The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-09

about the house and garden, when one
of the depot-hands came running up the
path calling for him.
Mr. Harding wants you ipstptlv,
Jaclln cried the man. The JeNssA
arsss ss 4 m Ia
minutes ago, and the engineer has al
fallen down in a fit Curtis and 4 al
are both off on leave, and Mr.. Hard$t
says there's nobody left but you THAI
he'll trust with the train
"'I!' cried Jack, in maze. The
Jersey express! And l never drove any
thing but a freight-train!'
"'Well! well' cried the man, impa-
tiently, don't stop to argue! Orders is
orders, and here's a minute and half
gone alreadyn
Jack seemed to come to himself at
that. He darted one smile at me, and
was off 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 a task that was 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 piece-meal, then and after
wards, learned what had happened
that day.
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 flew. Jack could feel the
air strike his face like q sharp 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 all his life over in
that one terrible instant when he saw
the end of the rod swing upward. 1t
struck the cab under him and dashed it
into a thousand pieces, and he knew
no more till horrible agony awoke
him where he had fallen senseless on
the engine
Burned and almost blind, with the
| flesh scalded and torn from his hands.
he remembered his engine, withtjt /
! open throttle, leaping on to certap =
Structfon. He seemed to see the pas
sengers inside the long train, as 50
many times in the old days when he
called the morning papers through the
cars.
He knew how they looked and what
they were doing-the men reading,
smoking, talking of the elections, the
price of grain, or how stocks went up
last week; women, with Growing,
dimpled babies in their arms; little chill
dren crowding to the windows, vainly
trying to count the whizzing telegraph
poles; young, happy couples going on
wedding-journeys maybe, and others
coming home who had been long away
''He remembered that, as he hurried
to his place at the front, that day,
little girl with a 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.
darling" he had heard the gentleman
say.
The fireman-no coward, either.
was Tim Harbrook, but with wife and
babes at home-let himself down from
the tender and escaped. So might my
Jack have done. But he erept along
the side of the leaping engine, carefully
and painfully he swung himself into his
place, and with every motion of his
hands an untold agony, he reversed the
engine and put on the air-brake.
Then the train stopped, snatched
back from the pits mouth, and they
took my boy from his post faithful
and truer
ut was a long time before Jacks
burns 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 iixi.s;
moped to death here!' he said. You
want change. There's a big meeting
of the road-folks over at the hall to,
night. I'm just on my way. Come
alongr
What sort of a meeting?' said Jack
$50, | can't say exactly -somethino
interesting, they told me, and every,
body invited.
"He stole a queer look at me, and
knew he wanted me to help him. So
as l really thought it might do Jacp
good, l said = 0"'N
~ es, Jack, go along with Tom.
"'But I'm not presentabIe with tbis
facet said Jack. ~ ''i'
Pshaw, mani it's evening ona
nobody'n notice. Leastways9 thu %nu
needn'tr 'ney
with little more coaxing, Jack soft
oil with him. l had hardly heard the
gate click, when the door opened aoain i'm
and Jenny Brown came in like a sprita
quick! quick, Mrs. Burton! Pr
on your bennett she whispered. ~
'",WhereP What do you meanp, T
said, for was frightened.
shall be later VI VIC