The Delaware farmer., 1883-11-02

Il p
and looked back.
"You1l be careful, Jim Don't le
Anything happen.
"Why, Dell p He laughed, hal
touched, half wondering. 81 Oughtn'
to have talked such nonsense. Don
be uneasy"
She smiled in answer, and the clOuC
slowly faded from her face as she walked
on.
Jim had some need of help as the
evening wore on, though he but dimly
realized it. Getting everything in readi-
ness for starting was harder work than
usual. There was a dull pain in his
eyes and throbbing in his temples.
"This trips rather rough on you,
Jim 9'' remarked a fireman, half ques-
tionipgly, half commiseratingly.
Fsrt1reit.t err, j jim I'M laughed family Im
stiff and used up, but I'll get over it
when we're fairly off, I expect.
When the station with its din and
dancing lights was left behind, however,
and the long line stretched away straight
before him, his occupation became but
a mere routine so treacherously familiar
that it would scarcely hold his eyes or
thoughts. Mechanically he attended to
his engine, with his mind straying far
away from it to Dell, and then running
oddly into a confused memory of the
speaker at the depot, until the swift
of the polished rods before
him seemed the motion of gesticulating
arms, and the sound in his ears resolved
itself into a measured monotonous repe-
tition Of meaningless words" Crooked
and straight! Right side up|
"Hello Caught myself mapping, I
10 believe Jim Barclay, what are you
bout? See here, Bill l"-to his fireman |
-'just keep an eye on me, will you?"
The young engineer shook himself,
ooked about him and stood stifly erect.
Ie whistled a tune vigorously to assure
imself that he was wide awake. What
drowsy rockaby motion the train had
ven the jar and rattle seemed to lull
nd stupefy, though he stood erect at
is post. He was glad this sort of work
as nearly over. At least he hoped it
as nearly over, for he did not see how
lie desired promotion could be much
niger delayed, and then such calls as
is would be fewer. He was looking
lxiously forward to the day when he 8
ould carry the longed-for tidings to '
ell. Dear little girl, how her face
)uld brighten What a cosy, happy v
me she could make and she said the h
rtains wouldn't cost anything, and
mmock on the porch to rest in. t
ghts? Queer where the lights came t
9m, unless-why, yes, almost to +
ition, of course. Dell must have put
bright light in the window. b
Alas Bill had climbed back over the il
lder to look at a suspected hot-box on t.
e after truck. h
Shrek after shrek of warning from a d
eam-whistle aided the flashing Of the t.
gnal lights and, at last, forced their
eaning upon the benumbed brain. rs
it'll 4 low cry of horror the engine was
7ersed, but too late to avert the crash W
1t followed as the two freight trains hi
re piled upon each other in common
eek. Sc
"What possessed you to run on in til
It fashion, man? Wereyou drunk or til
zy?" demanded more than one rough
ce as Jim stood by the track. But th
only gazed with blanched face at al
scene before him and answered them nc
hing. av
Fortunately-almost miTaculously, it Sc
med-no one was seriously injured" wi
he morning papers said in chronic wi
: the occurrence. Under the same no
ring headlines they also commended an
promptness Of the company in dis nm
sing "the engineer whose criminal cal
caused the disaster, and
), as nearly as could be learned, was roi
lfortably sleeping at his post, and so int
lectful of all signals p ella
hese were the tidings that reached
4 instead of the glad word for which
had waited. ing
What they say is true, after fash Z
p said Jim simply and sadly. 81 cal
to blame for it-and yet I wasn't. fus
was not fit to make the run, and I not
them so.
bere was no one to chronicle his ma
S of faithful service, or the ''criminal
lessness, if not cruelty, which had hel
ed him in such position; but these me
gs were well understood among the in
" workers in that railroad town, and
- o,1-,,.,rTo1c,o Ao oooh o4I,o,. /