The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-02-27


Judgment
"His tone annoyed me. 1T caunot
require much judgment to keep mp fire
under boiling pot, and not make it too
hot. Any woman can do that in her own
kitchen.
" He made no reply, but took his
place on the little square box where the
greater part of his life was passed. /
noticed that his face was flushed, and his
irritation at my foolish whim was GER
tainly more than the occasion required.
1 watched him with keen curiosity, won
deping if it were possible that he could
have been drinking as he had accused
poor Jones of doing"
1T strikes me as odd," interrupted
Ferrers, "that you should not only
made an intimate companion of this fell
low, Santley, but taken so keen an in
terest in his temper and drinking bouts.
You would not be likely to honor any of
us with such attention"
"No. I have something else to do.
/ was absolutely idle then. Blakeley
and his family for the time made up my
world. AS for the friendship, this was
an exceptional man, both as to integrity
edge that comes from books counts with
me but for little, compared with the ex-
perience and contact with facts for forty
years. was honored by the friendship
of this grimy engineer. But the ques-
ton of his sobriety that day was a serious
one. A man in charge of a train with
hundreds of souls. aboa d, I felt ought
to be sober, particularly when wns
shut up in the engine with him.
Just as we started slip of paper
was handed to him, which he read and
threw down.
"'Do you run this train by telegraph p
/ asked, beginning to shovel vigorously.
"'Yes. No more COAL
"'Isn't that unusual?'
eyes. There are two special trains
on the road this afternoon
I" Is it difficult to run train by tele-
graph?' said presently, simply to
make conversation. Staring in silence
at the narrow slit in the gloomy furnace
or out at the village street, through
which we slowly passed, was monotonous.
"No, not difficult. L simply have
to obey the instructions which / receive
at each station.
"'But if You should happen to think
the instructions not right 2
Happen to think I've no business
to think at all When the trains run
by telegraph the engineers are so many
machines in the hands of one controller,
who directs them all from central point.
He has the whole road under his eye.
If they don't obey to the least title THEN
orders, it is destruction to the whole.
&c You seem to think silent obedience
the first and last merit in a railway
mar? |?
"'Yes. dryly.
+" took the hint and was dumb.
"We are out of town now. Blakeley
qrickened the speed of the engine. ]
did not speak to him again. There was
little for me to do, and 1 was occupied
in looking out at the flying landscape
The fields were covered with deep fal
of snow, and glanced whitley by, with 8
strange, unreal simmer. The air wat
keen and cutting. Still the ride wat
tame. Twas disappointed. The excite
meAt would by no means equal daSl
on a spirited horse. began to think
had little to pay for my grimy hands
and face, when we slowed at the next
station. One or two passengers came
| aboard the train. There was the inevi
table old lady with bundles, alighting
and the usual squabble about her trunk
l was craning my neck to hear, wheI
the boy rau alongside with the telegram
"Thenext moment heard a smother
ed exclamation from Blakely.
! "Go back, said he to the boy
Tell Sands to have the message repeat
! al Thara'a a pniatalxa
"The boy dashed off, and Blakely sa
waiting, coolly polishing a bit of tn
shining brass before him. Back cam
the boy.
I" Had it repeated. Sands is raging
at you. Says there's no mistake, AM
you'd best get on, thrusting the secon'
message up.
Blakeley read it, and stood hesitatinl
for half minute l never shall forge
the dismay, the utter perplexity tina
gathered in his lean face as he looked a
the telegram, and then at the long trail
behind him. His lips moved as if h
were calculating chances, and his eye
suddenly quailed, as if he saw death q
the end of the calculation.
What's the matter? What are yo
going to do? asked.
"'Obey.'
"The engine gave long shrek @
horror, that made me start as if it wer
Blakeley' g own voice. The neKtinstantw
rushed out of the station, and dashe
through the low-lying farms at spec
which seemed dangerous to me.
Put in more coal said Blakeley.
81 shovelled it in.
"'We are going very fast, Blakeley
, ventured.
| "He did not answer. His eye was fiji
r ed on the steam gauge; his lips closel
{ shut.
More coal Z
r 1 threw it in.
"The fields and houses began to q
past but half seen. We were nearin
/. | Snnhnrr Rlakelavla eva went from Ii