The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1912-10-18
On
Their Way

SO mucn ABOUT merely seeing niin 10
l do about conversing with him.
should be satisfied with saying q
few things TO him over the telephone
II I couldn't do any betterl
1T isn't that I want to rage at him.
I want merely to assure him that
am filed with the deepest admiration
for any human being with a nerve as
colossal and a contempt for his fellow
man as sublime as ara hisi
He runs the railroad which is the
only means of getting out OF my sum-
mer resort All during the season
heard vague rumors and rumblings
OF discomfort from the floating popu-
lation at the inn. who. Of course. were
obliged 10 escape by rail- In an in
dolent fashion I learned that nothing
ever occurred on that TOAD in the
way that II should. People rather
inferred that the train crews sat up
nights planning new and ingenious
ways to upset the schedule and keer
people waiting.
ITO be sure, Il was annoying TO
have to take train at IL o'clock at
night, but we got to the village by
dark and had our dinner. The bus
left at 8 for the station a mile away.
so we went in II. Three Of us could
kill time easily, we said. We sur
vived the blighting depression Of the
village station for half an hour and
then we took a walk. 1t began to
rain.
"On going back we heard the bag
gageman saying that the train was
forty minutes late, but that sleeper
would run down from somewhere else
earlier and We could get aboard that
and be picked up later by The train.
In half an hour the report was that
the sleeper was delayed by a sand
slide on the track. We had talked all
we knew and were getting to the
point where we eyed each other with
growing dislike.
"A woman with Eve small children
added to the joys OF the evening be-
cause II one child cried all the rest
| piped up, and II they all stopped j
think she must have pinched them to
start them up again.
"Then Harry Gilfst burst in upon
his wife and me to report lunch
room a block away. We fed to H.
and started in on ham sandwiches to
kill time. We ate sandwiches with
deadly seriousness. and then we be
gan on the Gagged apple pie and the
petrified doughnuts. Harry reported
that the main train was two hours
late now, because Of a washout.
THE rain poured down. The sta
ton agent slept on the table. The
baggageman said terrible things Out
loud to himself and demanded &c
know how any man could live on foui
hours sleep day and why was q
railroad anyhow? Mrs. Gilffst and
sat hunched up in a dry corner and
yawned and Strengthened our hall
irritably, 'Whadyu sayT
Down the track two men were
carrying lanterns close to the ground
in a wavering way. 'Wha-they doing
Mrs. Gilfst demanded, GROSSLY
They're searching for the train. my
dear told her soothingly. The,
think maybe they'll find 1t slipped
down a crack where the rails join.
Don't be sillyv she snapped. I shall
die II can't 60 to sleep' And the
rain poured down in the miserable
black silence. We could hear tn,
agent snore.
"'There isn't any train, there nevel
was a train and there never will be
train on this line Harry Cliffs
chanted mournfully. They put III
this station Just as an ornament ant
added the ticket agent for a touch o
realism. II he had a Gothic nose
| now
1.-The sleeper'n get here at
o'clock. they report said the desper
ate baggageman. "T'll resign tomor
row!'
land we have to get up at 81 salt
Mrs. Gilfist, holloway. oh. how thos'
ham sandwiches made me feel!'
"At 10 minutes after 2 a train am
bled In from somewhere, and, reelinl
from WEAKNESS, we dashed to th'
sleeper end of It. I wish ! owne'
this roadl' / confided to the Pull
man conductor. I'd like 10 hack J
up with a little Ratchet and use 1t TO
kidding HUH he retorted. II
owned II | wouldn't take so mucl
trouble with I'll I'd Just step on !
and exterminate it,
after hurting umbrellas and suit
cases into our section and findinl
without doubt that II wasn't out sec
ton at all, because there was a'mai
In the lower berth. who was annoye'
because the corner OF a suitcase land
ed against his stomach. We finally go
adjusted and snatched about two min
utes OF sleep. / think, In the midst o
the switching and humping and back
ing up.
when I woke up In the morning
) at daylight looked at the scenery
; long time before l addressed Louis
Gilnst in a shrill whisper. She looke'
out ana said we weren't In Chicago
where we were supposed to be. Blu
at the junction twenty-five miles from
where we had started. There was
wreck ahead Of US. the porter told a
cordially, and maybe be could pro