The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-08-13

Dack. lie moved like an autOmaton.--
There was little more meaning In his
face.
More !" without turning his eye.
took up the shovel--hesltated
Blakelyl We're going very fast
We're going at the rate of sixty miles
an hour"
"Coal.o
was alarmed at the stern, cold rlgidi-
ty of the man. His pallor was becom-
ing frightful.
threw In the coal.
At least we must stop at Sunbury.-
He had told me that was the next halt.
The little town approached. AS the
first house came In view, the engine
sent out its shrek of warming; IL grew
louder and louder We dashed into the
street, up to the station, where q group
of passengers waited, and past 1t with
out the halt of an instant. caught a
glimpse of the appalled, faces of the wait
ing crowd. Then we were In the fields
again.
The speed now became literally
breathless, the furnace glared red-hot.
The heat, the velocity, the terrible ner-
vous strain of the man beside me, SEEM
ed to weight the air. / found myself
drawing long stentorlous breaths, like
one drowning. 1 heaped in the coal at
intervals, as he bade me.
"I'd have done nothing of the kind"
intar MI - fI,a {
man was mad"
did 1t because was oppressed by an
odd sense of duty, which never had in
my ordinary brain-work. l had taken
this mechanical task upon myself, and
felt structure upon me to go through
with 1t at any cost. 1 know now how
1t is that dull, ignorant men, without
spark of enthusiasm show such heroism
sometimes, as soldiers, engineers, cap
tains of wrecked vessels. Itis this over
powering sense of routine duty. 1t is a
finer thing than sheer bravery, to my
notion. However, began to be of your
mind, Wright, that Blakely was mad,
laborlng under some sudden frenzy from
bhOuSn l. nuu IltNGT SeGH ulIn
touch liquor.
He did not move hand or foot, except
in the mechanical control of the engine,
his eye going from the gauge to the
timepiece with q steadiness that was
more terrible and threatening than any
CLEAN of insanity would have been.-
Once he glanced back at the long train
sweeping after the engine, with head
long speed that rocked it from side to
side. You would catch glimpses of hun
dreds of men and women talking, read
ing, smoking, unconscious that their
lives were all in the hold of one man,
whom now strongly suspected to be
mad. L knew by his look that he re-
membered their lives were in his hand.
He glanced at the clock.
"Twenty miles" he muttered.-
"Throw on the coal, Jones. The fire
is going out"
L did it. Yes, L did it. There was
something in the face of that man that
L could not resist. Then climbed for
ward and sh ook him by the shoulder.
Blakely!" shouted, " you are run
ming this train into the jaws of DEATH"
81 know it," quietly.
Your wife and child are on it,
My Godl'
He staggered to his feet. But even
then he did not move his eye from the
gauge.
In minute
Make up the fire." he said, and push
ed in the throttle valve.
'I will not"
Make up the fire, Mr.. Saniley, )" very
quietly.
81 will not You may murder your
self and wife and boy, but you shall
not murder me-"
He looked at me. His kindly gray
eyes glared like those of a wild beast
But lie controlled himself in moment.
1 could throw you out of the door, and
make short work of you. But = look
here; do you see the station yonderY"
saw thin wisp of smoke against the
sky, about five miles in advance.
81 was told to reach the station by six
o'clock. The express train meeting us is
due now. 1 ought to have laid for it at
Sunbury. was told to come on. The
track is single one. Unless can make
the siding at that station in three min
utes, we will meet in the hollow"
Somebody blundered ?"