The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-12
CAUGHT THE TRAIN.
by S. u. RISER.

Sunday. He is a widower, childless, and
good deal more portly than he was 20 years
ago.
Bennington had an important engagement
at his office downtown last Monday morn
ang. He had to be on hand at $3.50.
''Let me see," said Uncle Dan, looking at
his timetable, there's an express train
leaves at 74s. That'll get me down town in
good time. ] can just about catch it,"
So he hurried away.
1t is little farther from where the Dali
lngtons live to the main station at Davis
street than to the Dempster street station;
therefore Bennington went to the latter,
but just as he was stepping on the platform
1t occurred to him that some of the fast
trains didn't stop there. A sudden fear took
possession Of him. If he didn't get the 7:4s
train he wouldn't be able to reach his Of
fee at $50. He simply had to 60 in on that
train.
Yanling out his watch he saw that is was
7:43
"Here, you," he called to young fel.
low whose cap was perched iauntily on the
back of his head, "doss that 74S train stop
hereY'
The boy gave his cap push forward and
said:
ono"
"Uncle Dan looked at his watch again.
1t is about half mile, at an off-hand guess.
from Dempster street to the Evanston maiL
station. The train would start in a fraction
less than five minutes Mr.. Bennington had
been younger once, and without his break
fast, he weighed about 1877 pounds.
There is a curve in the track between the
Dempster and Davis street stations, so that
Bennington could not see the latter until
he had covered nearly half the distance.
He walked long enough when he had round.
ed the bend to look at his watch once more.
1t was almost 7:46, and as he started for
ward at high speed again he saw with con.
sternation that the train was pulling into
the station. His heart went down, down,
down, and if the swear words people merely
think but do not say out loud are recorded
against them there will be a very black
page for Mr. Daniel w. Bennington to ex.
plain some time.
AT first he thought of giving up. He drew
an index finger along his forehead, scraping
off the perspiration and Ticking a shower
Of it into the air. Then he remembered three
words that his old father had told him long,
long ago to always keep in mind:
"Never say die!"
The station was early quarter of mile
away, but the train was not moving, and
with a new and magnificent burst of speed
he went on, sometimes going over two or
three ties at leap, and breathing like a
horse with the heaves trotting uphill.
He could feel a wide stretch of unoccu.
pied territory between the end of his un.
dershirt and the top of his trousers, but he
kept repeating to himself; "Never say die,
never say die" and paid no attention to the
gateman who yelled:
'Hey, there Get off the track You'll
get run over"
Then the bell on the engine began to
ring, and the gatemen at the crossings set
their cappers to changing: Danger! Dan.
ger! Dangerl Dangerl"
Bennington was within leap of the end
Of the long platform. He was a little afraid
that his face might explode, for he could
feel it bullying and burning, but that was
risk which, under the circumstances, had
to be assumed.
There was hiss of steam from some
where under one Of the cylinders; then a sec
ond one from the other side of the locomo-
tive, and Uncle Dan knew that the train
had started toward him. He bounded upon
the platform, still in his mind repeating
"Never say die" and rushed on. The en-
CINE was only so feet away, but gaining
Roadway rapidly.
Don't try to get on there!" some one
cried, but Bennington had no intention of
stopping to argue the matter. At first he
thought he would wait for the rear plat
form of the last car, but he saw at once
that the speed would be too great for him
by the time it was within reach Then he
threw off his good resolutions of the past
to the winds.
A hundred times he had called people fools
for jumping on moving trains. What he
had argued, was a minute, an hour or day
lost as compared with the chance of being
ground to death or crippled for life under
the relentless car wheels? That philosophy
was good enough then when one had plenty
OF time, but he had in his hurry forgotten
all about it, and rushing at the front end OF
one of the coaches he jumped.
The conductor and one of his assistants
had seen what was going to happen, and
were ready. They stood well down on the
steps, grabbed Bennington by the arms az
he missed connections and dragged him
aboard.
"What's the matter with your" the con.
ductor demanded when they had him safe
on the platform. care you crazy? There's
another express train due here in four min,
utes. Why didn't you wait for that|
Bennington could only look at him in
sort of blind bewilderment and gasp
He dropped into the first seat he came to
and tried to catch his breath. He famed
himself with his hat; he wondered in Is
different kinds of long dashes why every
body had waited for him to run until hi,
breath was gone and he had almost beer
dashed to death under the wheels before il
was thought necessary to tell him that an
other fast train would follow in four min
utes.
Everybody in the car was looking at hin
and talking about him, and he had no doubt
that the whole crowd thought he was crazy
But he didn't care what anybody thought
Of said-at least he tried, while gasping ant
sgtating the air with his hat, to make him
self believe he didn't care.
Suddenly he felt that the train was slack
ening. He looked out the window, and saw
that they were approaching the Dempstel
street station. While he was wondering
what was the trouble the train came to
full stop, when 40 or 90 people calmly go