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


although had been educated to lof-
tier pursuits.
During my college vacation loung-
ed about the station almost constant
", making friends with the train men.
and especially with driver named
SiIas Markley. | became much ut
tached to this man, notwithstanding
he was forty years old and by no
means a sociable fellow.
He was my ideal of brave skill
full. thoroughbred driver, and | look
ed up to him as something of brave
hero. He was not married, but lived
all alone with his old mother. was
a frequent visitor to their house, ana
/ think they took quite fancy to me
in their quiet demonstrative way.
When Markley's fireman left him [
induced him to let me take his place
during the remainder of my vacation.
He hesitated some time before he
consented to humor my boyish within,
but he finally yielded and l was in
great glee.
The fact was that in my idleness
and the overworked state of my brain,
I craved excitement as a drunkard
does liquor, and, besides [ had such
longing dreams of the fiery ride thrO'
the hills mounted literally on the iron
horse. So | became an expert fire
man, and liked it exceedingly, for the
excitement more than compensated
for the rough work l was required to
do.
But there came a time when | got
nv fill of excitement. Mrs. Mark
ley one day formed a plan which
seemed to give her good deal of
happiness 1t was her sons birth
day, and she wanted to go down to
Philadelphia in the train without let
ting him know anything about it, and
there purchase a present for him.
She took me in her confidence and
had me assist her. | arranged the
preliminaries and got her into the
train without being noticed by Mark
ley, who, of course was busy with
his engine.
The old lady was in high glee over
the bit of innocent deception she was
practicing on her son. She enjoined
me again not to tell Silas, and then l
left her and took my place.
1t was midsummer day and the
weather was delightful. The train
was neither an express nor an accom-
mediation, but one that stopped at
the principal stations on the route.
On this occasion, as there were two
specials on this line, it was run by
telegraph, that is, the driver has SIM
ply to obey instructions which he re-
ceives at each station, so that he is
but rs a machine in the hands of one
controller, who directs all trains from
a central point, and has the whole
line under his eye. If the driver does
not obey to the least title his orders,
it is destruction to the whole.
Well, we started without mishaE
and on time, and easily reached the
station in the time allotted to us. AS
we stopped here a boy ran alongside
with the telegram which he handed
to the driver. The next moment
heard a smothered exclamation from
Markley
$50 back" he said to the hoy,
land tell Williams to have the mess.
age repeated; there's a mistake
The boy dashed off in ten minutes
he came flying back. Had it re.
peated,'' he shouted, civilians is
storming at YOU; he says there is nc
mistake, and you had best go on
He thrust the second message in as
he spoke.
MarkIey read it and stood hesitat
ing for half a minute. There was
dismay and sheer perpleXity in The
expression Of his face rs he looked a
the telegram and the long train be-
hind him.
His lips moved as if he were calcu
lating chances, and his eyes sudden
" qualed as if he saw death at the
end of the calculation.
/ was watching him with consider
able curiosity. | ventured to ash
him what was the matter, and villa
he was going to do.
81 am going to obey" he replied
CURLY.
The engine gave long shrek o
horror that made me start as if i
were Markley's own voice. Th
next instant we rushed out of the sta
ton and dashed through low-lvin:
farms at a speed which seemed dan
gerous to me.
''Put in more COAL" said Markley
| shoveled it in, but took time.
1--WE are going very fast, Markley.
He did not answer. His eyes wer,
fixed OH the engine, his mouth clos,
shut. '1More!' - he said, withou
turning his eyes. | took up th'
shovel-hesitated
''Markley, do you know that you
are going at the rate of about sixty
miles an hour?"
Coal"
[ was alarmed at the stern, cole
rigidity of the man. His ;pallor was
becoming frightful.
threw in the coal. At least W,
must stop at Dumfreme That wa.
the next halt. The little town ap
&IDo