Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-10-07

den fatntness came over me, ana /
Tell heavily to the floor unconscious.
do not know how long l lay there.
When returned to consciousness INV
senses came back to me slowly and
painfully, but though my head achcd
my brain was much clearer.
l looked at the clock-it was a
quarter past nine: and as l looked
the recollection of everything flashed
upon my mind. Quarter past nine.
The express was often a few minutes
late, and all seemed still and quic.
yet. Surely there would still lie
time.
Mott was 500 late! At this me.
ment my ears were assailed by the
sound of a loud whistle, like the
shrek OF some wild living thing in
mortal agony, and then Il rattling,
roaring rumbling noise. 1t was the
express. 1t had passed the signals.
1T was close to my box.
Great heavens. 1t was too late to
save it.
Too late. Yes: for the next mo.
ment there was Il terrific crash, and
L knew that the train, with its living
freight. bearing my Mary to me, had
been dashed to pieces against the dis.
ahlcd goods trucks.
had risen to my knees; could
get no farther. l seemed rooted to
the spot. and | covered my ears with
both hands i'm order to shut out the
appalling sounds which l knew must
follow next.
An awful explosion, which shook
the signal hoN, made me jump to my
feet. 1t must be the boiler of the
engine which had burst. And then
came the sounds of human agony
the shricks of women, the piteous
cries of children, the groans of men,
all lying in a helpless, hopeless,
mangled chaos down below me And
was the cause of it ALL, James
Markham. My deed was neither
more or less than that of Il nun.
dcrcr.
Yes, it was my hand which had
launched all these mon, women and
children into eternity, unprepared, TIC
meet their God. When the full hor.
ror OF this thought. and my situation
broke i'm upon my senses, l wonder it
did not drive me mad.
With al effort | tried to pull my.
self together. What was the use of
tarrying here my mind a prey Ia
these horrible thoughts? must 90
out and see il something could not
he done.
The scene that met my gaze beg
gars all description. The first face
that | saw was that of my Mary.
She lay crushed beneath the remains
OF Il third-clasS carriage. | implorcd
her to speak to me, but her eyes we're
glazed, her face Was white, she was
dead.
L sank upon my knees and raised
my hands To Heaven to pray that my
ENG might comc soon too. | raised
my bands, and-and awoke.
Where was L? could not realize,
l could not think for Il moment.
Then, i'm Il flash, recollection returned
to mes l lay on the floor of the
signal-box. III had been II terrible
nightmare. cngendcred by my drunken
and diSordcrcd imagination. All,
but when did the dream begin: How
much of it WAS true?
l looked at the clock. III was p
minutes past o. ] scrambled to my
feet and looked out. All was calm
and still. There were the trucks
across the main line. but no wrecked
express. no dead and dying. .'Thank
God for it,. thank God!.' l frequently
exclaimed.
The dark clouds which earlier OBJ
scured the Sky had rolled away. and
the moon shed her silver loyeliness
over all things. Far away in the dis
tant country | heard a rushing sound.
1t was the express.
With an incNprcssiblc joy / turned
the signals against it, and i'm IA few
moments more. with Il jerk and a
bump. the train had pulled up IA few
yards from my box, saved.
Where did the dream begin? That
was proved when, the next day,
Wcston's body was found on the line.
lie appeared to have fallen. striking
his temple, and to have died ON the
spot.
Mary" l said that night, 81 hope
We are going to he very happy to-
gethcr for the future, if YOU will only
forgive me my unreasonable jealousy.
l have passed through a terrible en-.
%pcricncc, but thank Heaven, l have,
come to the end OF my Last Drunk.''
Yankee Blade.