Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-06-20

which in twenty miles out Of Croy don, In
the woods, and near the track; | saw him
standing by the doorway, Sowing ct me,
or lesr,wavs where be knew wac, for be
hnew mr. train and habits. ~ we were
cbums oncs. lie kept biz eyes on the cab
window, aud as we got almost cot Of right
| locked round sudden, and saw HIM
shaking his est at the train. ibinks !
10 myself, when L saw that. "Wiiiiam
Rogers, you look sharp when you CONE
back over this route tonight; men ina.
hsvo 4 epite that lives as strong - tnat
two days and two nights ought to be looked
after Il and more than that, Susan SAID to
me thst morning when she WAS putting my
dinner 10 the pail. says che, "Wh'ian'
"Yss, Sssan," says I. with my mouth
foil Of bread. -.
."Willian, would It make any difference il
vou saps IN half IN hour late tonight with
the tain p
mo. Susan, perhaps not" Yessee l
b alf knew what was coming
because I'm afraid, almost, Of some
thing don't ask me what 1t is, for don't
know myself. ! feel it gomehow, and want
you 10 drive slow, and promise me, vii.
liam, dear, do look At the wheels and
things, Won't your
"Susan." says /, kissing her. "l'll walk
her eli the way"
And that was what WAS going to do.
made Collins, the fireman, AS mad - .
March hare, by making him 70 through
the whosls with hammer before NO start,
ed back from Pallerton that night !
went through the engine myself. ex amined
| the sprinss and levers. had two extra men
mt an III brakes. and IN extra lantern
f..,ansd ON tho engine in front OF the boz
l., They I'll laugh At me. but kept
IN mi felt that things were - they
| should b..
when / vas speaking Of Jim Nelson's
house IL til woods. peshspa ought TO
have said that hs vs. widowsr, and
had little tot Of . baby, and | noticed
Il ~ ! ran BY that mornings playing in
the door yard. say this that which come
sitter may be better understood.
We'll. ~ started back ct 4:20 that y
back 70 Croydon. Il was storming -
thought II ~assss did befese; The cloud
rolled up haask. md ~ Wlnd eans doWa
through she nountaiss cold and blu1ssribg,
shut her oil Up tight. and turned down
he light in The cab. - that might ~
| better how things went outside. Pretty
| soonsit cane % to raln, mixed with hail
and NJ night came blaeksr than before.
ksot ~ hand On the lever, and my eye
On the broad streak Of light that lightet
% sbsae tws handrsd yards sfths track
I let her easy ct about twenty miles q
heus, taking . look new and then ct tn
ears, and keeping an eye on everything.
Wsran on this way steadily for tw
hours, and lost fifteen minutes. and every
thing Was right. kept nv coorse, ~ tn
danger commenced now ii there was an
Il eli. The storm and rain were wors
j 4 than ever, and beat against ~ like mac
and blew the oneke end steam down ovs
10, 90 that l felt like stopping altogether
but Of course that wouldn't do. We ksy
kn this way for another hour feeling OF
way e1sstully. About twenty minut,
After that got Of my seat to look Ct u
iii cups and gauge, when, quick % ligh
hing, Collins, the fireman, ierked my arI
. And shouted "Good God there's chill
y crawling on the track ~
i / showed my lever back and pulled Il
whistle valve short and quick, and opens
the cab window and jumped out on tt
engine. Id doing 80, | thought afterWal
o I must have kicked the lever back sSai
4 At that moment what saw made me to
get everything else, for sure enough, abo'
;, Two hundred feet in front Of the engin
kncelug on ito hands and knees, and Wit
but moving, looking straight at the lisl
Of the lanterns was little child
God help me-" said I, seeing the POI
thng must be killed il didn't help il, ar
|. scrambled forward past the boiler, 81
= put on the cow-catchsr. The wheels
' Abe cars grated, but the engine was works.
n harder than Il had that night. l couldr
Q btop to think Why, and putting my feet b
tween the bars, caught held Of the shask
. kith my lst hand, and leaned forward ov
i the track. shut my teeth together zig
h ind held on like dssah. knowing we'll tn
. \ J slip Of my hand or feet would end me-.
q chs poor, covering little thing crept avn
Sns sa n sps -. -: e ss'Hd .t
E Che rail.
c "God help IT," again says ], bendi'
"a down, and stuck my arm out straight II
/. btitf with my hand an inch from tho trncl
10 an instant showed it along about Fl
5 feet before conld close my hand on d
8 dress, when | lifted /, up over my hea
d and put it on the platform behind NE, tn,
d quick AS may be | followed, for felt
kind OF weakness coming over me, | too
!, tho baby In my arms. bu, was too weak
4 70 back, so | sat down there. The engil
I was going like lightning, and tho rain "
k beating in mine aud the babys face, Al
= The wheels were grinding and roaring, al
d afore heaven never was so womanish as
o was then, with the po5r little thing in n
arms, and sobbing as il its heart wou
V break. | was only there moment and vi
3 nearly fainting, when heard shout lou
: Ell than the storm and the noise Of the q
= Eine, and opened my eyes aud saw Il
o figure of man about thirty yards in frol
" Of the engine. He stopped down. then juml
I'd up with something large in his hand
. Ind threw II Oft the track; the
4 he did il again and again he worked quito
Ind wild.liks, and just before the sngin
reached him Jumped of and waved h
arms At me and thslbaby, and the glare
, Abe lanterns fell 90 hin q that instant, an
! showed lacs vhiAA Was pale round Oh
lips and nose, such q had seen before.
"Wsll, got bask 10 che cab with th
; baby, and whistlsd brakes off, and wen
}ntc Croydon thirty. i've minutes benin
time.
IL, Told Susan al about Il, and shs tool
The baby in zine sty.s, and No sat BY tn
fire that evening. talkiog and wondering
over what bad happened, whsn . knoc
cAns to the door, and went to the door
and says l. "Who's there 2"
l. "Its me-" says voice that was tremb
ling, - though the man Was crying.
''Lst ms In, Rogers I'm jim Nelson
I've I've . nothing 'gin You and Susan, now
II So opened tlle door and hs came i,
staggering Is il he was intoxicated, and a
white - snow /; then he locked round tn
room, and seeing the baby in Susan's la1
be ran to il, and knseiing down, buried hi
face in his clothes, and sobbed and erie,
e | never saw before or since. After
Il while he cote little calmed then he stco,
tup, and turnSng 10 me, he says:
William Rogers, msni to do harm
tonight, but you saved the little one 70,
me, which 10 Oh love in this big world:
you took ono away frsm me, and 1 though
to mend BIZ breaking but William" h,
went on, N wasnt the old jim Nelson
| which is true man, and who IL speakin.
to you, ard SO asked forgiveness of YOU
and her,
| Then Susan and shook hands with hiu
but We could not speak q word then jim