Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
A RAILROAD EPISODE.
The Tale OF q Suicide-A Nice Little
Scheme, but II Didn't Work.

From the New York Tribune
Michigan Central railroad train was bus>-
ling along toward Chicago at the rate of forSv
miles an hour, when a brassy-faced, middle.
aged man suddenly jumped 10 his feet in the
reclining-chair car and glanced hastily and
defantly around as though daring any one "a
restrain him. Flinging of his overcoat and
COMPRISING his lips with the air Of . man
whose mind is made up, he rushed 10 the docs,
jerked it open, and screetched out as he turned
around and faced the other passengers:
Farewell, vain worldI''
Some of the passengers glanced over the tor
of their newspapers toward him, others looked
at him with languid interest. while the man
nearest the door threw up his arms and yawnsd
frightfully.
The man stepped out to the car platform,
thrust his head back into the car and agaii
yelled out:
Farewell, vain world, go hencer'
Nobody seemed TO care whether be went
bitter disappointment came into the brsssy
face of the would-be suicide. He agail
thrust his head into the car and wildly shrieked
ont:
"Good-by, forever"
so long, my friend; let us know when you
get there" replied the man who had yawned,
as he quietly closed the car door and sat down
The desperate man on the platform fattsned
his nose against the car window, and gazed in
modify at the tranquil passengers.
Waving them a final adieu he flung Oh hio
coat, threw up his arms, and-sat down on the
platform. Then he crswied up to the keyhols
OF the door TO gaze through il on the horror
and remorse stricken faces Of the men aad
women who had deliberately permitted Q
human being to go to destruction
But there wasn't O single horror-stricke0
passenger to look upon Several of them were
gggling immoderately, and the cold-blooded,
yawning passenger was indicating by signs 10
the others that the .'farewell-yain- world" MAJ
had not gone hence, but was still in New York
state.
Finally he came sneaking back into the cor
with q combined look of sadness and madness
on his care-worn face. which grew gloomisr
when nobody rushed forward 70 ask the csuss
of his desperation Nobody passed the hat for
his relief; nobody begged him 10 confide in
them; no purse was made up; nothing turned
out as he had thought it would.
Singing himself into the seat he had vacated
the man Missed out to the wretch in front a
him, who was swaying to and fro with rudD
and ill-concealed laughter;
Laugh, now, d yel oh, laugh. Why
don't yer IL We had q single drop of the mill
OF human kindness in your breast ye vouldnH
see anything funny in the suicide Of fellow.
being. You'd bid HIM pause and"
"Ticketsl Ticketsl' cried the conductor, CD.
pearing suddenly, and minute later he vas
saying TO the man who had saved himself from
the death Of suicide:
''Lookee here, my friend. this IL the third
time within q month that have caught you
trying to deadhead il over this road The ia
time you were trying to work the boat ucks1
and pocketbook and dying-wife racket on ne
passengers, and know from your disappointsd
look that you've been up TO something now "a
amt panned out WELL 50 of ye gol"
A jerk Of the bell, a sudden stopping of a.
train, quick appearance Of q brauny brake.
man, q slight scrfie near the door, and TIE
gloomy passenger had indeed gone hyipQ froO
the platform, and the train had gone on, Issv,
ing him alone IN this cold and vain, ord
World