The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-10-25

think of Il no more, but tend to bust
ness
"But ,pite of me, 'be careful of the
Frankenstiae tTestle,' kept comm into
my head; even the wind seemed To
shrek it. pictured to myself broken
rail and the yawning gulf on each side.
What a terrible accident it would make;
what q frightf1il chasm in which to
plunge. Then remembered Nell, and
the queer look that came over her face
when she gave me that singular eau
ton: BE careful of the FrankCn>tinc
trCStlc.' We was n ncarin' the bridge.
sure enough. On the up grade '4g' was
making alb ut twenty miles an hour,
and in less than ten ,~inutcS he would
/ he over the bridge, or | caught my
! breath, for at that moment those warn
| ing words flashed into my mind once
more.
elf I'm ever TO be cured of such
stuff, SAYS | to myself. 'now'S nv
chance. What could Nell know about
| the bridge? I'll put her across nj full
speed.
"a tall white birch that stood on a
spur of the mountain WAS the landmark
which showed me that we was acomin'
I lt lllt SlIdl0ll IltNt NlliNi hNl dNlbNo
the bridge. | put my hand on the
throttle 10 open the valve, when
"Wcll, gentlemen, | don't suppose
you'll believe me, but as true As I'm
standin' here. my wffe's voice wills
percd III my ear not Mdt one, Bob. the
brdkc!'
cit gave me such start that before
knew what ] did | had opened the
Westinghouse for all she was worth,
and the train came to n Stand~till in less
than two lengths. Not waitin to an
swcr any questions from Dan, grabbed
my lantern and rushed up the track to
the bridge and walked along the middle
plank until | reached the other side,
and then back again Not n thing was
out of place, every rail secure, and the
bridge was rs sound as when first put
up.
Idiot" cried I, so much for your
foolish nonsense. This freak will cost
you your Job"
Z" could see the lights of the con-
ductor aud brakeman, who had with Il
number of passengers come out to see
what was the matter. How the boys
would laugh, thought. | should new
er hear the last of it. | was sncakin'
back to the cab, when | came to the
switch of Il short siding that had been
laid, on which to run gravel ears. 1t
warn't very long track. not more than
! a hundred odd feet, and ended within Il
couple of yards of the prccipice. Motto
in sOmcthin' peculiar, | held up my
lantern and found Il large tree that had
Just blown down and fallen against the
switch rod, brcakin' the fastening and
THROWN the rails OF the main line into
the siding!
IL tell you, boys, it made my hair
stand on end. In two minutes that
whole train and them directors would a
/ gone off that cliff, and not one would
have lived to tell about it,
What's the row, Bob?' says the
conductor
".Row enough, says I, look at that
switch. | reckon | pulled her up just in
time.
Great Heavens" exclaimed fat di
rector who was standing by. where
does that track lead TOP
ITO the other world says |, and
we came almighty near maxim the
trip!
"'Well, You never see a more CRATE
| INll ~tt VI IlI'IIs Nv up ~ 'ulS
of five hundred dollars on the spot, and
when we got to Fabyan's they tele-
graphcd the Super as how | was to stay
| with them during the excursion, and [
went to all the sights in Montreal with
'em just as though had been one of the
regular party. Not content with that,
they gave me an elegant gold watch and
chain, the President of the road. who
happened to be among 'cm, making a
neat speech. tell YOU Il peep into the
jaws of death will put rich and poor
men on the same level, nothing like it
to take the bigneSS out of them.
"'Wcll, the boys all made lion of
me when / got back to Portland and
Nell never seemed so glad to see me.
That nights work was the making of
me. for the Super gave me a good show
and finally got this job. never told
the boys why stopped The train, for |
knew they would laugh at me, and
don't know as told my wife for Il long
| time. One day, however, she came to
me and says
"Bob,I had queer dream about you,
| the night of that affair ut the Frankon-
stein. | dreamed | was on the engine
with You somewhere and we was a@oin'
at a frightful rate. Way in the distance
saw what seemed to be a big gulf,and
you thought by gettin' good Roadway
you could jump it. l knew, of course,
you couldn't, 80 when you started to
open the throttle said: Not that one,
the br0ter then woke up"
81 told her then the whole story, and
gentlemen whenever | hear a similar
yarn, and I've heard a number of EN-,
don't turn up my nose and say non
sense There's more in ones feelings
than most people think, for, leastwise,
minding my feelings saved my neck
that night on the Frankenstein trestle.
There comes the express; goodnight.
-EdWard II. crosby, IN Boston
Courier.
Over the Sea.