A DASH THROUGH THE CITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1831, 18 August 1913, Page 8

A DASH THROUGH THE CITY.

» FOR THE LAST TRAIN, A SATURDAY NIGHT EPISODE; Scene: Courlcnay Place. A wet, miserable night,' a practically-empty doubledecker car, inward bound, and a man and a woman heavily laden with parcels. Time: ll.il p.m. "W'e can't do it, it's 110 use trying," the woman was heard to remark. "Let us stay in town, and catch tile lirst train out in the morning. Tlio children will be quite safe for one night. There's- —" "Make up your mind, Ma'am, please!" the voice of tlio motornmn broke in. "We can't stay here all night,, you know." "Oh, wo want to catch tlio 11.30 train for the llutt. We can't do it, can wo?" The woman still hesitated. \ "Try—junn> in!" was tile laconic answer. "Oil, but " she commenced, but got no further. Without a "By your leave," her companion unceremoniously bundled her, and her parcels, aboitrd. The bell rang, and tho car was off. Quickly gathering speed, it was soon in full swing. "Five minutes to reach tho station!" muttered the conductor. "You won't do it. We have to pull up at every stopping-place on the Quay." Ho received no answer. The inotorman settled himself more firmly 011 his "porch," and glared through tho rain-besmattered glass, in an anxious endeavour to mako out moro clearly tho smudges of light, and patches of black, that danced and flashed by. A grinding of brakes, a sudden jolt, and the car came to a standstill at Winder's Corner. No passengers, the lino set, a shriek of the whistle, and the car was swaying along Manners Street, shooting tho water out of tho lines like a steamer ploughing her way through v the deep. With a scarcely perceptible stop at the corner, it swung into Willis Street, raced to Stewart Dawsoil's, and was, at last, on Lambton Quay—a clear run, but for thos« compulsory stops. , A black smudge suddenly separated itself from the blackness, and irtood obstinately in front of tho oncoming car. The car slowed down, a policeman swung aboard, and the race was resumed. "Gom' some," the policeman remarked. No answer was vouchsafed him. Tho spirit of the raco had entered into the dubious breast of tho conductor. Tho couple were 011 tho edge of tho seat —tho man with his watch in his hand, and the woman with her parcels in 'her lap, not daring to place them down, in case precious time might bo lost. Crash! The car pulled up dead. The trolly-pole swung, and tho car was plunged in darkness. "What tli " the rest was lost in tlio night, afe, with an idiotic chuckle, tlio cause of the sudden stop lurched unsteadily into the blackness from which lie had so suddenly come. All hope wns not vet gone, however. With, Incredible luck, tho conductor struck the overhead line first time, and tho car, in a blaze of light, was shooting down tho track. Tho central police station was now approached, wheal a figure raced out, and, with arm extended, endoavoureil to attract tho motors man's attention. Tho motorman pulled up, and, with a brief "Thanks," the constable, as lio proved to be, jumped on.

"Listen!" the woman suddenly said. Her voice caused all to jump, so intense hail- tho silence become. Away in tho distance boomed' the Post Office clock tolling tho lralf-hour. "I knew wo couldn't do it," tho woman plaintively cried.

But the motorman had not given, up. Another stopping-place to go, and ho would bo there, and, besides, ho know these suburban trains. Ilis luck, however,' appeared out. A man was standins at tho stopping-place. _ The car slowed down, when suddenly it was perceived to bo another policeman.

"Well, I'm jiggered! Another copper." tho conductor ejaculated*. ; Tho motorman set his teeth, his hand moved over tho controller, and tho car bounded ahead over tho final stretch. An angry roar came through the open door of tho car, but it was quickly lost in the distance, and the would-be passenger was a thing of tho past. With a soft, pur T ring noise the car drew uu at the terminus, and bidding ' their friends in need a hurried adic-u, with' tho addendum "You're a good sport," tho couple ran to the station. As they vanished'through 1 the doorway the train guard's whistle was heard ; but a belated passenger has many frionds, and, tis the train moved slowly on. its way, eager hands helped ihe man and woman aboard —and so, thanks to the motormon's successfully speculative battle against odds, the children were not compelled to spend thnt night without their guardians.