The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-02-12
THE MAN WITH A FAILING.
His Efforts to Relieve the Intense AND
ETY. We're Not Appreciated.

HIS Efforts Co Relieve the Intense Anxte
ETY. Were Not Appreciated.
Hwas 1870 o'clock at night, and the
rain and wind and darkness made 1t Q
| wild one, when the train suddenly came
to'a halt. Some one had swung LAM
tern on. the track about a quarter Of .
mile from the bridge spanning Shady
creek. Those Of us who turned out TO
learn what was up saw farmer-lookinR
man come back to the smoking car with
the conductor, and when in out of the
storm the latter asked:
"Now, then, you say there's trouble
ahead. What Is it? Talk fast, for am
now twelve minutes behind time"
The man was about forty years old,
dressed in coarse clothing and was wes
to the skin. The lantern was an old
fashioned one, made Of tin, and the light
was furnished by piece of candle about
three inches long.
"Look a-here, gineral," he replied to
the conductor in nervous way, Ego
sorter slow on me or can't tell 20 the
story"
"What do you meanT
Twelve got a failin. II 70 git me
excited I'll stut-stut-stutter tin 20 can't
understand a word say"
Every well; you stopped us"
Eyes; I felt called to do it. Hold on,
now! Don't push mer'
"I'n give you time. You live near
here. don't your
Fright up by the branch thar. Lived
thar goin on twenty years. Keep cool,
gineral, and don't git menarvou. I'm
a-doin all right so fur"
"Well, you felt called upon to stop
us?"
Ibid. It's been rainin purity steady
fur about q week"
eyes"
1.-THE branch has Jest been a-humptr
Of herself fur the last two days"
eyes, the water has been rising"
"Hold on, ginerali Don't chip in too
fast. I'm a-holdin of myself as hard as
kin, but I feel my tongue wobblm
around. This noon I seen the water
risin mighty fast and felt 1t my duty
to watch it. Invent up agin about dark
and then agin an hour ago. T knowed
when you was due here, and"-
"And You stopped us. Good heavens,
mani but the bridgeis goner
"Hod on, ginerali You are goin too
fast! It-t-told you If you g-g-got me
ex-ex"-
"Take it easy" replied the conductor.
Just think what you want to say and
then speak very slow. Greatlandsl but
what an escapew
"Gineral, I reckoned yo'dworry about
the bridge"
Eyes, I've been very anxious about it."
"Yo' nowed the water wasrisin way
up"
Eyes"
II told the old woman you'd worry
about it, and that I'd best git the lantern
and stop the t-t-train a-a-and t-t-tell-
tell"-
Take 1t easy, man, there's no hurry.
You got your lantern and stopped the
train to tell us that the bridge had been
foated off by the freshet. I understand
and can promise you"-
"Ginerali'
Eyes"
1.-The bridge is all right! reckoned
yod worry over it, and so I got the Ian.
tern and stopped the train to tell you
that the water had gone down four feet.
and the bridge hadn't suffered harp l.
l don't remember all the conductork
said when he got at the facts, nor howl
many passengers helped throw the man
down among the bushes, but when theI
train moved on he was banging the oldIl
tin lantern around and calling:
-Gineral, I'll be Unchanged If
don't see this old r-r-road in T-T1Texas
before ever do it another fa-fa-favorl"
New York World.