Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-17

TIA express thundered onward through the twilight. From his sleeper Robert Hamilton gazed at the flying towns and villages. noting the hum dreas. of cheerfully lighted homes. Everywhere was a welcome to some beboved husband and father. The thought emphasized his loneliness and he reverted sadly to the wreck of his married lTappiness. 'I was all kinds of. a fool. 15 years ago." he said hit- terly to himself.
 While he recalled the past, twilight had darkened into evening. Suddenly fine occupants of the sleeper were star tied by the explosion of a torpedo on the rails. Then came 8 jarring, grind ing crash and the passengers found themselves lying on the floor. Some rose, cut and bleeding from collision with the woodwork of the car. Several of the women were hyster1cal and the men were badly shaken up.
 The express had now stopped. Haln- ilton left the sleeper and went toward the forward end of the train By the light of the lanterns swinging in tie hands of the crew he saw the wreck. age of freight cars, while a heap of scrap-iron was all that remained of the engine of the express. The bag rage car was demolished and the first day coach partially destroyed; the heavy sleepers alone had stayed on the IEaGks ExAClI60ly l41S PdSSOASCAS NAC manded to know what had happened. They were told that a freight train had parted and several cars had been left standing in the way y>of the express. The freight crew had put torpedoes on the track in warning, but too late to prevent the flyer from plunging at full speed through the freight cars and smashing them into kindling wood.
 The wreck of the engine was putting clouds of scalding steam. Held within the mass were the engineer and fire man, who had stuck to their posts. Robert Hamilton joined in the work 5f rescuing the imprisoned men, toiling heroically without thought of self When the two were finally released the engineer only was living. Hamil- ton helped to carry him to the sleeper that had been turned into a hospital for the injured from the day coach. A trained nurse, who happened to be on the train, was doing what she could till a doctor should arrive. By her very presence she seemed to calm and cheer the injured.
 As Hamilton was about to leave the sleeper he began to feel the pain of his burns, which he had not noticed in the excitement of the rescue. \ deadly faintness seized him and he staggered toward 8 seat. As he sank into uncon- scioUsness he saw the nurse spring to his side and felt that her arms were keeping hlm rom failing. Then he knew nothing more.
 When he had partially recovered his senses he felt skilful hands dressing his snarting burns. He was soothed just by the touch of those gentle hands and dreamed that Lima his wife was caring for him-a, gentler Lima than he had ever known-and that he was back again in the little white cottage where they had spent their short mar ried life. Each event he seemed tc live over again. They had been only foolish children of 19 and 21 How often they had quarrelled and made up At last their differences had growr into arrangement and Lima had de- parted in tempestuous tears for hel fathers home. leaving him to the lone hneSs that had lasted for 15 years.
 The gentle ninistrations continued Hamilton was afraid to open his eyel and dfspel the waking dream, for ther