Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-04-07
sglomlhs' Column.
"NEVER START ANYTHING
YOU CAN'T STOP.

What's up?"
Rob Kerr paused to answer the
boys. ''Going to ride on grandsir's
engine"
Couldn't you squeeze us in, too?
Say, Rob-
But Rob thought he heard the car
bell, and was showing the soles again.
The boys followed.
When they got there, Rob's
grandfather, Adolph Kerr, was care
fully examining the engine, oil can in
hand, while Silas, the fireman, looked
out of the little window.
"Hercules is all right, boss; I've
looked him over myself" said Silas.
81 know you always do" said Mr..
Kerr, "but it is my way to look over
the engine myself before starting. We
can't be too careful.
"He's right" Silas told the boys.
''Ef he hadn't, regular as clock work,
travelled all over the Hercules. he
wouldn't be called the best engeneer
on the road. 'Dolph Kerr has run
the longest, too"
Rob was pleased to have the boys
hear that.
''Rob here-he'll be running the
Hercules when grandslr's laid up"
added Silas.
81 could now, almost" said Rob.
ooh, hear him p laughed Silas.
"We may as well both lay ourselves
away, boss"
Mr.. Kerr made no reply, but stepp-
ed aboard. How the boys envied Rob
as he rang the bell The conductor
shouted "All aboard and away
they went along the iron track.
They ate supper while train wait
ed at junction. Silas made coffee
and boiled EGGS; Rob toasted bread
on the end of the boiler.
Every chance he could get, Rob
was on the Hercules. All the other
engineers knew Rob, the grandson of
old Adolph Kerr, and never sent him
away If they saw him about the en-
CINE house. They trusted him be-
cause his grandfather did. Rob was
very proud of this.
One day when he was alone on the
Hercules two schoolmstes came along.
"Grandfather away, Roh?''
eyes and Silas, they have left me
in charge"
''Let us get up there, too?'
"Couldn't think of it !" said Rob.
eff Silas finds boys round here he'll
give them a shaking"
"We won't stay but a minute ;
we'll run when we see him coming"
eff let you fellows aboard You'll
get into mischief said Rob.
They promised not to touch any
thing. At length Rob let them get
up where he was. Very soon one
said, "My uncle makes engines, so
know a lot about them, too. Wouldn't
it be fun to set this going, just a min
ute?"
'Rob don't start up!'' said thu
other.
81 dare, but won't!''
"What's the harm?' asked tn
first. "Uncle showed me how to re
verse the lever"
Rob said no; but they kept o;
limiting and coaxing. By-and-by Ro
peered out to see if anybody was com
ing, strange guilty look on his face
then there was familiar sound fror
the mighty horse-it moved slowl
along the siding.
"There, didn't l know how to stal
it?" cried Rob. "Reverse the lever
quick -
But the boy had forgotten how H
jumped from the engine, telling tn
other to "Come on" SO Rob wa
alone and in a sad fix. Pale as deatl
he tried with all his might to do as /
had seen his grandfather. 1t ws
useless He had let loose a force /
could not stop. He, too, jumped
throwing himself the same way I'll
engine was going; rolled over an
down the bank into the bushes.
And now there was q great CT
from Silas and Mr.. Kerr. With te
rifed faces they chased the Hercule
They were too late to get aboard
the engine had left the siding for tt
main road; sped along to a bend al
disappeared, the ground tren blir
beneath its powerful tread.
Rob felt that he could never loo
his grandfather in the face again. L
hid till dark. Then he went HON
His mother was crying. And h
grandfather? 1t seemed as though
had grown years older. Silas W;
there, too, talking pitifully of tt
Hercules as if it were some livir
creature that had lost its life.
"Why, here's Rob-" said Silas, -,
won't have any more fine rides WI
your grandsir and me! They've p
us out of job. Heard how the He
cul1s got away to-day? Wouldn't
<etched no more'n wild horse
the desert; he stove up a coal ira
and pitched head-fust into pasture
Rob was surprised that no one su
pected him. Anybody killed."
whispered.
"All living" was Silas's queer I
ply, ''except your grandsir. 1t pre-