Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-13
The Engineers Story.

1Ac IdLHOdu COIupduy3 L ut1uoU GHS euSLuSSI
of Engine No. 80 letter from his chief, re-
questing that accompany him upon the
engine, as a better post for the observations
along the rails had been commanded to
make
After reading it, he touched his hat, and
respectfully bade me welcome, arranging as
comfortable seat for me as he could pro-
vide for the long ride which lay before US.
1t was a novel experience for me, and
highly exciting one, as we seemed to cleaYe
the air, the train laundering along behind
Us; and I could but look admiringly at the
man who stood SO unflinchingly at his post,
and in whose hand lay in reality all our
lives.
He was TALL handsome fellow, whose
keen gray eyes never stirred from his post,
either to right or left, but whose CHEEKY
laugh often rang out on the clear morning
air as we chatted together,
By noon we had become friends, at which
hour we stopped at small station, where
there was delay of twenty minutes, to take
on coal or water AS we slowed up, no
ticed standing on the platform young wo-
man, holding neatly covered basket, and
cfnging to her skirts little child, some
three years of age.
"Papa papa! the little one screamed,
IN delight; and, glancing at my compan-
ions face, needed not to question if he
were the one thus called.
Another moment, we had stopped, and
wife and child were pressed to his breast,
while look of wonderful tenderness crept
into his eyes.
"My wife and child, sir" he said, turn
ing to me. 81 have only one day week
on with them; but Mary always meets me
here with my dinner, and now and then
get an hour or two with her."
cit is hard ife," I said "You must
miss them sorely"
"No matter where I am SIR" he replied,
they are with me. hear the little ones
voice above the loudest wind, and see my
Mary's smile In the darkest night, although
stand alone on my engine, with my life in
my hand. It's hard life, maybe, sir, but
I ought not to complain. 1t gave me my
happiness, since it won me my wife,"
When we were on our way again, and
had seen the tears fill the wife's bright blue
eyes as she fondly kissed her husband good
by, while had slipped into the little ones
chubby hand golden gift from the strange
gentleman riding with papa, asked my
companion what he meant.
''I don't know as you'd care to hear, sir,
and there's not many as I'd care to tell
You read so many book stories of the peo-
pie who make up your world, that you have
not much time to look doom to mine.
There are people who think such as we
have no time to love, but you have seen
Mary and my boy, and-youn tell me if /
tire you?
CT was careless fellow enough six years
ago, not neglecting my work when at my
post, but fond of good time with my COM
panions when off duty, always ready to &C.
cept friendly glass, and sometimes with
my head not quite steady when 1 mounted
my engine, though the air always set me
right before we had gone far on our way.
Zone evening, at Dance I met Mary
Morton. She was the prettiest girl in the
room, sir, and little bit of coquet in those
days, though no more than was natural,
with all the young fellows trying their best
to turn her head.
"I was not long behind the rest. !
couldn't get her out of my thoughts, but it
did not take me a great while to find out the
truth of the matter. had lost my heart
The only question was, Would she turn me
adrift, or give me hers for that she had
stolen 1t was many week before I got
up my courage enough to determine to ask
her to be my wife. Every moment off duty
I would spend with her, until grew to
fancy she used to watch and wait for nv
coming.
But I was not without my Jealous
hours, for all that. How did 1 know how
nAlo SpSub IlI103 was 50 constantly away
from her?
Sat last heard of another dance, to be
given on the night 1 would be off duty. /
could not see Mary until then, but Ifelt sure
she would know would come for her, and
would go with no one else
"But when The evening arrived, I found,
when I called for her, that she had already
gone Perhaps, sir, in your rank of life,
you know, too, what it is to be Jealous, and
how many man destroys his future happi-
ness by it.
"My first words to Mary were those Of
reproach, while her smile at my entrance
died away and her face grew white.
"'I did not know you were coming,
John. How could r?
"'You might have waited, thenl' ex-
claimed.
"'And stayed at home, perhaps, to have
had you laugh at me, with the rest. Be-
sides, am quite satisfied with my escort,
and believe am the only person to be con-
shifted in the matter