The daily tribune., 1907-08-30
The $40 TRAIN.
sy .. Z. kisER

try to apend Saturday and Sunday with
his wife and children. They were
staying at a pleasant place nearly four
miles from the railway station, and Il
was necessary for him to employ iiv
eryman to take him down on Monday
morning to catch the train at Mefri
vale. He was assured that he could
make connections without any difn
Guilty II he started at 1880, as the train
was not due to leave Merrivale until
8:30. Having an important business
engagement in the city. however and
In order that thore might be no risk,
he was ready to start an hour before
train time.
The liveryman had conveyed him
less than half q mile when something
about the harness got out of order. and
Is 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 farmhouse 10
borrow monkey-wrench and other
things, and Edward Harlowe had be-
gun to be nervous before the journey
was resumed IL he had not been bur.
dened with heavy travelling bag he
wouldn't have cared. He could have
walked.
Does this train ever happen to be
later" he asked when they broke down
again, mile and quarter from the
station.
"Oh, yes" he was assured. ITS
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
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 n
stone while fording little stream. It
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 a long liat OF things
which he hoped would happen to him
II he ever placed confidence in livery
man again. II he missed his engage
ment In the city It would cost him
dearly, and besides, 1t would be neces-
f,,. htvv, t<x ot ,,t ~ n
way station for seven hours.
"Confound your old horse" he COM
planned, cant you make him go
| faster?"
Hes doin' the best he can. Mebby
the train'll be late"
Don't you believe 1t. II 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 Ave min
utes II the road had been good; but
the ruts and stones and mud holes i'm
peded progress. At s:1s they were q
quarter OF q 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 tc
keep from saying the things that were
on his mind. He half stood up IN tho
ready to jump the moment they go'
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
On two wheels they rounded corner
where the road was hard and smooth
and the station sprawled a short dis
lance ahead Of them. The poor ole
| livery horse broke into a run wher
Harlowe. In spite Of the drivers pro
tests. took the whip from the socke
and swished 1t above the back OF tn,
speeding steed.
Go on! Go on!" he kept urging
Eve may catch It yet"
There was a curve Just beyond thu
station. 80 that the approaching trail
could not be seen until few seconds
before Its arrival. The clatter OF th'
horses hoofs on the hard road and thu
whir OF the buggy wheels made 1t I'm
possible for anything else save steam
whistle to be heard, and as neithe
Harlowe nor the driver had beer
startled by toot the race was con
tinued. Two hundred yards from tn
station Harlowe yelled:
There she comes!"
But It was n false alarm. The trail
was not In sight even when the heay
Ing horse was stopped at the platform
Harlowe jumped before the bugg,
whecle had ceased to turn. and fearinl
that his watch might have been slov
he rushed to the ticket window. Tn
clock inside indicated SPA.
How about the 500 train" he dc
-