Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-02-25

pOckctsi MS oYercOat was too heavy
and too loose even for his bulky figure.
He had taken it off the hands of an
engineers widow whose husband was
dragged from under a wrecked train
one night last summer. "Mother
used to look grave when Top, Senior
began TO wear it, but she was not
mite Observation-Disclosures wasn't, and she
was glad now that poor Mrs Wilson
had the money and he had the beaver
cloth coat His face was begrimed
with smoke, his beard clogged with
cinders and vapor. A lady, travel
ing alone, hesitated visibly before
she asked a question, looked surprised
when he touched his hat and turned
to go half tho length of tho platform
that he might point out the parlor-car.
He observed and interpreted hesitation
and surprise, and was good-humoredly
amused.
II s'pose don't look much like what
Junior calls a hero, be meddated
with broader CLEAN. "What n cute
young one he is! Please God! he'll
make better figure in the world N his
father hes done. hope that lily-foweI
o hisn will be open in the mornin'.
Seems if i got softer-Eearted bout
hevin' tibet boy disappointed every day
live. Come summer, he shall hev
run or two on Her every week. Mother
me hes got to make up to him for what
he loses in not bein' strong an like
other chilren. Mother--she's disposed
TO Spite him jest alcetle. But dear me-
what u fustrate fault that is in WON
an! She did look good in that ere red
ncck-tie, tonight, an she was always
pretty"
The rain was fine and close, like s
slanting mist that pierced the pores,
when the express drew out of the sta
ton, and as it fell, it froze. Stoke:
growled that "the track would be one
glare of ice before they got her in.' He
was inclined to be surly tonight, an
uncommon circumstance with the young
fellow, and after several attempts tc
cnliven him, Top, Senior, let him alone.
He was not in a talkative mood himself.
The tea-table chat ran in his head and
set him to dreaming and calculating,
In five years Junior would be seventeen
old enough, even for n lad who was
mot strong" to earn his living. Ii al
went well there ought to be hundred
and fifty dollars in the bank by then.
There might be something in mothers
idea Of setting him up as florist. AND
mother could help with the flowers.
'Hello, ole Teller! look out"
Stokes had stumbled over the fuel il
the tender. in replenishing the boiler
fires. He recovered himself with ar
oath at the "slippery rubbish Some
thing had upset his temper, but he
neither spoke nor looked like mar
who had been drinking. The teasing,
chilling drizzle continued. The head
light OF the locomotive glanced sharply
from glazed rails and embankments.
the long bareback of the engine shont
as with fresh varnish.
"D'ye know that on a night like this
she beats out the tune o "Home, Sweet
Home" s plain as ever you heerd
band play it?" sad Top, Senior. cheer.
lily out of the thickening damps. III
makes me see mother n the boy clear
rs ken be. rs great thing fur mar
TO hey a comfortable home, N good
woman in it,
Stokes burst out vehemently at that
This is worse than dogs life! We
you n me-are no more to them self
ish creturs in there nodding back.
wards ut the passenger cars--''then the
ingine that draws 'em. I'm sick o.
freezin' an slavin' an bein' despised
by men no better n / be! How q man
of any sperrit m ambition ken stan il
fur twenty years as you hev, beats my
onderstandin'.'
He will always remember the pause
that prefaced the reply, and how Top,
Senior, patted the polished lever under
his hand rs he spoke: "She's q pretty
respectable cretur, take her all in all.
When you N | run into the las dark
deepo that's waitin' fur at the end, J
hope VOL be able to shows good stiff.
kits as hern. Here's the bridge! Wei
be soon home, now"
1t was long bridge, built far out tc
be above high tides. As thoy touched
it the furnace door flew open. Some
said, afterwards that the door was not
properly secured, others spoke OF
"back- draft," others suspected that the
fire was over-fed. The volume of flame
that leaped out licked the very faces oil
the two men. They recoiled with a
bound and made simultaneous rush
for the air-brake in the forward passen.
ger-car TO stop the train and check the
backward sweep of the blaze. The
passengers, seeing the flash and hear.
ing tho white and shouts of "Down
brakes!' pressed against tho front
windows and dense living mass
blocked the door against which Top.
lige Briggs flung all his weight.
"Git in eff you KEN" he said to the
fireman. "Tll try Her" He fastened
the shaggy great-coat up to his chin as
he faced the pursuing fires, walked for.
ward to the stand where Tapped and
curled the fercest of the flames, laid
hold of steam brake and the lever by
which he "drove" the engine. His fur.
lined gauntlets scorched and shriveled
as he grasped the bar; the fire seized
upon his hair and garments with an ex.
uitant roar. He held fast. He must
get the passengers off the iloorless
bridge that might ignite at any mo.
mont. He must check the engine a,
soon as he cleared the last pier, or the
cars would take fire before they could
be uncoupled. He shut his eyes from
the maddening heat and glare and
drove straight on. Not SD fast as to
hurry the greedy flames that were doing
their worst upon him, but at rate that
ran them over tho river and upon solid
earth as the fuel in the tender burst
into blaze and tho forward car began
to crackle and smoke in the hot
draught. At that point steam and air.
brakes did their work in effecting safe
halt.
1.-The fireman was badly scorched,"
reported the press next day." but train
and passengers were saved by the hero.
ism of the engineer -"
The words flashed along the wires
over land and ocean; were set up in
startling type in hundreds of newspaper
Offices while he who did not know hero
ism by name was breathing his last on
mattress laid on the yellow-painted
floor of the room he had seen SO
clear when the engine-throb and
piston beat played Home, Spect Home.
The sunshine that had followed the rain
touched the white cheek of the opened
lily before falling on his sightless eyes
and charred right hand,