The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-26
Bad Night for
Travelling
By c.. E. MCCORMACK

Val "a CSH hlldI DcdSL-
ly night to start on a long Journey"
said a traveller, but it cannot be
postponed. The business in hand
will brook no delay"
He shivered in his fur coat as
the high wind sent him scudding
along at a rapid pace to the rail-
way station, miserable little
place, as cold and cheerless as the
night. One passenger, a pretty,
young woman, sat on a dilapidated
bench and looked about her in fear
and trepidatiOn, as though she
feared some monster would pounce
upon her and devOur her. Ap-
parently she had never Travelled
alone before. When the traveller
came in, her face frightened up for
moment, then looked fearful
again. He watched her furtively.
what brought her out on such
night?" he muttered.
In about ten minutes the train
| pulled into the station and both
! travellers got on and went into the
same car. The woman sat in front
of the man. He gazed at her for
a moment, then forgot all about
her, so absorbed was he in think
ing of "the business in hand" Pres
emily. however, he became pain
fully conscious that something was
wrong when he heard a half stifled
cry, and looking at the woman, saw
that she was sobbing.
He hesitated to speak to her,
thinking she might resent what she
considered impudent interference.
AS he sat pondering the matter,
wondering what to do, the train
suddenly stopped with a great jolt
and the woman, affrighted, jumped
! up and screamed, "Therel I knew
It would happen. We've jumped
the track ~ And she continued to
scream and scream.
The few other passengers in the
car, mostly men, looked at her and
one Of them laughed.
"Stop that laughing" command
ed another one, jumping up, cor I'll
break every bone in your body"
"Oh, you will, will you?" snarIed
the laughing one. "Well. come on.
just you try"
During this melee the woman
kept screaming, 30, knew it would
happen. I knew it. Why did they
insist upon my taking this jour-
ney?"
The traveller, hoping to quell
what promised to be a riot, cried
out, "Silence, gentlemen, 1 beg of
you, until we find out what is the
matter with this lady"
mind your own business" they
shouted, "the lady. doubtless, is
capable Of minding hers. And, any
way, If she wanted to scream she
had a perfect right to, since the
train stopped where it shouldn't"
And they continued to argue.
The battle of words was distract
| ing. "This noise must be stopped"
cried the traveller. At that moment
the lights went out. This had the
contrary effect to what he expect
ed. The lady stopped screaming
and the men stopped talking.
After a few moments of intense
silence the lights flashed on again
and the train started. The trav-
eler looked at the lady. Now she
was composed and tranquil. The
men likewise.
what curious psychological
problem has presented itself for my
observation tonight" was the
thought that flashed through his
mind.
For the moment this problem
drove all thought of his business
out of his mind, and in trying to
solve it he sat deep in thought.
Then. Eureka! l have it. The
lady, no doubt, has been reading
something that made so deep an
impression on her mind that it be-
came an obsession, causing much
mental anxiety. The thought of
the possible danger if the train did
jump the track assumed such gi-
gantic proportions in her mind that
all other matters were relegated to
second place. So. naturally, when
she was obliged to set out alone on
journey she Immediately began to
cOnjure up all sorts of dire hap
penings. That was why she cried.
And when the train stopped sud.
denly with jolt, which is a COM
mon occurrence when travelling, her
mind was so overwrOught she i'm
mediately imagined the worst and
began to scream. But when the
lights went out, which was an oc-
currence that might, justifiably,
have caused fearful forebodings.
she became calm again. When the
real cause for mental anxiety pre-
sented itself, the unreal cause be-
came apparent at once, and she
saw how foolish she had been"
AT this moment the lady was
making desperate efforts to con-
troll her mirth. But to no avail.
After a short struggle it had it's
way and merry laugh rang out in
which everybody joined Where
upon she said: "Fellow passen-
gers. owe you an apology for caus-
ing so much disturbance. | am
glad it had no unfortunate or last
ing effect. But I wish to sound
this note of warning. Don't ever
read a book like this" and she
held it up, before starting on
long journey. If you are sensitive
it may have the same effect on you