Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-09-17


about ooe oc.ocH IA the morning. aud
20 arrive II $ !. about SIX On the
night when ta,s 1nal5 took plac@ s-ar~s
ful sto-.u .. wiai and rain had been
raging since early evening. and was a.
the height OF = fury whea started Tor
tie round house.
1t was abou. midnight, aad ,ne wind
seemed 10 sweep clear around ano
through the building. Ii was terribly
dismal. jim vas there. aud the engine
was all ready, 50 after getting my work
ing clothes on, | ran the machine down
to the station. Our train, the VsstibuIe
Llm:te1, was an hour late. I gave the
engine thorough oiline, and made sure
that all was in order
Gas we sat in the CAB we could hear
the storm raging outside. while the rain,
driven by the gust Of wind, beat fiercely
against the windows.
"'lt's -g0iag to be bad run. Frank
Jim said 4 wish ". were in S-saf.
andAouhd.'
81 laughed. 'WAa. makes YOU so
terribly glum, I;:n:' | asked.
"'Ch, said he. Il Just feel creenv
somehow. SeeH1s like there's sometime
terrible goias to happen can feel it
N my bones
- laughed again. You got little
vet coming ever, l guess, jim, said |.
And the sound Of the wind isn't very
encouraging, that's fact
''Io tell the truth. was little ner-
vous myself, Notwithstanding my easy
way Of treating Jim's notions.
presently orr train came in, long
and heavy, consisting mainly Of slee pers.
1t used to make ne nervous to know that
;he lives Of hundreds of my fellow men
! were in my keeping, but now | think
| nothing Of it. That night I was ner-
| vous. What if the frightful storm had
made switch man careless, or if a rail
had been loosened by the settling of the
track somewhere7 On these fast trains
man must rely on the vigilance Of the
| employees; for ia order to mike sche lule
time, he must ruu a. s,:c.l q speed that
! Otteu he cannoe see sly;la! before he is
upon It,
"But laughed at myself for nv fears
as | backed down aud coupled on to to-
train. st the brakes and found every
thing in good order.
'By and by the little gong above m,
head changed sharply, and with pu1
and hiss of escaping steam we were Of
into toe night and storm, rafting owe
switches, past signal lights and between
long lines Of cars, till, with a roar and
rumble, We rushed over the long iroI
bridge and away through the hills, wax
ing their slumberlny echoes with on
shrill whistle.
Then pallel the throttle wide open
and the clank aud roar soon settle int.
IA hum, for old 449 was doing her bes.
and VIZ were making fifty miles au hoIr
The darkness was intense save whcr
I the headlight, an electrical device, ca.
is funnel OF light into the gloom Jill
had hcs fire, and KEEP. steam up 10
high pressure, So that We fairly flew Q
past sleeping ham!ets and still farm
houses.
AT our first watering station | lnal
sure that all MAS working snoo:hl
while jim inspectel the headlight. Tn
operator handed gu. the orders, whic
showed that TIE road was CLEAR as fAr
our next stopping place. Ga we wer
The darkness grew more intense,
possible, while the wind shriekei D.
The rain became more binding, till no.
ing could be Distinguished ln,tae gre
murh which envelopej US.
"Suddenly, through the mist and raj
). I saw, looming right beforc Us, the glga
, tic figure OF woman wrapped II lon
. black mantle. which seemed to fu-ter
the wind. Sac waved great speetr
arms about;n swift, twisting movement
As | sat, looking in horror, the tgu
, vanished with a inal wave OF her arH
II was too much aston.shed md stu!
-, fed even 10 make a move o. M Ia
9 toward the throttle. Al taa, mon'
f Jim had been oeaduy over tie ire.
lie looked up he cxc.aime !.
: ".Hul!o, Frank, whats u?' foa {
as il YOU had seen gnost.
j Il did not answer Ny mind vas
$. full OF that strange figure | lad seen
..We were now sAar;a- RocA Gre
: where there is ,res..e over deep s:rea
: fei. more nervous tlaa ever,