Wichita eagle., 1888-04-29
THE MAD ENGINEER.

| sThat is very good story. boys, and re-
minds me Of something that happened several
years ago, when was firing for one of the
| best men that ever pulled throttle,n said q
veteran engineer in crowd Of railroad en-
| ployes. "If l thought it wouldn't tax the
| patience Of you too much, would tell you
| about it-althougb,- - he said, after moments
| pause, Il have never dared speak of the acci-
| dent or incident, since it happened, in 1865,
| believe
"Let's have it, Uncle Tommy" spoke up
| the crowd as one man, who we'll knew Uncle
| Tommy's undoubted ability at story telling
| when the subject involved railroading.
''To begin with" said he, after the crowd
| had become quiet and assumed listening at
| titude, ''it is necessary TO tell you about my
engineer, in order that you may the better
| appreciate my story, and beless bitter in your
| denunciation of his conduct on the night in
| question, for the story l am going TO tell you
| happened at night.
"His name was Wendall-Earl Wendal,
very pretty name, you viii say, but it was
very appropriate, for l will go on record as
| saving that he was the handsomest man that
old Tom ever laid eyes on. When 1 say
handsome, why, that is just what / mean ex
actly, for he was really and truly handsome,
and what made him still more so in my eyes,
he didn't know il. That is, you wouldn't
think he knew it from his actions. He was
| just simply good, handsome Earl Wendall of
the So | had been firing for him about
eighteen months, and had come to love him as
brother This same Earl Vendall that
am telling you about was in love. He loved
one girl and the lord only knows how
many girls all along the line were head over
| heels in love with him. During my run
with him never day passed that some shy
maiden didn't send him flowers or some little
| token of friendship as we were passing
through. Sometimes they would come them
selves then again they would send messen-
ger. 1t was that way all along. have seen
| Earl's box full of flowers. He would accept
| them in every instance simply with bow
and faint smile, returning his thanks to the
sender, throw them into his box, and that was
the last of them until they withered then he
would raise the box lid and cast them out,
seemingly unconscious and little caring of
| the pang that such action would cause in the
hearts Of the fair donors had they known the
fate of their flowers.
| earl appreciated all this, / am confident,
| but as | have said, he was in love- not with
the girls at every station, but with one girl,
and he was determined to keep bis heart for
her and her only. How this action was ap-
preciated by the favored one you will know
after awhile.
@About fifty miles from Providence was
the supper house for our train. 1t was called
the Bush supper house Bush was jolly
old German and was universally liked by tho
railroaders and travellers generally Besides
being proprietor Of the Bush house he was
the father of as pretty a girl rs ever took
q step. Her name was Bessie, and she was
Earl Wendolrs idol. / cant begin to de.
scribe + but she was just the girl I thought,
for Earl Wendall. Earl thought the same
way and had made her promise long ago to
share his fortune with him. All the railroad
men knew of Earrs and Bessie's engagement,
and speculation was rife as 10 when the Syed-
ding was to come Off
Occasionally Earl would come from the
Bush house bringing his flowers. These had
a separate place from the rest. and | have
known him to haul one of her bouquets
month, and then part with it with sigh.
"One day Earl said to ne:
"'Uucle Tommy, how do you like Bessp
"'Mighty well, Earl replied; Miss Bush
is what cali first class little woman
carl was silent for a moment. Then he
said:
"'Im glad to hear you say SO, Uncle
Tommy. Well, Bess and l are going to get
married next Sunday week
Earl always called her 'Bess' for short.
"'Is that soP answered I, feigning sur
prise Il expected as much, Earl, but
thought it would be too in9uisitive to ask
you
al should have told you he answered,
but thought it best to keep it secret, at
least until now | want you to he at the
wedding. 1t will take place at her fathers
house
"This conversation took place on Wednes-
day. believe. When we stopped for supper
again 1t was on Friday. 1t took us two days
TO make the round trip, as we were on the
mixed freight, and you know they generally
take their time
when we walked into the hotel Office Bes-
sic introduced stranger to Earl and myself
as Mr Eubanks ! did not think anything
about IL much, but ] noticed dark scowl
came over Earl's handsome face.
1T looked as though Bessie was rather at
tentive TO the stranger and was less so TO
Earl, but thought that was only natural, as
he was stranger and Earl an old acquain-
tance 1t was one of old Bush's hobbies to
make every stranger feel at home while ct
his house. Probably this was more TO gain
custom than anything else; ! don't know.
However, Earl ate his supper in silence and
was of again to his enginh before was half
through / left the stranger and Bess in the
office together. chatting very pleasantly.
"'Do YOU know Mr.. Eubanks, TomF asked
Earl when got to the engine, putting q
great deal of stress on the Mr. part Of his
question.
~ do not replied 'WhyF
Nothing, ne replied
eve made the balance of the run In 81
lence. don't think Earl spoke a word. I
could tell. though. be was Nrithing in the
agonies Of jealousy.
Il don't think Earl and Bess spoke the next
trip. nor the next. nor the next. The stranger
was still al the Bush house. knew from the
turn affairs had taken, OF were taking. tEa.
Earl and Bessie's wedding was of Al
though he never told ne as much, l knew
that il couldn't be otherwise.
The next trip we made was Earl's wedding
night He had on his oyeralls and was tn
usually solemn and n2orcse, not speaking TO
or even looking ct me during tbs run of fifty
miles I was On the point once or twice ot
asking him il this was not his wedding night,
but / did not. knowing too well that it was
either indefinitely postponed or Of forever.
When we stepped izto the Office that night
old Bush met Us a. the door.
s.Fifa minute too late, poysr he e1-
claimed, grasping both our hands al tne same
tine
@-Whvr Is s,,rrfr oveTf asked
asNo. no: plenty w supper be replied, stiB
holdin- orr hands. 'Extris supply uY sup
uer Der ve<isfirs'. der veidin' watts s1usi