Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-11-06

Cuiuc tIcinuics uuu 30 tuC SouutJ ASehe
Portland is pretty level, we took the full
force of the wind. As we got further
inland, it was not so bad, and by the
time we were forty miles out. it had
turned to a summers gale and was pour
ing torrents.
"And now comes the singular part o.
the story. We had the right Of way
and our dispatcher was to keep the whole
way up to Fabyan's open for US, my In
structions being to stop only at NORTH
Conway for water. So gave her the
throttle, and we bowled along at good
rate of speed, making. perhaps. thirty oil
thirty-6ye miles an hour. As we went
whistling through Sebago Lake station
| had kind Of feeling come over me
that there was something wrong. didn''
notice it at first, but every now and then
il would come back to me that all was
not as it should be, yet | couldn't think
of anything that wasn't right. alters
examine my machine before | start, give
her good oilin', look well to the bots
and parallel rods. try the levers and such,
aud so knew when we left Portland old
49 was in perfect workin' trim. Yet the
feeling grew on me until it was a steady
thing tried to shake it off, but 'twan't
no use. felt in my bones that sometbin'
was up.
"Nos, you gentlemen will laugh at
me for being fool, and | don't blame
yer, for we was a-going along all right,
everything from the water-gsuge to the
cylinders was a-workin' in good time,
and | knew that it was only my imagin-
alton, but, to tell the truth, began to
feel uneasy. had been an engineer for
ten years, and had been through some
pretty tough scrapes without BLOWN for
brakes, and the boys all said as how
had good deal OF pluck. Now | began
to lose all confidence.
bob, said to myself, this won't
do. You are gettin' nervous, and all
for nothin'. You've no business to be
supers,itious at your time Of life. Brace
up!
"Twan't no use, however. i could
hev stood up in court and sworn there
was kink somewhere. Well, meanwhile
we was a-sliding along, and pretty see n
reached North Conway, where we was tc
give the machine drink. Dan, say
| to my fireman, there's somethin' out O
the way with this machine, and dom
know what it is.
".what makes you think so:' said
Dan.
Il can't tell replied, she works all
right; but feel it in my bones
"'Guess you're thinkin' Of your wife,
returned Dan, with laugh.
But while we were gittin' in the
water | took lantern and went around
the engine. looked at every part oI
her, raped the bars, knocked the wheels
tried her at every point and couldn't flint
nothin'.
"And tried to think no more abou
it, but the feeling was there all the SAM
and do the best | could wasn't able Il
throw it off. Well, we had got prett.
good distance in the mountains and will
that light load 49 didn't make nothin' o
the up grades.
Perhaps, gentlemen, you have neve
been through the hills in winter. 1t Ii
some different from summer, can tel
yer The mountains loom up dark ant
solemn, and with their snow-covered side
they seem kinder like big, ghostly giant
that have been turned to stone stsndin,
guard over the valley. The silence ant
desolstion sorter swes one. and it don
seem right to 90 shrieking and screaming
along their sides in the dead Of night
This time it was worse than ever. Tn
storm had let loose all the evil spirits il
the air. The wind swept down the val
lev with q roar that could be heard abOv
the rush of the train. 1t whistled an
yel,ed at the cab windows. and blew tn
rain and sleet so hard agin the windo'
frame could scarcely see the short dis
tance lit by the headlight. The gres
trees rocked to and fro and seemed
hold out their arms as if in warning.
was solemn place for any one, and
felt it particularly as had this awfu
weight of anxiety on my mind that ha
been a-growin' stronger and stronger eac
minute.
"Well, we had passed Bartlett. goin
through there at pretty good jog. whe
like a fash Of lightning the partin
words of my wife came back to me =
Now, be careful of that Frankenstei
trestle.'
THAT set me to thinkin'. Could tn
be the presentiment of some disaster
\Vas there ANYTHING the matter with III