The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-09-13
The $40 train
nv 8. &. RleEH
sye 6. KlesH


Harlowe had gone np into the coun-
try 20 spend Saturday and sunday with
HIS wife and children. They were
STAYING 70 p pleasant place nearly four
miles from the railway station. and II
was necessary for him TO employ % liv-
oryman % take him down on Monday
morning 20 catch the train ot Merrl'
valo He was assured tha, ne could
make connections without any dlhl-
Guilty n he started at 1880. as The train
was not due 90 leave Merrivoie until
500 Having an important business
engagement in the city. however. and
in order that there might ho no rick.
Dc wns ready % start an hour before
train time
The nveyman had conveyed him
less than half "a mile when something
about rho harness got out Of order and
rs minutes had elapsed before they
were ready t0 start OBJ again. They
made fairly good progress for about a
mile and then bolt gave way. max
lng another delay necessary The
driver had % go % farmhouse 70
borrow O monkey-wrench and other
things and Edward Harlowe had be-
gun 20 De nervous before the journey
was resumed. u he had not been bur
dened with heavy travelling bag he
wouldn't have cared lie could have
walked
Does this train ever happen "a be
later ~ asked when they broke down
again. q mile and O quarter from the
station.
"Oh. yes" he was assured. Its
nearly always FIVE OF ten minutes late
on Monday mornings Don't worry
Wen catch 70 an right Got lots o..
time"
But the drivers confidence was not
catching and at eight o'clock Hariowe
had almost decided % walk. leaving
his bag 60 bo sent after him by ex-
press. sun. ne waited when the livery
man assured him thai they would be
able % 30 ahead in a minute or two
! They did get started again az five min
utes after eight only % have another
mishap when the horse picked up d
stone while fording t. little stream. II
took the driver several minutes % gei
the stone loose, and HaTiowo was boy
that time no longer patient man
he mado disagreeablo remarks about
his luck and gave q LONG hst Of things
which DE hoped would happen 10 him
If De ever placed confidence 10 q livery
/ man again Ii ne missed bis engage
ment 10 the city Il would cost him
dearly. and besides. Sc would De neces
sary for him 70 wait OF an outoi-t0e
way station Tor seven hours.
"Coniound your old horse" he com
| planned. cant you make him sc
fasterY'
Hes doin' the best he can. Meoby
the trainn be late"
Don't you believe It. II this train
we're late every other day IL the year
Il would De- on time this morning
Jerusalemi Why don't you people out
here do a little road-makingl This 4.
the worst old cowpath ever saw
Then he looked at his watch. It was
SIP. and they had nearly half a mile
20 90.
The horse might have been able tC
travel half 81 mile in four OF five min
utes II the road had been good but
the ruts and stones and mud holes im
pedod progress. At Sis they Wore q
quarter Of O mile from the Merrivale
station. Harlowe gave up hope. He
knew they could not get there in two
minutes. sull he implored the driver
10 hurry. and he ground his teeth &c
keep from saying the things that were
on hts mind. He half stood up in the
buggy and had his bag by the handle
ready 20 Jump the moment they got
within jumping distance. There was
however. no sound Of an approaching
train. and az last he began 90 hope
luck might for once turn In his favor
on two wheols they rounded a corner
whore the road was hard and smooth
and the station sprawled a short dis
tance ahead Of them The poor Old
| livery horse broke into o run when
Harlowe. IN spite OF the drivers pro
tests. took the whip from the socket
| and swiehed n above the back Of the
speeding steed.
"Go on Go oni" ho kept urging.
1--WE may catch Il yet"
There was q curve Just beyond the
station. so that the approaching train
/ could not De seen until q few seconds
before its arrival. The clatter OF tho
horses hoofs on the hard road and the
whir of the buggy wheels made Il I'm
possible for anything else save a steam
whistle 10 be heard. and as neither
Harlowe nor The driver had been
startled by o toot the race was con
tinued. Two hundred yards from tho
station Hariowe yelled
There she connect
But IL was o false alarm The train
was not in sight even when the hoav
ina horse wns stopped at the platform
Harlowe jumped before the buggy
uhoolo had ceased 90 turn and fearing
that hts watch might hove been slow
he rushed 20 the ticket window The
clock inside indicated s:24.
How about the $40 traing ne de-
manded
Fifteen minutes late" replied the
| agent
A look of supreme disgust settled
upon Edward Harlowe's countenanco.
well he said with withering
scorn this IS a devil Of a way 20 run