The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-09-18

Ul1ne Oh year. MATT was two hours
late, owing to freight train having
got on the track ahead of him, and
he had received a telegram ordering
him to pass the accommodation five
miles east Of Antioch, where she
would wait for hum on the siding.
Matt was running at about 45 miles
an hour, trying to make up little
time, and he kept wondering whether
Hank would wait for him on that sid
ing or would pull out and come along
down the road just so as to delay the
express an hour or so longer. If he
does, says Matt to himself, loud
enough for the fireman to hear him,
thereTn be the biggest smash that
this road has seen this year. Just at
that minute the express swung
around the curve. and there was an
engine on the track not more than 40
yards ahead. Her headlight was blaz-
ing away, and right under it Matt
could read the number of Hanks en-
CINE, which was No. "a, unless 1 am
mistaken. remember it because it
was the engine that used to haul the
train that was baggage master of a
year before this hyer incident hap
pened.
=" There he is, says Matt, and he's
doneit once too often.
with that he pulls her wide open
and stands to his post. The express
engine gave big jump and fairly
sprang onto No. 34-that is, of course,
unless I'm mistaken in thinking it
was "a, and / don't believe l am.
Still a man can't always trust his
memory, and know that mine amt
what 1t once was.
well, the two engines came TO-
gether, and Matt, he shut his eyes
for minute, for in such circun
stances a man can't very well help
winking. To his tremendous aston
ishment there wasn't so much as
jar, let alone a crash. No. 4-yes,
l remember now, that was her mum.
ber-just sort of opened out, as you
might say, and seemed to fall in
pieces on each side of MATHS engine.
There wasn't train of any sort be.
hind "a, and the express went on her
way rejoicing,
Matt turns to the fireman with a
face as white as consumptive par
sons, and says he:
&" Jim, did you see that engine9
Never saw anything palmer in
my life, says Jim, but it wasn't no
engine. That was a ghost if ever
there was one.
1--WE ran through it, says Matt,
as easy as if it was a fog bank.
Well, if ever l get this train to Tbe-
RUS Centre somebody else will have
to take her back.
They do say that when the ex-
press came into 1iberius Centre that
night Matt had to be helped off the
engine and helped to his house and
doctor sent for. The doctor said the
man was suffering from a severe
nervous shock and must keep per-
fectly quiet. Matt he sent in his res
ignation the very next day and never
drove an engine on our road after
ward.
He hung round drinking mid
ding hard and keeping quiet, accord
ing to the doctors orders, for about
n month, and then he got berth on
the Montana Southern road. But he |
wasn't of the slightest use. His
nerves We're clean gone. He'd think
be saw things on the track when
there was nothing but mebbe a
and he'd call for brakes
and stop his train and have the big
gest kind of job in trying to tell the
conductor what he had stopped the
rain for The company dismissed
lim after about six months, and
Matt gave up railroading and is now
Irving truck in Chicago.
II don't know whether he knows
he trick Hank played on him or not
)ut this was the way Of it; Hank
pent lot of money in Chicago fora
'e'oOObOulu OiSluC, uittuC W LOOK eA-
city like No. "a and provided with
genuine headlight all complete.
then he had this hyer Quaker engine
ct up on the track just round curve
t time when he knew that the
My train which could possibly come
long would be the express. Ofcourse
70 had several fellows engaged in the
hing with him, but Hank was a
nightly popular chap with the boys,
nd he could always find help enough
Or any game that he might want to
army out.
"Of course the express engine went ,
trough the pasteboard concern with
ut even feeling it, and l don't blame
Iatt for believing it was q ghost, es-
ecially as he had the fireman to back
i'm in that opinion.
II don't justify Hank, for l always ,
that he played it altogeth- ,
: too low down on Matt, and Hank :
Lows that he did, now that he is
der and has come to look at things
ltionally. l don't think it's the sort
thing he'd do now, though of !
,urse the heart is deceitful and des- :