The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-11-05

If you take the II P. NJ train"
"Tut, tutr' the lads said; and
"Poor Knight he was good fel-
low" precisely as if he were dead
Indeed, from the light and bril-
liaDcy Of the scene above them
the music, the beautiful low.voiced
women, themselves dalntily at
tired, that gay and happy part of
the world-there was a gulf like
death to the grimy engine.driver
in the dark depot, a gulf which
none but o madman, they thought,
would willingly cross.
They sauntered out Of the opera
house, and, few minutes before
eleven, reached the depot, in time
for the train that ran out to the
suburban town where they lived.
s:Tbere he is," whispered Saulter.
"He takes our train out but the
engine is not yet put to it"
The engine was on a siding,
putting and splitting little jets Of
steam, and Dick Knight, tall,
manly young fellow, was coming
at that moment down from the
superintendent's room. He caught
sight of his old classmates, laugh
ed, hesitated, and raised his hand
to his hat.
"Going to speak to him, hey ?"
said little Billie MCGEE, anxious
ly.
The young men grew red and
embarrassed. Some Of them nod
ded to Knight awkwardly, and
seemed inclined to 90 and meet
him.
Isay no." said saulter, peremp-
torily.
eff be chooses to leave the com.
panionship Of gentlemen | shall
not follow him, [ talk to me-
chanics and that sort of people
who never had q chance to be any
thing better; but Knight is a So
cial suicide; sir.'
"That's true," said McGee.
"How we'll Saulter puts things -
he added aside, "'Social suicide 7
Well, 1 shall not bring him to life" "
Knight saw that the young men
wished to avoid him, and turned
aside with bow and heightened
color, while they hurried into the
train.
1t was yet five minutes until
the time of starting.
The train Of passenger cars was
On the main track (the engine still
being detached), and the people
were hurrying in, most Of them
coming direct from the theaters
and other places of amusement.
Inside of the cars and in the depot
there was good deal Of jesting
and gayety between acquaintancos
meeting on their way home, the
train being a local one, and run
ming only through suburban anvil vil-
lagos.
Just then, a short distance up
the track, there was hiss and a
cry, and a voice shrieked out in
horror: GA runaway train on the
main track a.! A runaway train on
the main track! Passengers in
the depot! Out Of the cars out
Of the cars p
A runaway freight train was On
the track. The fireman had start
ed it for the purpose Of taking it
into the freight depot. BY some
accident, before it had left the
main track, the man had STUN
bled as he was at his work, and
had fallen nearly upon the ground.
Lalfstunned, he had jumped up
but could not cath the moving en-
CINE, which was gaining speed
every second, and had, shrieked
out his warning.
It so happened that the switch
tender, through fright, or from
some unexplained cause, did not
move his switch in season to run
the train off the main track and
now the huge machine, with its
train behind, was rushing toward
the train in the depot with speed
that promised fatal disaster.
The few officials who we're near
had time but TO gasp with horror.
At the moment when the cry OF
danger was shrieked out upon the
night air, Dick Knight was at
taching his engine to the passen-
ger train. From the cars and plat
form rose yell of frantic terror,