Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-03-14

to put In your time at that would be
easy for you and might help you out a
bit. We don't want to be hard on you.
hainsford-indeed. that isn't the ques-
ton. It's matter of business and ex-
pediency, for you may be sure that the
directors do not run this road for glory
aud cannot afford to work it in the in-
tersst of lot Of pensioners. So --'
THAT will do, Mr.. Lockwood, /" said
Dick. hoarsely, as he slowly arose on
hearing the word pensioncr. Never
mind the crossing-I am au engineer.
not gate-keeper. You shall have my
resignation just as you desire"
With heavy, dragging step. Ea-
gineer Rainsford descended the loug
fight Of steps which led from the gen
eral superntendents Office to the street.
But he did not turn his face home wards.
Strangely enough he sauntered towards
tho little cemetery ON the outskirts Of
the town and paused before a grassy
mound at the head of which white
marble slab that told its own story in
the words: Sacred to the memory of
Martha Rainsford
Dick sat there silently for half an
hour, and when he rose to 60 only said,
oh very quietly
"fm glad you went first. wife. |
wouldn't have wanted you to see me
discharged, Martha"
AS for Lockwood, when Dick left hi,
Office he threw himself into the very
chair Rainsford had vacated. He
stretched his legs, pulled very hard on
his cigar. and muttered to himself:
ITS Il dirty work. Lockwood. but
it's business. Business or bust IL my
motto from now on. Poor old cuss, he
takes il badly to heart, too. Well, it's
done and rm glad of it. I shall like il
a good deal better when am rid of all
such confounded old fossils az Dick
Rainsford" :"
1t was tho thirty-frst day of the
month. though the thirty-frst day of
the month was still very young. II
was about 2 A. NJ on pitoh- dark
night, aud the limited mail train on the
United States Midland Railroad was
running west, fifteen inmates behind
time.
In the seeping-oar Superintendent
Lockwood was just preparing to turn
in" and as he stood by his berth, di-
vested of his coat. collar. etc., he glanced
at his watch and also at the time schedule.
"More than fifteen minutes late, and
no earthly reason for it. Well, it's
that old slow-coach's last trip on the
Midland
Dick Rainsford it was, indeed, who
stood in the cab of the mighty loco
motive which bravely snorted onward
through the rain and the darkness.
With his hand on the lever, Dick peer
cd with one eye into the dense black
meas ahead, which the headlight only
seemed to render yet more dense and
black, while with the other he watched
the steam-gauge.
With him for fireman was Bob Lock.
wood, the young brother of the super
intendent, who was really serving his
apprenticeship with old Rainsford with
view to mastering the intricate ma
chinory of locomotive.
Its pretty hard on the old girl"
shouted Dick to his Notwithstanding
by the "old girl the ponderous loco
motive. "Wo've got four extra coaches
on. and the rails as slippery MS mess
Of cells. Warm her up, Bob, we haven't
got any too much steam"
The fireman shoveled in fuel until
the perspration poured off his grimy
brow, the result being that there was,
before long, perceptible increase in
the speed of the mail train
"Give it to her again, Bob" said
Dick, when half an hour had elapsed.
The fireman complied. und the giant
engine throbbed with the seething water
in her boiler, while the roar ofthe flames
in tho furnace almost drowned the clat-
tor and rattle OF the wheels.
Suddenly there was an extraordinary
roar and loud noise Of kissing steam.
The door Of the furnace flew open with
u crash. aud the cab Of the locomotive
was enveloped in flames.
Both Dick Rainsford and his fireman
were involuntarily forced back from their
places in the cab
"Shut the furnace door !" roared
Dick, and the two men. soizing the coal
shovels, attempted to close the heavy
iron door. But it was vain effort.
They pushed the door close, but it was
forced open Immediately, and they could
not stand within shovel's length of the
furnace because Of the relentless flames,
with which were mingled clouds Of cs-
Gaping steam.
Rainsford knew only too we'll what
was the trouble. The safety blow-back
valve had burned out or broken near or
in the smoke-stack, and the steam, in
stead of escaping in the usual way, was
blowing back through the Aues, forcing
itself and the deadly flames through the
furnace door into the cab
The train was now running at full
speed, and il the locomotive could not
be 'fshut of at once it would be i'm
possible 10 avert a most fearful catas-
trophe. Dick knew this. and so did
young Lockwood But no man could
stand in that doomed cab for ten seconds
and live--nay, not for two seconds
and both of the men knew that
''Its my last trip anyhow" said Dick
TO himself. Aloud he shouted, almost
savagely; "Get back there. out of
harms way--tell them how i. was.
Bob !"
And the old engineer, who in all bis
thirty-thrse years on the foot-plate had
never shirked his duty or shown the
white feather, with iron nerve and with
the courage of hero martyr, plunged
into that roaring death-tray. The flames
whirled about the brave old man as he
shut off the steam, and the cruel heat
singed the grizzly beard, blackened the
gray locks and charred TO a crisp tho
blue overalls as he threw over the lever,
but before the engineer fell back ou the