The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-07-25

q shot, drawing on his coat as he ran. Ia less
time than take in telling it, heard the
signal of the outgoing train and knew that
my boy was trusted with the task that used
to be given only to the most intelligent and
careful men of the service.
"They brought him back to me that night,
cir, and laid him on his fathers bed; and, by
piece-mesI. then and afterward, l learned
what had happened that day.
1.-The 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 flaw.
Jack could feel the air strike his face like
sharp wind, though it was balmy spriny
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 all his lite over in that one terrible
instant when he saw the end ofthe rod swing
upward. 1t struck the cab under him and
dashed it into athoussnd pieces, and he knew
no more till a horrible agony swoke him
where he had fallen senseless on the engine.
Burned and almost blind, with the flesh
scslded and torn from his hands, he remem-
bered his engine, with its open throttle, lesp-
ing On to certain destruction. He scanned TO
see the passengers inside the long train, as so
many times in the old days when he
called the morning papers through the cara.
He knew how they looked and what they
were doing-the men reading, smoking talk.
irg OF the elections, the price of gram. or
how stocks went up last week. women, with
growing, dimpled babies in their arms; little
children crowding to the windows, vsinly
trying to count the whizzing telegraph poles;
youpg, happy couples going on We iding-
journeys may be, and others coming hon
who had been long time away.
HE remembered that, as he hurried to his
place at the front, that day, little girl with
q cloud of golden hair leaned from car
window,to give one more good-by kiss to her
father on the platform. Take good care of
mamma, darlingP he had heard the gentle
man say.
"The freman-no coward, either, was Tim
Hsrbrook, but with wife and babies at home
let himself down from the tender and e.
capped. So might my Jack have done. But
he crept along the side of the leaping en-
glne, carefully and painfully he swung him
self into his place, and with every motion of
his hands an untold agony, he reversed thu
engine and put on the air-brske.
Then the train stopped, snstched back
from the pit s mouth, and they took my boy
from his post-'fsithful and truel'
alt was long time before Jacks b rms
were healed. The road people came often
TO see him-no men could have been 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 mopsd to
death hereP he said. You want change.
There's big meeting of the road folks over
at the hall to night. I'm just on my way.
Come alongP
"'What sort OF a meeting2' said Jack.
so, can't say exsctly-something in
teresting, they told me, and everybody in
vited'
"He stole queer look at me, and knew
lie wanted me to help him. So, as 1 really
thought it might do Jack good. 1 said:
eyes, Jack, 60 along with Tom
"'But Pm not presentable with this FACET
said Jack.
"'Pshsw, mani it's evening, and nobody'll
notice. Leastwsys, they Needn't
with little more cosxing, Jack set off
with him. 1 had hardly heard the gate
click, WHEN the door opened again, and Jen-
nv Brown came in like sprite.
"'QuickI quick, Mrs. Burton Put on
your oonnetP she whispered.
"'Where2 What do you mesnf said,
for was frightened.
ITO the meetingl Hurry, or we shall be
lsteP
''She was tying my bonnet strings under
my chin, as she spoke, and she had the house
door locked and me down the garden path
and out of the back gate, fairly without my
will. She hurried me across the square and
pushed me through the crowd around the
hall entrance
al was out Of breath with nervousness and
isst walking, so we So down in back seat
TIE room was full. There were a great n any
ladies there. and on the platform sat the Su
PerintendeIt and several of the Directors oil
the read. Everybody seemed to be whisper
ing and smiling and looked backwards to-
wards the door, and looked too, though
didn't know why.
Then the door opened aud Jack came il
with Tom. / heard somebody on the Other
side OF me whisper. That's he'll" and an
other and snotl CT, and rustic crept through
the place, and then, all at once such a chee
went up as, can truly say, never hesrC
in all my life before-no, not even when th'
troops came home from the war. The pso
pie stood up, and the ladies waved their whit
handkerchiefs.
1.-The Superintendent tried to speak. anC
raped on his little table, but all in vain, IN
| til the crowd had had their three time
three. And through it all watched my boy
He looked around him, dszed at 6rs., by al
the tumult, and trying to know what
meant; but wherever he might turn his eye
| be met hundred others smiling on him, an
score of hands stretched out to him as h
Tessed, and, all at once-hs kne"l
"0 sir, l can not tell you about i'll Ho'
| IL ey carried him to the 'front.' though not oil
| tt Q plat orm-there he would not go-hoS
| ley found me out and made me sit bssid
| him; how there were speeches and hand
81 skings and laughing and crying.
"And, at last, the Superintendent said TIA
Il ere was little child there. the grand
daughter CT the President of the road, VIII
had been with her mother on the train tina
dsy. and that she hsd deem selected by man
| 81 ateful friends to present little toh an I
Tire man whose faithful courage had saved $
many lives.
"Then q beautiful lady all in soft, rustlin
silk, came up the aisle, leading the lovelies
child / ever saw, with great glory Of golis
air around her head, like the picture of q
sngel. feltJsck stsr., for it was the Yer
child whose face had come to him in TIA
awful moment on the flying engine.
The little thing let 60 her mothers han
SIS she came near, looking up with shy blu
eyes, and in her small fingers was purse G
gold. You could see the great coins shining
through the silk netting. She held 1t up /
him and all tie rom WA still daath