Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-02-14
You'll be careful, Jim? Don't let

She smiled in answer, and the clouC
slowly faded from her face as she walkeC
on. \ call for extra service was no cause
for serious trOuhle-all these eXigencie;
we're so familiar to her. Bell and whis
tie, messenger and dispatch, with theil
always imperative and often unwelcome
orders, were part of the daily hfe. Jim
would be tired and worn out, of course
That had happened often, and would
doubtless happen again, but her thoughts
turned to pleaSanter pictures OF the fu-
ture. to arranging once more that
tiny house with its dainty rooms, which
would be very haven of rest to one who
came home weary. She paused on the
long iron bridge and looked down on the
network of tracks below, crossing and
interlacing in a seemingly ineXtricable
tangle.
The gray twilight of the short autumn
afternoon was already deepening toward
night, aud the headlights passing and re-
passing as they changed from one track
to another, shOne out brilliantly. Men
were running here and there, waving
their signal lanterns and shouting hoarse
orders that to one uninitiated only min
gled confuSedly with the heavy breathing
of the locomotives and the clangor of
bells, Farther back. looming in rugged
outlines against the faint rose of the
Western sky, were the great shops, grim
and silent. The brown eyes watching
from the bridge presently discovered the
figure they sought winding 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 a
passing fancy that 50. from the height
above the din and turmoil, the unseen
angels looked down upon our mortal life
Only, l suppose, all the tangles and
bewildermentS grow clear to them, as
am sure they do to me- she added with
a little sigh. And their watching is of
some use, while mine cannot help poor
jim"
He had some need of help as the eve
ming wore on, though he but dimly real
lied it. Getting everything in readiness
for starting was harder work than usual
There was dull pain in his eyes, and a
thrubbing in his temples.
This trips rather rough on you, Jim p
remarked a fireman, half questiOningly,
half commiseratingly
"Ratherr jim laughed family. I'm
stiff and used up,but Ill get over it when
we're fairly off, 1 expect"
When the station, with its dim and
dancing lights, was left behind, however.
and the long line stretched away straight
before him, his occupation became but a
mere routine, SO 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 move
ment of the polished rods before him
seemed the motion of gesticulating arms
and the sound in his ears resolved itself
into measured repetition of meaningless
words, Crooked and straight; right side
up"
Hello Caught myself mapping l do
believe. Jim Barclay, what are you
about? See here, Bill'-to his fireman
lust 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
a drowsy rOckaby motion the train had.
Even the jar and rattle seemed to lull
and 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 as 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 brightenl What
a cosy, happy home she would make!
And she said the curtains wouldn't cost
ANYTHING, and the hammock on the porch
to rest in. Lights? Queer where the
lights came from, unleSS-why, yes, al
most to station, of course. Dell must
have put bright light in the widow.
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 sig
nal lights, and at last forced their
meaning upon the benumbed brain.
With a low cry of herror the engine was
reversed, but too late tu avoid the crash
that followed as the TWO freight trains
were piled upon each other in common
wreck.
What possessed you to run in that
fashion, man? We're you drunk or era
zy ?" demanded more than one rough
voice, as Jim stood bv the track. But
he only gAzed with blanched face at the
scene before him aud answered them
nothing.
Fortunately, almost miraculously, it
seemed no one was seriously injured,
us the morning paper said, in chrOnI-
cling the occurrence. Under the same
glaring headlights they also commended
the promptneSs of the company in dis
missing "the engineer whose careless
ness caused the disaster, and who, as
nearly as can be learned, was cOmfOrta-
bly, sleeping at his post, and so neglect
ful of all signals"
These were the tidjngs that reached
Dell, instead of the glad word for which
she had waited.
What they say is true,af,er fashion"
said jim. simply and sadly. Il was to
blame for it-and yet l wasn't, for |
was not tit to make the run, and | told
them 50"
There was no one to chronicle his
years of faithful service, or the "crimi-
nal earelrssness,' if not cruelty, which
ndu placed DlIn III SuCH a pOStllOus Dut
these things were well understood
among the many workers in that rail
road town, and they acknowledged to
each other, with ready but helpless
sympathy, that it was trough on poor
jim
Rough it surely grew as the days
came and went, and the hope of rein
statement grew DINNER. All those
missing men who couldn't tie found
when | needed single nights rest,
seem to have turned up once more, and
they can spare me indefinitely" he eX-
planned to Dell, with pretense of joe
uldrity that scarcely covered the bitter
ness. The brave little woman tried to
comfort and encourage him, though the
dancing light had gone out of her brown
eyes, aud the new grave lines were
Haanapipr about tho ypOuR Inns The