The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-09-10
NO. s..



1t was q sad scene. Around Toms
bedst de hospital vas his wife and
Toms old father. Tom had a house
Of his own, but as the accident had
happened at our end Of the line. come
seventy miles from Pennington. he hal
been taken at once to the hospital. |
knew Tom quite well, for as / was in
tie paw department, when I Travelled
occasionally on his section Of the road.
it was mostly on Toms engine. Tom
was q. matter-of-fact man. temperate.
well educated for hi, station in life.
and not given tn whims.
IL was touch and 90 with Tom. but
at last. thanks to cool nursing, he
seemed to be coming slowly around.
Though he might be crippled. still
there were hopes that he would not
lose his place. If at the worst. he
couldn't run his engine. he might find
a berth in the company's repair shops.
for he was god all-round mechanic.
Tom was able to be up when | last
saw him. For the first time he seemed
chatty. His mind would. however.
revert to the accident. in which some
eight people had been killed outright.
and some twenty-five wounded. A
careful investigation had followed the
accident, and as it was clearly proven
that it was no fault Of Toms / didn',
see why he should NOPE so and seem
to have trouble on his conscience.
Bunker" said Tom to me. it's in mv
mind, and it will take years before
that accident will be cleared of my
brains. Tiff I had only followed
nv inclinations, l never should have
run 33. Eight killed and twenty five
wounded l never thought of that be-
f,re -that makes 80! "Nonsense.
Tom" .aid. what has 80 to do with
ity "No 1t amt nonsense. I felt
she was growing vicious. She was
but eighteen months old. and had
been running rather ugly. when six
months ago she got to he as cruel as a
tiger. She showed it to me. l ought
to have known it"
''Come old man." I replied gently.
interrupting him. ITS the stimu.
lants that you have been taking by the
doctors orders. and your nerves are
unstrung. Take some of the calming
medicine the doctor has left You and
stop talking"
II amt bit nervous, but am as
cool as cucumber. and nv head is rs
clear as a hell. I amt a bit shaky.
Now just you listen. Thirty-three
was built in the company's shop. and
[ had hand in her construction.
Just the day before We put steam in
her there came IN old fellow into the
shop who claimed that We was infring-
ing On an injector or feeder, or some
thing of his invention. 1t wasn't anv
Of our business in the chop. 50, though
We were civil. he didn't get much re-
dress. He was a cussing us for thieves
and all that kind Of thing. FIR stealing
his patent, when the boss of the shop
walked up, ard hearing the Ginning.
the old man out. 1t was Bub
Harrington that hustled the old chap
nut. under the boss orders. Of course.
Just as the old fellow got to the door.
and Bub was bouncing him, he turned
round and wished that every one Of us
around that engine might meet our
death. We thought him crazy. Well.
33 was put on the road. aud Dill
Given he ran her. She commenced
right off killing stock. 1t wasa COW
or q horse that Was smashed most
every week. 1t was alleged that Bill
WAS to blame, and he was discharged.
Then Bill took to drinking, and went
to the bad. Bub Harrington then got
sick Of shop work. and took his old
place IF engineer. Just then he mar
ried Sue Norris. I was ut the
seeing that Sue is a second
cousin Of my Jenny. Now, Bah.
had gone through the war. and wasn't
skeerv. This spring-it was in Nav
Il met Bub at Humping Junction.
Denny Keef was his helper. and 33
had a hot Journal. or something was
.ut of keller. and Denny Keef was
cooling and oiling Of her. l was rum
ming SO. and was on the siding waiting
For the through freight to pass. Says
Bub to me, Tom. amt going to run
33 no more 'Why:' SAYS l."
"Cause shes showing temper"
'ays he.
"How p SAYS I. ;sughingly; and l
remember borrowed some cavendish
rom him.
Tom" saws he. engines is like hu-
mans. For the last week 80 has been
spite.
"Mebbe she wants overhualing ?"
avs l.
MARY a bit." says Bub. "She is
ust out Of the shop. She makes
team kind of reckless. and wants
have to keep nv eyes on
he steam gusge all the time. Some.
lines, out of pure cussedness. she
vOn't burn her Goals, and all Of q |
udden you would think she wanted to
melt out her grate-bsrs. She is al |
rays a getting something TANNED. or !
trung, and heating on her hearings,
% matter how YOU keep 'em tied. She
beginning to throw sparks and
urning up things. Three DAYS ago
he Get fire to an awning in q shop a |
all mile fran her," /
"COl your head. Bub." SAYS I at
he next water tank Just then the
eight passed along. and started my
ID engine and we went lumherire
long. How it happened l don't
now. but the face Of the old man in
Ne shop who had cursed us appeared
efore me. That very night SO killed
oor Bub Harrington"