aid to his son one day. "I thought
it would have killed me when I first heard it, and it nearly killed
her. But, at any rate, now there is peace."

But the widow seemed to feel it more as time went on. At first she
was stunned, and for a while absolutely senseless. It was not till
two days after the occurrence that the fact became known to her,--nor
known as a certainty to her father and brother. It seemed as though
the man had been careful to carry with him no record of identity, the
nature of which would permit it to outlive the crash of the train.
No card was found, no scrap of paper with his name; and it was
discovered at last that when he left the house on the fatal morning
he had been careful to dress himself in shirt and socks, with
handkerchief and collar that had been newly purchased for his
proposed journey and which bore no mark. The fragments of his body
set identity at defiance, and even his watch had been crumpled into
ashes. Of course the fact became certain with no great delay. The man
himself was missing, and was accurately described both by the young
lady from the refreshment room, and by the suspicious pundit who had
actually seen the thing done. There was first belief that it was so,
which was not communicated to Emily,--and then certainty.

There was an inquest held of course,--well, we will say on the
body,--and, singularly enough, great difference of opinion as to the
manner, though of course none as to the immediate cause of the death.
Had it been accidental, or premeditated? The pundit, who in the
performance of his duties on the Tenway platforms was so efficient
and valuable, gave half-a-dozen opinions in half-a-dozen minutes when
subjected to the questions of the Coroner. In his own mind he had not
the least doubt in the world as to what had happened. But he was made
to believe that he was not to speak his own mind. The gentleman, he
said, certainly might have walked down by accident. The gentleman's
back was turned, and it was possible that the gentleman did not hear
the train. He was quite certain the gentleman knew of the train; but
yet he could not say. The gentleman walked down before the train o'
purpose; but perhaps he didn't mean to do himself an injury. There
was a deal of this, till the Coroner, putting all his wrath into
his brow, told the man that he was a disgrace to the service, and
expressed a hope that the Company would no longer employ a man
so evidently unfit for his positi