The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-10
THE RIGOLETTAS ENGINEER.

"Hetty, wouldn't you like to go
down on the engine tomorrow night!'
The speaker, a good-looking young
fellow Of nineteen, leaned against one
of the monster driye-wheels OF the
Rigoletta, which stood putting before
Stanton's dnpretentious depot. .
The girl addressed looked up Into
his face, with a smile that displayed
two rows Of pearly teeth. ..r..
"You, want somebody to bother
you," she said. "Why, julie, all the
time I would be in the road, and John
would stop the Rigoletta, and leave
her In disgust. If you know what Is
good for yourself, keep away from
MEL" ~. Sc any,. .
! He laughed, and, said:., -" -,
eyes, I know you'll go down with
me on the engine. The ride is so"eS.
citing, and, just think, we will take
Governor Knox and his staff down to-
morrow night. John will be glad to
have an angel on the engine, and
you know what Bradley thinks Of
you" ',.,.t ....,. .
Hetty Mcfarland yielded to the en-
treaties Of the young fireman, be-
fore the Rigoletta threw smoke rings
heavenward, and moved off like a
monarch. .., - -. ,... .aa a
The sun was setting behind the hills
in the rear of the town, and the girl
waved her lover .good-by, as she
turned toward her home. = 1a...I,
Fifty miles south Of Stanton, In the
city. OF Hamilton, .dwelt Hetty' Nc.
Farland's uncle, whom the girl had
long thought Of visiting. Therefore,
to carry out her purpose, she prom
ised to go down on the Rigeletta the
following night. o." :I'7'' ,"'
She knew that conductor Bradley
would not object to her presence on
the engine, for he was the politest
conductor Of the road. and WAS in
debted to her for the many well-chosen
bouquets he wore during the flower
season. .s- ia !. 9. ,...
@ Then, as Julius had said, a ride on
the engine would be SO exciting, and
with such good fellows as her lover
and John Nixon, the engineer, she
anticipated a pleasant time. '"n
= When the Rigoletta, oiled and pol
ished till her machinery and mount
ings glistcned like FURNISHED silver
and gold, again reached Stanton on her
down trip. Hetty Mcfarland was
prepared for her ride.
Julius sprang from the engine,
found her in a jiry, and assisted her
to the little apartment which he had
fitted up anew for her reception.
Glow foggy it is. to-night," she said
to him. "There is a moon, but it does
no good" IT,.
"That's so, Hetty. We've got to
feel our way. You see, Governor
Knox and his staff are aboard, and we
have been ordered to be. very careful.
/ spoke to Bradley about you going
down with us, and he said, Certainly,
Just as I knew he would"
Hetty was sitting on the green
plush cushion that covers the lid Of
the tool-bo1 Of the engine, and her
lover, talking, leaned against the jamb
of the door. ..-hur..; ga ....
Excuse me for one moment, Het-
IT," he said, and sprang from the en-
CINE and disappeared. .
he walked about the platform, look
ing for some person, whom 1t seemed
he could not find. -
II don't like affairs tonight" he
said to himself. HE looked rs II he
had been drinking, and We want a
sober man to run the Rigoletta through
this terrible fog"
Across the track and almost direct
ly opposite the depot building stood a
groggery to which access could be OBJ
tanned through q garden behind 1t.
This was not the sole avenue Of in
gross, but it was called the secret way,
and sometimes the employees Of the
road made use Of it to procure q sly
drink. After a while the young fire.
man crossed the track and traversed
the garden to the groggery.
He did not enter, for beyond the
threshold Of such a place he. had
promised a fair young girl that he
would never step. He paused at the
door, which was open, and looked be-
tween the green Stats Of the shade In
to the room.
At the counter, with a glass Of bran
dy In his hand, stood the man for
whom he had; been looking-John
Nixon, the engineer.
The 1reman's face grew pale" when he
saw him, and he said something which
was connected with .Hetty McFarland's
name.
He did not move until the engineer
emptied the glass and turned to. 70.
Then Julius saw that his face was
flushed, and he hardly looked like the
same man.
he passed very near the young
watcher, whom the fog hid, and a