The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-03-19

tiated only mingled confusedly with the
heavy breathing of the locomotive and
the clangor of bells. Farther back, loom.
ing in rugged outlines against the faint
rose of the western sky, were great shops,
grim and silent. The brown eyes watch
ing from the bridge presently discovered
the figure they sought, vending its way
in and out among the trains. He did not
look up, and the girl smiled at the thought
of watching him, herself unobserved.
Then her face grew grave and sweet with
passing fancy that 30, from their height
above the din and turmoil, the unseen
angels look down upon our mortal life.
"Only, suppose all the tangle and be-
wilderments grow clear to them. as | am
sure they do not to me-" she added, with
little sigh. "And their watching is of
some use, while mine cannot help poor
JIM"
He had some need of help as the even
ing wore on, though he but dimly realized
it. Getting everything in readiness for
starting was harder work than usual.
There was dull pain in his eyes and
throbbing in his temples.
"This trips rather rough on you, JIM"
remarked fireman, half-questioningly,
half-commiserstingly
Rather " Jim laughed, family. "I'm
stiff and used up; but I'll get over it when
we're fairly off, expect"
When the station, with its dim and
dancing lights, was left behind, however,
and the long line stretched away before
him, his occupation became but mere
routine, 80 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
confused memory of the speaker at the
depot, until the swift movement of the
polished rods before him seemed the mo.
ton of gesticulating arms, and the sound
in his ears resolved itself into repetition
of meaningless words: "Crooked and
straight Right side upi +"
"Hello Caught myself mapping, l
do believe Jim Barclay, what are you
about See here, Bill ito his fireman
"just keep an eye on me, will You ?"
The young engineer shook himself,
looked about him, and stood stiffiy erect.
He whistled tune vigorously to assure
himself that he was wide awake. What
drowsy, rocksby motion the train had !
Even the jar and rattle seemed to stupefy,
though he stood erect at his post. He
was glad this sort of work was nearly
over. At least he hoped it was nearly
over, for he did not see how the desired
promotion could be much longer delayed,
and then such calls IS this would be
fewer. He was looking anxiously for
ward to the day when he could carry the
longed-for tidings to Dell. Dear little
girl, how her face would brighten what
cosy, happy home she would make !
and she said curtains wouldn't cost any
thing, and the hammock on the porch to
rest in. Lights Queer where the lights
came from, unless-why, yes, of course.
Dell must have put bright light in the
window.
Alas Bill had climbed back over the
tender to look after suspected hot box
on the after truck.
Shrek after shrek of warning from a
steam whistle aided the flashing signal
lights, and at last forced their meaning
upon the benumbed brain. With low
cry of horror the engine was reversed, but
too late to avert the crash that followed,
as the two freight trains were piled upon
each other in common wreck.
"What possessed you to run on in that
fashion, man Were you drunk or crszy?''
demanded more than one rough voice, as
Jim stood by the track. But he only
gazed with blanched face at the scene be.
fore him, and answered them nothing.
Fortunately miraculously, it
seemed-no one was seriously injured" as
the morning papers said, in chronicling
the occurrence. Under the same glarip g
head lines they also commended the
promptness of the company in dismissing
g" the engineer whose criminal carelessness
caused the disaster, and who, as nearly as
can be learned, was comfortably sleeping
at his post, and so negectful of all signals p
These were the tidipgs which reached
Dell instead of the glad word for which
she had waited.
What they say is true, after fashion,
said Jim, simply and sadly. 81 was te
blame for it-and yet wasn't, for was
not fit to make the run, and told them so.
There was no one to chronicle his years
of faithful service, or the criminal care
lessness," if not cruelty, which had placed
him in such position but these things
were we'll understood among the many
workers in that railroad town, and they
nShhoWACSS ia w OuSu O0uCi1 WIN iCdu1
but helpless sympathy, that it was "rougt
on poor jim"
Rough it surely grew, as the long day.
came and went, and the hope of re-instate
ment grew DINNER. Cali those missing
men, who couldn't be found when
/ needed single nights rest, seem Il
have turned up once more, and they car
spare me indefinitely" he explained t.
: Dell, with pretence of POPULARITY tina
scarcely covered the bitterness. Tn,
brave little woman tried to comfort ant
{ encourage him, though the dancing ligh
t had gone out of her brown eyes, and new
t grave lines were deepening about thu
Z. young lips. The little house they hat
? planned seemed so like the shadowy ghos
!, of dead hope that neither cared to tall
r of it any more, and, indeed, Dell's in
: genuity found full occupation now il
s combating the various wild scheme
q which Jim, in his desperation, was con
3 stantly forming. He had been away t
/ look for employment, but business was dul
j everywhere at this season; and, moreover
Q grown up in that railroad town, where a
d interest and industry centered in tn
shops and tracks-he had belonged to tn