THE LAST TRUCK.

By Julia M'Najiee.

(For the Witness.)

fjl'Well,f jl'Well, good-bye, now ; get- well, tnjcj ytrareelf, and "'

The train steamed out into the darkness

of the night. Darkness, did I sayV Well, ; \e&, it was dark — inky black — but lit every j lev? minutes by bright flashes of lightning. I 'Get we! 1 !!" I didn't feel mucl- like doing that or enjoying myself either, '' and — well, "I Iliad not caught the rest ol

fhe sentence ; but it didn't matter much,

fcr I did feel inclined to obey the first two commands, and it wasn't very likely that I would have obeyed the third if I had heard it — not <-hat night, anyhow. Well, it was no good trying to .atch a glimpse of the country we were passingthrough, .so I opened my book and began to read. I had just got well into the first chapter when the guard came in. He was a big, good-looking young fellow, and he gave one swift glance round as he entered the carriage, and then sat down beside an elderly lady seated near the door, who, by the way, was my only companion.

"Well, mother." he began, in a quick, decisive voice. "I'm jolly glad that you're ccming home at last I'm regular tired of cooking for myself and sleeping in an unmade bed." He took one of her thin, white hands m his own big, rough ones. "Your hands are awfully co-Id," he went on ; "why don't you put on your gloves." "I don't find them a bit r.o'ld, Charlie, or I would ; but isn't it a frightful night. I really believe that if it doesn't stop I shall die. You know, the doctor said that any fright migh>. result in fatal consequences." ■ "

The guard threw back his head and laughed. * ."No need to get a fright, mother. You ki;ow it is coming," 'he said, when he had partly recovered his breath. "I suppose I shouldn't be frightened." she said dolefully, "but- I have had such a horrible feeling all day thnt I can't help thinking that something will happen." The guard laughed -ag;;in. XOh, stop laughing, Charlie," she said, in an agrieved tone ; "I can't bear it."

"All right, mother," he said, quite seriously, as he got up, "and we'll soon be home now — only another station after this^ one We shunt here, and that will keep us a bit longer ; but, then, it is the last truck I have to shunt to-night." He took my ticket, and then went back to her.

"Now, don't be irightened, mother," ha said ; "nothing dreadful is going to happen." "I'll try and not be frightened," she said ; "but it anything should happen to you, Charlie " "Oh, I'll be- all right. Don't be f lightened that anything will happen to me, mother. And now I must go and sco to the rest of the tickets."

The door closed* with a bang, and we \i ere left alone. About a quarter of an bour later we drew into a small, dimlvlighted station — in fact, it- might as we"3 not have been lighted at all, for the lijjht enly reached for a few ynrd c p v - '•■• '' >Q lamp-poats.

As the train stopped, my fejiow-pjnss>.n_ti rose, and crossed to my side of the carriage, and stood looking out of the window. What she intended to see there I can't say ; but I had reached a very uninteresting place in ij book, so I followed her example, and gazed out into' the darkness. Presently there was a, vivid flash of lightning. I .gave a start, for the flash sliowed, lying on the Tails of the shunting line, the guard, his white face looking up into the 1 sky. Involuntarily I glanced at the engin^ as it rushed down along the line. Would the driver see him? Ah ! yes ; in that brief second I saw the driver's face turn ashy white, as he moved towards ths brakes^-and then all was darkness again. 1 turned to the woman beside me. H>t face was drawn and white. "I knew it would come," she said in a harsh whisper, and she fled to the door. I sprang to >ny feet and followed her out into the Tain. There was a deep, far-off, rumbling sound, becoming louder and "loudei every second.

and ending in <a terrific crash. Then another flash of lightning, and beside us I saw the guard, his glassy eyes staring un into the black sky. I heard a short, cfjiek gasp, and as I turned I saw his mother fall forward beside him. Then there was

another peal of thunder, and I knew no more till next I found myself sitting in the arriage, and a lady bc-nding over me.

"Drink this now," and she held a glass up to my lips, "and you'll soon be all right." "Oh. the poor »-uard," I said, "acd hia poor old mother !"' "Ah, yes ; poor Mr Cairns ! It was n, frightful' accident, and it his last truck, too. And his mother, too. The shock killed her, poor thing : heart disease, the doctor pays. Well, \he train is starting now, \ and I must go. Good-bye." •»And that was t-lie' last I saw of her, but I learned afterwards that she was the stationmaster's "wife It was a good while a«;o, all this, but I can never hear the thunder peal or watch the flashing lightning without a shudder, for it recall.* so vividly to my mind that dreadful night, and again I see the poor guard's agonised face and the still more agonised face of his aged mother. May I never witness such a sight again f for I shall carry the recollection of this one to my grave.

Fi.orilixe! — For the Teeth and Bheath.— A few drops of the liquid " Floriline ' v sprinkled on a wet tooth brush produces t 1 pleasant lather, •which, thoroughly cleanses th« teeth from all parasites or impurities, harden^ the gums, prevents tartar, stops decay, give* to the teeth a peculiar pearly-whiteness, an£

a delightful fragrance to the breath. It re' fcoves all unpleasant cdour arising front decayed teeth or tobacco smoke. " Thi Fragrant Floriline," being composed in parts of Honey and sweet herbs, is delicious to tha taste, and the greatest toilet discovery of tli* age. Of all Chemists and Perfumers. Whole* sale depot, 33 Farrinsdou road, London? England.