The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-09-06
The $40 train
BY 8. z. kISER


Guilty IL he started at 1880, as the train
was not due TO leave Merrivale until
500. Having an important business
engagement in the city, however, and
in order that there might be no risk,
he was ready to start an hour before
train time
The liveryman had conveyed him
less than half mile when something
about the harness got out of order, and
10 minutes had elapsed before they
were ready TO start on again. They
made fairly good progress for about
mile and then bolt gave way max
ing another delay necessary. The
driver had to go to a farmhouse TO
borrow a monkey-wrench and other
things, and Edward Harlowe had be-
gun to be nervous before the journey
was resumed. II he had not been bur
dened with a heavy travelling bag he
wouldn't have cared. He could have
walked.
Does this train ever happen TO be
late?" he asked when they broke down
again, mile and a quarter from the
station.
"Oh, yes" he was assured, 'it's
nearly always five or ten minutes late
on Monday mornings. Don't worry.
Well catch it all right. Got lots o
time"
But the drivers confidence was not
catching, and at eight o'clock Harlowe
had almost decided to walk, leaving
his bag TO be sent after him by ex-
press Still, he waited when the livery
man assured him that they would be
able to go ahead in a minute or two.
They did get started again at five min
utes after eight, only TO have another
mishap when the horse picked up
stone while fording little stream. 1t
took the driver several minutes TO get
the stone loose, and Harlowe was by
that time no longer a patient man.
He made disagreeable remarks about
his luck and gave long list of things
which he hoped would happen to him
If he ever placed confidence in livery
man again. If he missed his engage
ment in the city it would cost him
y
sary for him TO wait at an out-of-the
way station for seven hours.
"Confound your old horse" he COM
planned, cant you make him go
faster?"
He's doin' the best he can. Mebby
the trainll be late"
Don't you believe it. If this train
were late every other day in the year
it would be on time this morning
Jerusalem! Why don't you people out
here do a little road-making? This is
the worst old cowpath | ever saw"
Then he looked at his watch. 1t was
S:12, and they had nearly half a mile
to go.
The horse might have been able to
travel half a mile in four or five min
utes if the road had been good; but
the ruts and stones and mud holes i'm
peded progress. At SIS they were a
quarter of a mile from the Merrivale
station. Harlowe gave up hope He
knew they could not get there in two
minutes. Still he implOred the driver
to hurry, and he ground his teeth to
keep from saying the things that were
on his mind. He half stood up in the
buggy and had his bag by the handle
ready to jump the moment they got
within jumping distance. There was.
however, no sound of an approaching
train, and at last he began to hope
luck might for once turn in his favor.
L. 4
where the road was hard and smooth,
| and the station sprawled a short dis
lance ahead of them The poor old
| livery horse broke into a run when
Harlowe, in spite of the drivers pro-
tests, took the whip from the socket
and swished it above the back of the
| speeding steed.
Go on! Go on" he kept urging;
I'VE may catch it yet"
| There was a curve just beyond the
station, so that the approaching train
could not be seen until a few seconds
before its arrival. The clatter of the
| horses hoofs on the hard road and the
whir of the buggy wheels made it i'm
possible for anything else save a steam
whistle TO be heard, and as neither
Harlowe nor the driver had been
startled by a toot the race was con-
tinued Two hundred yards from the
station Harlowe yelled:
There she comes!"
But it was a false alarm. The train
was not in sight even when the heav-
ing horse was stopped at the platform.
Harlowe jumped before the buggy
wheele had ceased TO turn, and fearing
that his watch might have been slow
he rushed to the ticket window. The
clock inside indicated 1924.
How about the 500 train?" he de-
handed
Fifteen minutes late" replied the
agent.
A look of supreme disgust settled
upon Edward Harlowe's countenance.
We'll" he said with whitening
scorn, this is a devil of way to run
a railroad!"