The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-01-10
CAUGHT THE TRAIN.
ny =. r.. KISER.

good deal more portly. than he was 20 years
ago.
Bennington had an important engagement
at his office downtown last Monday morn.
ing. 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 7:4S. 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
ingtons 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
flee at $50. He simply had to go in on that
train.
Yanking out his watch he saw that is was
7:43.
Here, you," he called to a young fell
low whose cap was perched jauntily on the
back of his head, "does that 7:4S train stop
Iere?"
The boy gave his cap push forward and
said:
"No."
"Unce Dan looked at his watch again.
1t is about half mile, at an off-hand guess,
from Dempster street to the Evanston main
station. The train would start in fraction
less than five minutes Mr.. Bennington had
been younger once, and without his break
fast, he weighed about 1877 pounds.
There is 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.
lie 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 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 ficking a shower
of il into the air. Then he remembered three
words that his old father had told him long,
long ago to always keep in mind:
"Never cay die!"
The statisr was nearly quarter of mile
with new and magnificent burst of speed
he went on, sometimes going over two or
three ties at leap, and breathing like
horse with the heaves trotting uphill.
He could feel a wide stretch of unoccu-
pied territory between the end OF his un-
dershrt and the tep 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 gasemen at the crossings set
their clappers to changing: Danger! Dan
ger! Danger! Danger"
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 bulgng and burning, but that was a
risk which, under the circumstances, had
to be assumed.
There was hiss of steam from some
where under one of the cylinders; then sec
ond one from the other side of the focomo-
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-
gne was only 80 feet away, but gaining
headway 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 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 o.
one OF the coaches he jumped.
The conductor and one of his assistant,
had seen what was going to happen, anC
were ready. They stood well dewn on th'
steps, grabbed Bennington by the arms a
he missed connections and dragged hin
aboard.
whats the matter with you?" the con
ductpr demanded when they had him saf
on the platform. "Are you crazy? There
another express train due here in four min
utces w ny oiuh gou Waib lof
Bennington could only look at him il
q sort of blind bewiderment and gasp
He dropped into the first seat he came t.
and tried to catch his breath. He fanne
himself with his hat; he wondered in l
different kinds of long dashes why every
body had waited for him to run until hi
breath was gone and he had almost bee
dashed to death under the wheels before
was thought necessary TO tell him that al
other fast train would follow in four mir
utes.
Everybody in the car was looking at hin
and talking about him, and he had no dout
, that the whole crowd thought he was Graz!
But he didn't care what anybody though
of said-at least he tried, while gasping an
! agtating the air with his hat, to make hin
self believe he didn't care.
4 Suddenly he felt that the train was slacl
e ening He looked out the window, and sa
G that they were approaching the Dempstt
e street station. While he was wonderir
n what was the trouble the train came to
), full stop, when 40 or so people calmly 6,
e aboard.