The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-12-06

WOulO O6 Vi tuo OOuys uOs VI tuo SOui.
Faithful and true! thanked God, and
took courage.
cit was wonderful how he succeeded
with the books and papers and the other
things he sold. There was something in
him that made him a favorite with
everybody. have been told by more
than one that the sight OF his frank,
handsome face was like sunshine, and
that people bought Of him whether they
wanted anything or not.
well, the years went by, and he grew
up, working his way from one position
to another on the road, trusted every
where. He was my own boy still,
though he was 80 tail and strong, with
his bright curls turned chestnut brown
and a silken fringe shading the lips
that kept their old, loving kisses for me
alone.
ut was not cry long that he had had
the place of engineer, which he had
wanted so long. He had day off, aud
was doing some little things for me
about the house and garden, when one
of the depot hands came running up the
path, calling for him.
"'Mr. Harding wants you instantly.
Jack cried the man. The Jersey ex
press should have left the depot five min.
utes ago aud the engineer has just fallen
down in fit. Curtis sud Fitch are both
off on leave, and Mr.. Harding cay. there's
nobody left but you tina. he'll trust with
the train
SER cried Jack, in a maze. The
Jersey express And never drove any
thing but freight train +
"'Well. WE'LL cried the man impa.
tiently, don't stop to argue! Orders is
orders. and here's minute and half
gone already
Jack seemed to come to himself at
that. He 1arted one smile at me. and
was of like shot. drawing on his coat
as he ran. In less time than take in
telling it, heard the signal of the out
going train and knew that my boy was
trusted with task that used to be- given
only to the most intelligent and careful
men in the service.
"They brought him back to me that
night, sir, and laid him on his fathers
bed; and, by piecemeal, then and after
wards, I learned what had happened that
IThe train, starting out so late, they
were forced to make up time somewhere
on the line. So, on that long, straight
stretch of track, through the valley,
they were making sixty miles an hour.
The train fairly few. Jack could feel
the air strike his face like eharp wind,
though it was balmy spring day.
"Then An awful thing happened. The
great connecting rod of the driving wheel
on the right of the engine broke. Jack
seemed to live ell his life over in that
one terrible instant when he saw the end
of the rod swing upward. II struck the
cab under him and dashed il into thou.
sand pieces. Aud he knew no more un-
til horrible agony avoke him where he
had fallen senseless on the engine.
Burned and slmQst blind, with the
remembered his engine, with its open
throttle, leaping on to certain destruc'
ton. He seemed to see the passengers
beside the long train, as 80 many times
in the old day. when he called the morn
ing papers through the cars.
"He knew how they looked and what
they we're doing,-the men reading.
smoking, talking Of the elections. the
prise Of grain. or how stocks went mp
last week: women with growing. dimpled
babies in arms; little children growing
to the windows, vainly trying to count
the whizzing telegraph-poles; young,
happy people going on wedding journeys
maybe. and others coming home who
had been long .way.
"He remembered that, rs he hurried
to his place at the front. that day, little
girl with . cloud of golden hair had
leaned from . car window, to give one
goodbye kiss to her father on the plat.
form. Take good care Of mamma. dar-
ling, he had heard the gentleman say.
"The freman-no coward, either. was
Tim Harbrook, but with wife and babies
ct home let himself down from the ten.
der and escaped. So might my Jack
have done, bat he crept along the side
Of the leAping engine. carefully aud
painfully he swung himself into his
place, and, with every motion Of his
hands an untold agony, be reversed the
engine and put on the air.brake.
Then. the train stopped, matched
back from the pits mouth, and they took
my boy from his post faithful and
true
ut was long time before Jacks burns
were healed. The road.people often
came TO see him,-no men ceuld have
bsen kinder, and every week his wages
came in full.
"But one evening, after he had begun
to get out little, one Of his mates came
in. Come, Jack, old fellow, you'll be
moped TO death here,' he said. You
want Q change. There's big meeting
of the road folks over 1t the hall to-
NIGHT I'm iuat ON NV Way. Come