The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-01

SNNS
lug and mysterious."
Well" replied Lucille, thoughtfully,
"the most thrilling story I can tell is
something that happened to me last
summer
The listening group drew a little
nearer the fire and turned expectant
faces toward Lucille. who leaned for
ward from her pile Of cushions.
You know that after college closed
last June, l started on q trip through
the far West with a party Of friends.
We spent several weeks in travelling,
and had. a most delightful time. After
reaching California the party broke
up. and 1 planned to remain a few
weeks with a friend who was to come
East with me and pay me q return
visit.
Il had been with my friend only a
few days when I received a letter
from my mother, saying that she had
not been we'll, but was nov recover
Ing. I was therefore utterly unpre-
pared for the telegram that came three
days later, summoning me home at
once, as my mother was in a very
critical condition.
Il started at once and alone. You
can imagine the apprehension with
which I began the long journey. 1t
seemed rs If I could never cover the
vast distance, and the train seemed to
crawl as we dragged through the
weary hours into the second day.
"At last we reached a wide stretch
of prairie country. I had slept little
the night before, and the strain was
Beginning to tell upon me. When bed
time came I took a simple sleeping
powder and went to my berth early.
The powder had an almost .instantan-
eous effect. land I was soon asleep.
Then began a series Of haunting
dreams. I seemed to- pass through
calamity after calamity, indefinite and
awful. AT last the dream took tangi-
die form. I was on the swiftly rushing
train. a terrible collision was about
to happen. In the distance l could
hear shouting, followed by several
: sharp explosions. Another moment
and the crash would come. Then with
a struggle I awoke.
"In trembling haste I drew on my
shoes, and throwing my dressing robe
round me, I ran down the car to where
i saw people hurrying through the
door. In the mingled confusion OF
dream and waking reality, I paid no
attention to the group, except to see
81 that they were in frantic haste. and
that they were all crowding down the
steps on one side Of the car.
For a moment they seemed to hest
tate, as if to make room for me.
Don't wait for me-. I cried. L will
jump from this side and I made my
way down the steps in eager haste.
by this time the train had nearly
stopped, and I found no difficulty in
swinging off the lower step to the
ground. BY the dim light that came
from the train I could see that l was
the only one who had alighted on my
side Of the track; the others had es-
capped on the opposite side. A feeling
OF great thankfulness came over me
when I thought I had been saved in
what seemed a wonderful way.
But as I watched, a mighty wrench
seemed to shake the train from end to
end, and instead Of stopping. it seemed
to gather motion. Car after car passed
me with increasing swiftness, and as
the last one whirled by, l looked about
for those who, like myself. were left
standing by the tracks. I was alone!
with terrified eyes I peered into the
darkness on all sides, but not a living
thing could I see.
1T must be some awful dream.
Surely I was or the train that was
moving away in the night! I pinched
myself; I cried aloud. Surely I could
feel, and I could hear the sound of my
voice. With the feeling Of horror still
upon me, I rose and started along the
track after the train.
Once I stumbled and nearly fell.
and for a moment the shock brought
me to myself. AS l lifted my head a
familiar sound caught my ear, and
away in the distance I could see COM
ing toward me 4 moving speck of
light. My dream was merciful at last.
The train that had whirled away in the
might. leaving me IN that terrible dark
loneliness. was returning. 1 should
dream that it stopped and took me
aboard, and the horrible nightmare
would be ended.
:"As I looked and listened the light
became big and bright. and the sound
grew until it became like the rushing
of wind: 1 stepped aside just in time
to allow the Western Express to race
by me. Again I was walking along
the tracks. and it seem I'd that I had
been walking thus for cycles upon
cycles of time.
"Graduaily I became aware that a
change was taking place about me. l
raised my eyes and saw along the east
ern horizon a faint, unearthly light
creeping into the sky. 1t slowly
strengthened, until above the horizon
showed the slender crescent Of the
waning moon.
ga few hours more and the strain
upon my reason would doubtless have
been too great. but before long morn
ing began to approach. The air took
on q new freshness: the stars paled,
then disappeared. and the watery
moonlight lost itself in the light of
the coming sun.
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