The National tribune., 1901-12-26

ter off he was than the boys at Savannah,
fell asleep again.
| 1t seemed to him that he had scarcely
closed his eyes, when he dreamed that the
train had Il collision. and that he was
caught in the debris of the wrcckd cars.
| Inc cars had stopped rather abruptly,
and the hOOp-Skirts had fallen one by one,
upon his upturncd face. As he sprang up
the paper around them broke, and he be-
came entangled in the meshes of steel.
The lamps i'll the car had gone ont, and
he was III total darkness. lie struggled
wildly to free himself, but with only the
result Of breaking the strings around the
hoops releasing them for more effective
work One slid down over his head, and
confined his arms in its narrow circle.
Great goodness" he grOaned. IF the
cars should catch fire | should be roasted
alive"
| He suffered intense apprehension for
minute or two. Then he saw a light NOV
| ing toward him, and heard the car-door
open.
They're working this way he said to
himself, restraining his cry for help, ''and
| guess they'll reach me. It'll be time
enough directly to call for help"
! Then he heard the conductor angrily in
Iquire:
Here. whats the matter with these
lamns. that they're all Out?'
| 'Old way o that snoOzer back there at
| indianapolis" answered the brakeman
| lamps after he's filled thin. till they go
| out
| ..Go forward" said the conductor. ''and
get one of the lamps out of the car ahead.
I"I'll report this fellow"
| The brakeman. coming III with bril-
| liant lamp, saw the Deacon. sitting pa
tiently on the seat. waiting for the rescue,
and asked him in amazcment:
Now hy the piper fwhat PLAYED before
Moses. what d'yez name by sitting there
loike a buck maggie wild Il red head il a
willow cage? Have yez gone clane
crazy?'
Il was waiting for the rescue Was
there anybody killed in the collision:'
| "Ewhat collision! There was mo- COLI
sion, but there's going to be wan fwhin
! Oi get back to IndianaPolis. and lay me
hands on that lazy oUdmahoOn fwhat tinds
the lamps"
/ Say Pat" said the Deacon. in very
subdued voice, as the reality of the Situa-
tion dawncd on him. bring yOnr lamp
over here, and help me out. If you'll
promise not to say 4 word about it, I'll
give you four bits
How'd ycz know me name was Pat?'
inquired the brakeman, coming up with
the lamp.
| "rh | Just guessed it
! ''Wcll. bcdad, y're better at guessing
names than yre mt some other things Gi
dunno at all how ycZ come to know Oi
wuz Oirish in the dark. Y're in throubIc
wild some hOop-skirts, Oi see. Well.
bcdad, y'rc not the first wan by siyeril
millions. Nothing loike thin 10 get man
into trouble. Oi got into trouble wild wan
mesilf SWIRL years ago. Wint up wild it
to the praStc. an rs cost me all O,'vp
made iver since. But Oh amt sorry over
- rhn - >. Eo-
wolfe that iver lived, so she is.''
| ''Tll double that four bits" said the
Deacon. touched by this conjugal devotion,
as well as the skill with which Pat re-
lieved him of his membranes, and crush
ed them back into their wrappihgs.
Here's a dollar. Present it to your wife,
with my compliments"
! The train had been delayed so much
that it was long past daylight before it
reached Union City, and the conductor
was impatient to go ahead, and make up
time. The Deacon was very hungry, and
rushed with the rest to the eating-house.
. While waiting for his order of coffee and
beans, he noticed some of the prOprietOr'S
cards lying near. and farmer-like, picked
one up, and put 1t in his pocket. He had
not eaten half enough. when the impatient
conductor shouted 'All aboard and the
whistle sounded imperatively. He swa-
lowed his coffee at a gulp, sent biz
imnuthful of beans after it. and threw a
dollar-hill to the cunning little proprietor.
who was evidently counting ON just such
ia contingency, for lie made no effort to
igive change to anybody.
Quick, give me my change" said the
Deacon, who was always thriftiy careful
in this respect.
''In a minute answered the keeper, but
making no move i'll that direction.
The bell rang. and the wheels began
moving. The Deacon could wait no longer
and climbed aboard.
When he sat down and thought it over.
he was angry. The coffee was poor and
weak, and the beans burned. Worst of all,
it was clear that the keeper intended to
beat him out OF his change. The Deacon
would not have been an Indiana farmer
If he could calmly endure another mans
cheating him out of few dimes in a
trade. He was meditating many ways of
getting even. and even thought of the ex-
tremity of stopping over there on his way
back and making q settlement. He pulled