The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-06-20

Bellfre started that evening for the
suburban express train, which left at
5:25. He was going to make a good
job OF 1t and arrive home with fifteen
minutes to spare. II was bitter cold
and the train so crowded that the best
he could do was to wedge himself to
lodging the rain of cinders.
Ordinarily II took the express train
fifteen minutes to make the run. 1t
had been travelling FIVE minutes when
1t stumbled and then stopped. 1t did
not resume its progress. Men began
TO fold their newspapers and scowl.
Then they began to investigate. It
seemed that the locomotive was frozen
up! A roar of indignation arose from
the passengers. Somebody scratched
the frost from a window and announc-
ed that they were nearly opposite an
intermediate station. Then local
train puffed in at that platform.
In the exodus which ensued Bell
fire found himself crushed off on the
snow covered ground. He stood knee
deep In snowbank and bllnked at the
distant platform, the trainmen swing
ing warning lanterns and ordering
their escaping trainload back. Then
he, too, began hopping over interven-
ing tracks. He might lose his life,
but he had to be home at o'clock.
He lodged through train, knocked
down a fat man and Joined the shiv-
ering crowd clustering about the
wrong end Of the local platform. The
ascending spirals OF frosted breath
that went up from every individual
looked like dozens of little campfires.
On the end of the platform the ever
present busy person was giving or
ders.
Now, we've got to get the ladies
up here!" he said. "This man and I'll
give 'em a hand-and you fellows
down there get 'em started"
A riot ensued, punctuated by shrieks
of, "oh, it's 80 terribly highl" take
Willie flrstl Wil-l-ee! Stay away
from the edge of that platform!"
"oh, I've dropped my bag!" "Why
don't they have steps here? I should
think there would be steps!"
Bellfre, being large, soon found
that he was doing most Of the heavy
work. The process of boosting num-
berless women, each weighing twenty
five pounds of furs and other wraps
above normal, is exhausting. When
Bellfre at last clamberel up he was
disheveled, putting, limp. He dragged
himself to that level Just in time to |
see the last of the crowd swing on the
last platform of the local that had
puffed In. - S2.41
When he had become petrifed to his |
knees another headlight loomed up
and dashed by without stopping 1t
was an express train temporarily out |
OF its orbit because of Beilhre's fro
zen train. BY the time another ap- |
peared Bellflre was ice to his neck. |
Stiffiy he stumbled on board and |
dropped himself against a door. He
did not dare sit down because he was |
firmly convinced that If he did so he |
would splinter into icicles. When he
had thawed out enough to have hui
man intelligence Bellfirs observed that
the train was making no stops what
ever Just as this fact dawned upon
him the lights of his own station ap-
peared, blinked, vanished. He
grabbed the conductor and protested
Nope" said the conductor "This
train Is special and doesn't stop
again till 1t gets to F1owerdale at the
end Of the line"
F1owerdale is exactly twenty-one
nilaa havOund nauaea'. .+o4ton