Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-12-17


men, and captains of wrecked YES
sells. 1t is this overpowering sense
of routine duty. 1t is finer thing
than sheer bravery in my ideas.
I However, | began to think that
! Marley was mad, laboring under
some frenzy from drink though [ had
never seen him touch liquor.
He did not move hand of foot, ex-
/ cept in the mechanical control of his
engine, his eyes going from the guage
to the timepiece with a steadiness
that was more terrible and threaten
ing than any CLEAN of insanity would
have been. Once he glared back at
the long train sweeping after the en-
CINE with a headlong speed that rock
ed it from side to side.
One could imagine that he saw hum
dreds of men and women in the car
riages, talking, reading and smoking,
unconscious that their lives were in
the hands of one man, whom | now
strongly suspected to be mad. l
knew by his look that he remembered
that their lives were in his hands.
He glanced at his clock.
"Twenty minutes" he muttered.
''Throw in more coal, Jack, the fire
is going out
l did it. Yes, l did it. There
was something in the face of that
man l could not resist. Then l
climbed forward and shook him by
the shoulder. "Markley," | shouted,
''you are running this train into the
jaws of DEATH
81 know it, he replied quietly.
"Your mother is aboard this train
"Heavens p He staggered to his
feet, but even then he did not remove
his eyes from the guage.
''Make up the fire. he command
ed, "and push in the throttle valve p
make up the fire, jack" very
quietly.
81 will not. You may murder
yourself and your mother, but you
shall not murder me-"
He looked at me. His kindly gray
eyes glared like those of wild beast.
But he controlled himself for a mo-
ment.
81 could throw you off this engine
and make short work of you," he
said. "But look here, do you see
the station yonder?''
l saw a faint streak against the
sky about five miles ahead.
81 was told to reach that station
by six O. clock" he continued. 1.-The
express train meeting us is due now.
/ ought to have laid by for it at Dunn
IRENE. | was told to come on. The
track is single one. Unless | can
make the station in three minutes, we
shall meet in yonder hollow"
Somebody's blunder?' l said.
eyes, think So"
I said nothing. L threw on coal :;
if l had had petroleum l should have
thrown it on. But / never was calm
er in my life. When death actually
stares a man in the face it often
frightens him into composure.
Markley pushed the valve still fur
Their. The engine began to give a
strange painting sound. Far off to
the south / could see the bituminous
black smoke of q train. [ looked at
Markley inquiringly. He nodded. 1t
was the express I stopped to the
fire.
"No MORE" he said.
/ looked across the clear summer
sky, at the gray smoke of the peace
full little village, and beyond that at
black line coming closer, closer,
across the sky. Then [ turned to
the watch, in one minute more-well,
| confess | sat down and buried my
face in my hands. | don't think l
tried to pray. ! had a confused
thought of mangled, dying men and
women, mothers and their babies.
There was terrible shrek from
the engine against which | leaned.
Another in my face. A hot, kissing
tempest swept past me. [ looked up.
We were on the siding, and the ex-
press had gone by. 1t grazed our
end carriage in passing. In {. sort of
delirious JOY [ sprang up and shouted
to Markley. He did not speak. He
sat there immovable and cold as a
stone. He went to the train, and
took the old lady's hand in his.
turned away.
eyes, gentlemen, l have been in
many railway accident, but l have
always considered that the closest
shave | ever had.'
sEWhat was the blunder ?"
81 don't know. Markley made
light of it ever afterward, and kept
it a secret, but no man on the line
stood so high in the confidence Of the
company after that as he. By his
GOODNESS and nerve he had saved 6
hundred lives"
'.But John p. Robinson, he SEE, they didn't know
everythin' down in JUDGE" They certainly knew
little, if they did not know that the Safest quickes
and most pleasant for Group, bronchitis, cough
cold in the chest, etc., is Dr. Bills Cough Syrup
Price twenty five cents bottle.
A Il remedy for accidents common to every daI
life, such cuts, bruises, sprains, burns, scads