Buren press., 1877-05-08

NHu II We tnOukut OI Vuc HlatteT NJ MI.
we thought We had wronged Halliday by
our suspicious. tx.
1t was u dark night IN November. with
considerable fog in the air, and strong
appearances of rain.
l was at Golosha, the northern termi-
nus OF our road, looking after some re
pairs on defective boiler, and was 60
ing down to New York on the Z 80 train
-kirke's train.
About seven there came telegram
from old Whately, whose summer resi-
dencc was nearly midway between Go.
losha and New York, and the old heath.
en- had not yet forsaken it for the city
The telegraph operator came into the en-
CINE house where kirke esas AT work
and read it to him. kirEo made note
of it in his pocket book.
Pay train on the line. Will meet you
just west OF Leeds at 1918. Shunt on
to the siding ut Deefing Cut. and wait
8 Tt WHATELY
kirke's watch hung on a nail beside
the clock. 1t was fancy Of his always
to hang it there when lie was off the train,
so that he could make no mistake in the
time. 8 aAt As 0gE
He glanced at the clock, and from it to
his watch. Both indicated the same 10 ur
-?:l5.
81 :l5," said Kirke, meditively, "and
VIC leave at so, an6 the pay train meets
us at behring's Cut at l0:15, Scant
time to make the run in this thick wealth
er, but it must be managed
And he turned away to give some brief
orders tu the fireman.
Jack Hal iday was there he had been
strolIing in and out Of the room for the
past half hour, smoking q cigar, and
swearing at the bad weather His tram
did not leave till near midnight, SO he
had plenty Of time to swear.
We ali went to the door aud took II
look at the weather, aud unanimously vo
ted it deuced bad, and then we walked
up and down the platform, aud smoked
our after supper cigars, and by the time
We were through it was time for the train
hands to be getting into their places
Both the clock in the engine room and
kirkes watch indicated I 40
"Garth, are you going with me on the
Flyaway 7"
mo, thank ye," said l, Il get enough
of that sort of thing in my every day
life am gong to do little swell bus
me s Tonight, aud take passage in the
palace car.-Wantter t. rest my back. Good
night to We. and hold her in well round
Rocky Bottom curve The road beds
Il little shaky'
"Ayc, aye. sir" responded Kirke. and
swung himself to his position on the Fly
The bell rung- eo.ambicd TO my
compartment in the Pullman and felt hor-
ridly out Of place among the silks and
broadcloths and smell of musk. But |
was in for " first. class" and made the
best of it so etrectualv that five minutes
after Gibson. who fancies he owns all
creation because he has got silver cof-
fin plate ON his breast with " conductor
On it, had shouted :" All aboard!' was
sound asleep.
What occurred in other quarters to at
feet the fate of Kirke 3 train, l learned
afterwafd.
Old Whalely, the superintendent of
the road, as guess have already said,
had q country residence in Leeds. on a
mountain spur, which commanded view
of the surrounding country for more
than a score of miles. The line of the
railway could lie distinctly seen in each
direction fifteen miles. and Whately was
wont to say his lookout was worth more
to the safety of trains than all the tele
graph wires on the line
Whatel\ was a rich old buffer, kind
enough in his W y, hut sharp as ferret
in looking after he road hands, deter
mined that every man should do his du-
ty ....... .. .m.-...
He had but orc child, daughter: and
Floss Whately was the belle of the coun
try She was brave, beautiful and spiri-
ted, and more than once. when her father
had been away had she assumed the re.
sponsibility OF directing the trains, and
she had always acquitted herself with
credit. .y.
Old Whatcly was very proud of her, as
he had right to be, and he kept all the
young fellows at distance, until it was
said that he intended keeping his daugh-
ter single till the cza' OF all the Russias
came on to marry her.
This night IN November, old Whately
and Floss were out on the piazza Of their
country home, ,peerng through the gloom
and fog for the Golosha train which was
nearly due
alt is very strange it docsn't come in
sighlr said Wha,ely. la, ing down his
night glass in disgust ut is hard on
to ten now! They ought to show their
light round Spruce pond ny this time!"
"You telegraphed them. father You
let them know the pay train was on the
road p asked Floss.
ITO be sure And, good heavens !!
there is the headlight Of the pay train
now! See not ten miles away, and
running like the deuce. as it always does !.
He pointed with trembling finger down
to the valley gorge, where, tar away, u
mere speck in the gloon. could be seen
light. scarcely moving it seemed, but
those anxious watchers knew it was ap-
preaching at lightning speed.
Father and daughter looked at each
other
The truth was evident. For some rea
son the rain from Golosha was ten min
utes behind time. and it would not reach
the siding OF behring's Cut until the pay
train had passed beyond ON to the single