Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-05-25
March had gone, and Miss Lord sat there

Jim stared, but said:
"'This young woman Is going to ride or
tho engine to Fairtown. She is a friend
OF Mr.. March, So he put down his kero'
sene, and took his place on the cab.
Il heard the conductors. AN aboard, ,
and then we were OF. ~
II was busy with levers and valves, fol
man who drives train holds the livei
Of hundreds in his hand. and one careless
move may send them all into eternity. 81
you see l hadn't much time to think ol
anything but my machine. but I noticed
that lin was pr city laxative. At first
thought it was bt cause We had . woman
aboard. bnt by aud 10y began to suspect
it was, something worse than that. Hit
voice grew thick and his movement un
certain. and at last could no longer hidt
from myself the fact that he had beer
drinking. Still I anticipated no trouble
We were already more than half way tt
FAirtown, and thought he would keeT
up till he got there.
''At A. the station master handed
the conductor telegram. ue read it
and then handed it to me. It ordered us
to go on to n to meet the special.
had expected to stop at the next station
and N was ten IT lies beyond, but
orders are orders and must be obeyed. Sc
told Jim to pile on the wood. and put
on all the steam dared. and we went
spinning over the road at rate that must
have astonished the passengers.
I'VE had gone little more than half
way, and 1 was beginning to think we
might make the distance without much
trouble, when Jim sat right down on the
f ,or of the cab, and began to whimper.
.''Get up, you fool. aud go to work.
cried.
~ can't he whimpered. I'm tired,
am mus 60 ter Sleep
"'Get up, you rascall' shouted
Don't you know we've got to get to N
in ten minutes, or meet the special train?
~ can't help it, let ther OIL train come.
tell ye I'm tired. Now, look here, Sea-
FORTH nodding his head with drunken
gravity. You re workin' too hard. Why,
man. you won't live out half your days. if
you don'G take some rest. tell ye what
It IS, you d better take things easy. I'm
going to. anyway
And he laid down on the floor of the
cab. and shut his eyes, muttering, Take
it easy. easy, Jim II take it easy
81 suppose I must have acted like a
wild man, for I knew before could let
the conductor know the fix we were in,
and get help. it would be too late to save
the train. and m afraid that used some
pretty strong words. as 4 man is apt to do
when he gets in tight place. Not that
the words help him out of it. l suppose
they only let off some of the extra steam,
and make him think quicker. So storm
ed away there, all the time trying to do
my own work and Jim's. and knowing
every moment we we're losing ground.
The steam was gong down, and the en-
CINE slowing up, spitetof all could do.
II tell you" and he passed his hand
over his forehead, lit makes the sweat
start on me now, when l think of that
run. 1t seems to me that lived life
time in those few minutes. It's an awful
thing to have so many lives depending on
you. In the cars behind me were hum
d,eds of human beings, and the other train
had hundreds more. and only step De-
tween them and eternity. All this time,
the girl March had put on the engine had
been sitting perfectly still, watching
everything that went on, and now. when
everything seemed lost, she threw off her
shawl. and stepped into Jim's place, sey-
ing quietly:
I'm take that mans place. Mr.. sea-
forth
"'You p and looked at the slight, al
most girlish figure, IN establishment.
Eyes che said Il am stronger than I
look. and I've been watching the man, so
l know can do his work.
ut was follorn hope. but our only
one, and. after one brief moment of hesita-
ton, said:
':'Very well, you can but try. and if you
fall
II did not finish the sentence. for. at
the thought of failure. the terrible picture
of mangled, bleeding bodies. crushed out
of all semblance of humanity. rose before
me- and turned away with groan. A
slight shudder passed over the girl, and
she seemed to grow paler, hut, without
word, she took her place, throwing on tho
wood as directed, aud doing so we'll.
that, in spite of my anxiety, could not
but notice the dexterity with which she
handled the heavy sticks. The strength of
a half dozen men seemed concentrated in
her slender arms, bit, spite of her efforts,
we hardly seemed to gain ground.
II looked at my watch. and fairly
groaned aloud as saw that it wanted ten
minutes of six. and at six we were expect
ed to pass the extra train at N -.
There was nothing for us to do but to go
straight on, though felt we were going
to destruction. AS the hands of the watch
crept round, telling of the minutes, l
watched them with a sort of fascination,
feeling as though were turning to stone.
Well if you'll believe me, that girl. in
stead of making row, as most women
would have done, never said single word.
though she seemed to know just how
things we're going, but after one look at
my face. and suppose must have looked
pretty bad, almost by inspiration it seemed
10 NE, she did one of those things man
would never have thought Of Right be-
1ind her was the oil can ii II had got at |
D.. With steady hand she lifted |
he heavy can. and poured half its con-
,ents on the wood. then she threw the |
wood upon the fire, and it blazad up with
J Quick, fierce heat, that sent the engine |
lying over the rails at rate that fairly I
nada one di7gv Still sha niIpd on the |