which is a third of the way between the two cities, elicited the
following reply--

"To James Bland, Superintendent, Central L. & W. C.,
Liverpool.--Special passed here at 4:52, well up to time.--Dowster, St.
Helens."

This telegram was received at six-forty. At six-fifty a second message
was received from Manchester--

"No sign of special as advised by you."

And then ten minutes later a third, more bewildering--

"Presume some mistake as to proposed running of special. Local train
from St. Helens timed to follow it has just arrived and has seen
nothing of it. Kindly wire advices.--Manchester."

The matter was assuming a most amazing aspect, although in some
respects the last telegram was a relief to the authorities at
Liverpool. If an accident had occurred to the special, it seemed
hardly possible that the local train could have passed down the same
line without observing it. And yet, what was the alternative? Where
could the train be? Had it possibly been sidetracked for some reason
in order to allow the slower train to go past? Such an explanation was
possible if some small repair had to be effected. A telegram was
dispatched to each of the stations between St. Helens and Manchester,
and the superintendent and traffic manager waited in the utmost
suspense at the instrument for the series of replies which would enable
them to say for certain what had become of the missing train. The
answers came back in the order of questions, which was the order of the
stations beginning at the St. Helens end--

"Special passed here five o'clock.--Collins Green."

"Special passed here six past five.--Earlstown."

"Special passed here 5:10.--Newton."

"Special passed here 5:20.--Kenyon Junction."

"No special train has passed here.--Barton Moss."

The two officials stared at each other in amazement.

"This is unique in my thirty years of experience," said Mr. Bland.

"Absolutely unprecedented and inexplicable, sir. The special has gone
wrong between Kenyon Junction and Barton Moss."

"And yet there is no siding, so far as my memory serves me, between the
two stations. The special must have run off the metals."

"But how could the four-fifty parliamentary pass over the same line
without observing it?"

"There's no alternative, Mr. Hood. It must be so. Possibly the local
train may have observed something which may throw some light upon the
matter. We will wire to Manchester for more inform