Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-08-26
THE WOMAN IN BLACK

York, | found in the morning, upon crawl
ing out of my berth, that the train was
standing stock still. The porter told me
that it had been standing thus for an hour
and half while I had been sleeping the
sleep of the just.
dressed and peeped out and saw that
we were alongside the platform of country
station. l took good breakfast in the
dining car and then went out to stroll up
and down the platform.
In the cab sat the engineer alone, wait
ing. 1 stopped and gossiped with him a
moment about the engine. Then l offered
him cigar which he took with thanks
and asked me to come in. l swung myself
into his cab.
The engineer-a bright, pleasant faced
man about forty years old-explained to
me the uses Of the numerous valves and
levers about him. They were all as bright
and shining as polish could make them,
for an engineer is as proud of his engine
as any housewife is of the neatness of her
dwelling. | glanced at the two shining
steam gauges with the clock between
them, and then | noticed what seemed to
be an ordinary white moth, mounted in a
gilt frame, hanging against the wall of
the cab.
as that for ornament?" l asked, point
ing at the moth.
The engineer smiled. "Well, partly for
ornament" he said, "but good deal
more for sentiment l put that moth
there because it saved my life and the
lives of $50 people as we'll"
"How in the world could an insect save
human livess" asked
well, I'll tell you, if you want to hear
the story. l reckon there's time enough
before we're able to get out of this
settled myself in the absent fireman's
seat and prepared to listen.
st wasn't such a long time ago." said
the engineer; only year ago last spring.
| was running this very train, and had this
very engine-old 449. My fireman was Jim
Meade-same fellow I've got now. You
can see him over there, leaning up against
the telegraph Office.
''Jim's good boy, but he is very super
stitious; believes in ghosts, dreams and
warnings. used to laugh at his fancies,
but don't make so much fun of him as l
did-not since we saw the Woman in
Black.
'We were scheduled to leave Nj
about / o'clock in the morning, and to ar
when this thing took place fearful storm
of wind and rain had been raging since
early evening, and was at the height of it's
fury when started for the roundhouse.
at was about midnight and the wind
seemed to sweep clear around and through
the building. 1t was terribly dismal Jim
was there, and the engine was all ready
so, after getting my working clothes on,
ran the machine down to the station. Our
train, the vestibule limited, was an hour
late. l gave the engine thorough oiling
and made sure that all was in order.
"As we sat in the cab we could hear the
storm raging outside, while the rain
driven by the gusts of wind, beat fiercely
against the windows.
Its going to be bad run, Frank jim
said. i wish we were in s. safe and
sound
81 laughed. What makes you so terri
bly, glum, jump asked
"'Oh, said he, 4 just feel creepy some
how. Seems like there's something terri
BILE going to happen. l can feel it in my
bones
81 laughed again You got little wet
coming over, | guess JIM said l. And
the sound of the wind isn't very encour.
aging, that's fact
''To tell the truth l was a little nervous
myself. Notwithstanding my easy way of
treating Jim's notions.
| presently our train came in, long and
heavy, consisting mainly of sleepers. 1t
used to make me nervous to know that
the lives Of hundreds of my fellowmen
were in my keeping but now think moth
ing of it. That night / was nervous.
What if the frightful storm had made a
switchman careless, or if a rail had been
loosened by the settling of the track some
where? On these fast trains a man must
rely on the vigilance of the employees; for
in order to make schedule time he must
run at such a speed that often he cannot
see signal before he is upon it.
But ! laughed at myself for my fears
as l backed down and coupled onto the
train. | set the brakes and found every
thing in good order.
"By and by the little gong above my
head changed sharply, and with puff and
hiss of escaping steam we were off into
the night and storm, rafting over
switches, past signal lights and between
long lines of cars, till, with roar and
rumble we rushed over the long iron
bridge and away through the hills, waking
their slumberng echoes with our shrill
whistle.
"Then pulled the throttle wide open
and the clank and roar soon settled into a
hum, for old 449 was doing her best and
we were making fifty miles an hour.
1.-THE darkness was intense save where
the headlight, an electric device cast it,
funnel of light into the gloom. Jim had
a hot fire and kept steam up to high
pressure, so that we fairly few past sleep
ing hamlets and still farmhouses.
"At our first watering station / made
sure that all was working smoothly, while
jim inspected the headlight. The op
orator handed out the orders, which
showed that the road was clear as far as
our next stopping place. On we went.
1.-THE darkness grew more intense if pos
sible, while the wind shrieked by. The
rain became more binding, till nothing
could be distinguished in the gray murk
which enveloped us.
suddenly through the mist and rain