Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-02-04
True Bravery.
A STORY FOR THE YOUTH OF TIE TIME

A STORY FOR THE YOUTH OF TIE TIME.
One or two young men came out OF
the Academy of Music when the opera
was over and fingered in the lobby to
watch the passing Of the crowd. Young
Fred Saulter came up to them while
putting his pearl lorgnette in its case.
Mice house, eh ?" he said languidly.
Wretched taste for young girls to wear
diamonds! Whet dye think of the
new tenor, Ell? Miserable, say"
The older men answered him civilly
and walked on, leaving him with some
lads of his own age.
"What would Miss Swan say if she
heard that cub criticising her?" said
DR.. Pomeroy. "The most insufferabie
creature in the world to me is a conceit-
ed boy, assuming the tone of man of
position when he has not yet proved his
right to be alive.'
II thought young Saulter had
money!" said one of the party. "He
drives fine horse, wears clothes made
by a better tailor than can afford and
lunches at the best restaurant"
Money" said the doctor angriiy.-
"Why, his father is head bookkeeper
for Smiles & Son, with family of six.
He strained every nerve to educate this
boy, who now looks upon every practi-
cal way of earning his living as plebean.
I'll warrant you the fellow never had
twenty cents in his pocket of his own
earning, His restaurant and livery
stable bills come into his poor old father
at the end of the month";"
/ Meanwhile, young Saulter stood COM
| y,ta apantfv fvEyrtipn hic E,f vi
watching the pretty girls as they pass
ed. He caught glimpse of his dapper
little figure in great mirror-the waxed
mustache, lavender gloves, wired roses
in his button-hole, and looked pityingly
after the doctor and his friends
Glow those old fellows must envy
US !" he said. Swine, with life in its
sparkle and dregs, eh? Oh, by the way,
I saw curious thing to-day. Dick
Knight-you remember Knight in our
class, who took the scientific course to
fit him for civil engineer? Well, it
appears that, times being so hard, he
could get no proper work to do, SO he
has taken to improper. Instead of Iay-
ing by, as have done, waiting quietly
for an opening for an educated man to
step into, he actually is-I'm ashamed
to tell it! !'
| "WLat? What is hep" asked his
listeners.
"Driving an engine on the Central
read! Fact! I saw him all grimy with
smoke in his little caboose to-day
Good heavens !" I said; Knight, are
you mad p"
mot mad enough to starve," lie said,
laughing.
support him and keep him from such
degradation Then he was mad"
"Do you think I, with my big strong
body, will be burden on an old man ?'
he said; and began to talk nonsense
about laziness being degrading; that no
man was ever degraded by honest work,
with more of the same sort of bosh, all
very ridiculous and very disgrsceful.
You'll see him tonight if you'll take
the IL P NJ train.
"Tut! tut " the lads said; and "Poor
| Knight! he was good fellowW pre-
cisely as if he were dead. =
Indeed, from the light and brilliancy
of the scene about them-the music,
the beautiful low-yoieed women, them
selves dafhtily attired, that gay and
happy part of the world-there was a
gulf like death to the grimy engine
driver in the dark depot, gulf which
none but mailman, they thought,
would willingly cross.
They sauntered out of the opera house,
and few minutes before II reached the
depot, in time for the train that ran Off
to the suburban town where they lived.
There he isl" whispered Saulter.-
"He took our train out, but the engine
lis not put to it."
The engine was on a siding, putting
and splitting little jets of steam, aud
Dick Knight, a tall manly young fellow,
was coming at the moment from the
superintendent's room. He caught sight
of his old classmates, laughed, hesitated
and raised his hand to his hat.
"Going to speak to him, hey ?" said
little Billy MCGEE, anxiously.
The young men grew rcd and embar
rassed. Semei Of them nodded to
| knight awkardly, and seemed inclined
to go and meet him.
II say mol" said Saulter peremptorily.
eff he chooses to leave the companion
ship of gentlemen, I shall not follow
him. I talk to mechanics and that sort
of people who never had chance to be
anything better, but Knight is social
suicide, sir ~
"That's true" said MCGEE. "How
well Saulter puts things!" he added,
aside-"Social suicide! Well, 1 shall
| not bring him to Iiie."
Knight saw that the young men
wished to avoid him and turned aside
with bow and heightened color, while
they hurried into the train.
It was yet five minutes until the time
OF starting.
The train of passenger cars was on
the main track Ghe engine still being
detaehed) and the people were hurrying
in, most of them coming direct from the
theatres and other places of amusement.
Inside of the cars and in the depot there
was good deal of jesting and gayety
between acquaintanees meeting on their
way home, the train being local one
and running only through suburban
villages.
Just then, short distance up the
track, there was hiss and a cry, and
voice shrieked out III horror, IA runa-
way train on the main track! Passen-
gers in the depot! Out of the cars out
of the cars !"
a runway freight train was on the
track. The fireman had started it for
the purpose of taking it into the freight
depot. By some accident, before it had
left the main passenger track, the man
and had fallen nearly upon the ground.
| AA"AA oetthAOog AC iiesd JoAiPCo NPs OuO
could not catch the moving engine,
which was gaining speed every second,
and had shrieked out his warning.
1t SO happened that the switch-tender,
through fright or some unexplained
cause, did not move his switch to run
the train off the main track, and now
the huge machine, with its train be-
hind, was rushing toward the train in
the depot with speed that promised
fatal disaster.
The new officials who were near had
time but to gasp with horror. At the
moment when the cry of danger was
shrieked out upon the night air Dick
Knight was attaching his engine to the
passenger train. From the cars and
platform rose yell of frantic terror, i'll
which Saulter's voice was the highest.
Death seemed rushing upon the people.
who had not time to get out of the cars
before the driving train would be upon
them.
The officials in the depot watched
Knight with blanched faces.
Hell be crushed to atoms J" muttered
ct n