Connecticut western news., 1899-10-26

hear the voice again, "Shoot him deadP'
 He sat down by the roadside and said sullenly: ''It ain't none of my busi- ness. I ain't got nothin to do with it. It don't concern me any" But after awhile he went on again.
 ''It must be g o'clock now," he said
 The night had grown dark and cloudy; only few stars glittered at in- tervals through the flying rack The tramp had reached the head of the gull ly. It was not very deep, but sufficient to cause terrible disaster. The track sloped around curve few yards be- yond and just here ran over narrow bank of earth slanting abruptly down on either side.
 The tramp lit his lantern, and, talk ing off his coat, wrapped it carefully around. Then he lay down on the ties, flat on his face, and began to creep slowly along, squirming and crawling like worm.
 After seemingly endless time of creeping and feeling carefully with his hands he felt the smooth cold steel of the track end abruptly. The rail had been removed just at the highest point in the gully.
 Now he had nothing more to do but wait. And be killed He wondered how it felt to be shot. A strong desire to get up and run took possession of him, but he might just as well be shot sav- ing the train as now, so he lay still.
 Maybe won't be killed. might git through some way. An old no count like me 'u'd be likely to git through with whole hide. Anyway, 'twsn't be much lost. If 'twould only come"
 It seemed an hour since he had lain there; then he heard the rumbling and the distant -o-whoo-o-o," and in minute the train rounded the curve. The tramp. flung his coat into the gully and sprang to his feet, way ing the lantern up and down over his head Five pistol shots rung out sharp ly above the noise of the train, the lam tern tumbled into the gully, and the tramp fell forward across the track, the engine coming to a standstil within two feet of his body.
 Instantly a clamor of voices arose, the engine puffed breathlessly, lights flashed through the darkness, the ties were examined, the lantern, the coat and an empty pistol were rescued from the gully, and the tramp was lifted by dozen pairs of hands.
 "He is deadl" they cried. "Shot dead Murdered by train wreckersr"
 A young doctor elbowed his way through the crowd. He was of tall, commanding presence, and they fell back before his authoritative voice
 "Make way, therep'
 He knelt down beside the tramp and after a rapid examination said: 'The man isn't even seriously hurt. There is only flesh wound in the hip. He has tainted from fright"
 Even as he spoke the tramp opened his eyes. A young girl sat down and took his shaggy head into her lap, where he moved uneasily from time to time as he told his story.
 "He's real herol" cried the girl
 "A brave, noble fellow, God bless him" cried another woman.
 A man held his brandy flask to the tramp's lips and another shook his hand heartily. The tramp seemed to hardly understand it all. He blinked at them stupidly, but clung to the brandy flask.
 They carried him aboard the train, and the engine backed slowly toward the town, mile away, and as the tramp reclined upon velvet cushions, ,,rro,n1a5 Inv sy,~Dotbo of;o faooo for the first time in his life treated as an equal, a man among men, strange, new desires stirred vaguely in his heart.
 'I ain't been nothin but no count SO fur" '" he thought, "but I'm mighty glad could save 'em all, mighty glad. ;"
 "We will make up suitable reward for that brave fellow, said an old gen tleman, but the young doctor spoke up suddenly.
 "See herel That man is a fakel His story is the thinnest ever heard. say he took up those rails and waved the train in the hope of areward, shooting himself to give weight to the story. Do you think of five shots aimed straight at a man only one would hit him and infict slight flesh woundf And if he feared the wreckers why didn't he wave the train on the other side of the curvef Any sane man would have done that"
 This was an indisputable fact, and the passengers began to comprehend the whole matter.
 "He says he heard the two men at 6 o'clock, the young doctor went on. "Why, he could have gone to Fords- vile and got 8 posse 10 capture them in that timel And he says he took the lantern from farmhouse stable. Why, he could have gone in and informed the farmer Pshawl The thing couldn't be plainer. He was after the reward. You will be lucky if you are not sent up for this, old fellow"
 The passengers laughed CT were an- gry, according to their various temper aments, while the tramp tried to un- derstand the meaning of the change in their manner, but could not exactly comprehend. Hadn't he saved the train2
 They took him, to the hospital at Fordsville, and later on the men whom they had left behind came in to report that they could not find the slightest trace of the wreckers or any evidence to prove the truth of the tramp's pre- posterous story.
 In the morning the young doctor called at the hospital, and the nurse who received him said: "The man is dead. He died during the night of heart disease, from the fright, suppose"
 She showed him the bed, and they both stood looking down on the still form lying there.
 "Well, he's gone to his reward, |" said the doctor jocularly. News
 MT. Cnrnegie's GenerosIry.
 Andrew Carnegie has written to friend in Tyrone, Pa, offering to con- tribute $50, 900 to build free library for