News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-04-28

Pat. 1t seemed as if his victims pa
thence eXasperated him, and not con
tent with abusing the man, he turnet
his remarks against the young wife.
For an instant the old fire cam
ri p Lusr- and We n 4 1fi-apRl
/ stoundrel would pay dearly Ior tha'
attack; but the angry eyes happened
to rest a moment on that little whit,
cottage; then they sOftened.
"No; ! promised not to fight any
more, and if | did, it would hurt tn,
little womanup yonder more than h
can iniure her"
No one could injure her in thai
crowd, and while we respected Pal
more for that victory over himsel
than for any he could have won over
| Ryan, some of us with less self con
troll warned the latter on the sly
what he could expect from the rest
of us for a repetition of his abuse O
our friend. After thas he was not
quite so bol /, but his hate was
stronger than ever.
| was Pats fireman now, and
would not have been half as content.
ed had | been given an engine of my
own. With him | learned to watch
for the white handkerchief back on
the hill, waved in reply to his great
red one | do not think it was ever
absent, rain or shine, as we swept
by.
On Monday Il remember the day
so well because | can't forget how
handsome Pat and his young wife
looked at church the day before, the
handsOmest couple | ever saw,
think we had to wait ten minutes
for an extra passenger train to pull
out ahead of us, and we could barely
hold our own to the next station
with our long and heavy train of
lumber. l think we lost a little on
that part of her run. But the next
stretch was down grade, with clear
run of eighteen miles, so we prepared
to do our best.
"Bill," he said at last, 40 you
think me a coward? | know you
don't, but would you if did some
thing that might make Others think
so?'
"No, Pat" 1 answered; 81
wouldn't, because | couldn't"
He sat for long time looking out
on the track ahead without a word.
Finally he said: "Bill, this is my
last run. / am going TO leave the
road tonight. l know the little
woman at home worries a good deal
when ! ann away and 7 lave been
lin / ff1I
she would feel if any thing should
happen to me. l do not mind it my
self, but it amt worth the risk, Bill.
and | quit to night"
Somehow, as he spoke, it came
upon me with a flash of horror that
he would never live to quit-would
die at the throttle. But for that, as
much as | should miss him, | would
have been glad to quit for Just the
reason he had given. | could not
answer him at once, but just looked
about me at the landscape. How
beautiful il all was that day-the
river shining like silver below us, the
hill around the base of which we were
sweeping stretching up above, the
green trees venturing to the very
edge of the track Yes, it was all so
beautiful, so quiet-and then shrek
upon shrek burst from a whistle just
ahead of us, and we saw, as we round
ed the curve, so near we could not
stop the train on such a heavy grade,
the passenger standing with a brok-
en- drive-wheel Wecould easily have
stopped the engine in a quarter Of
the distance, ,butnot with that heavy
train behind it. Oh, why had they
not tagged us? A confused picture
of excited, frenzied men and women,
screaming, shouting, vainly signall-
ing us to stopcomes back to me now.
| knew that all of their efforts We're
useless-tbey were doomed.
Unable to stand the sight, l looked
away at Pat. His face was white
and set. but | think his hand was
never quite as firm and steady before
The breaks were called, the eair-brakes
on, the lever reversed-all that hui
man power could do was done almost
before the first shrek of that whistle
had ceased to sound. Our best-but
oh, how little had been done.
"Yes, Bill, CO." Pat said. "We
can do no more here"
Boys | swear / thought he meant
to follow, or / never would have left
him. l saw him look up the hill
toward where the cottage stood
miles. back, up at the blue sky, and
then | jumped. Quick as lightning
he opened the throttle wide, and the
liberated engine, wrenching itself
loose from the somewhat slackened
train, with a sudden plunge dashed
down the hill. Down to the very
edge of that confused and struggling
mass of humanity; then, with that
same lightning-like motion, the lever
is reversed, and the faithful locOmo-
tive thunders back to meet that
mass of rolling death. ALI, yes we
saw his plan now. Pat had climbed
up one step farther, from the engi-
neer's seat to the heIo's throne.
The passenger was saved, but the
man who was offering up his life for
theirs dashed into that mass of de
scending timber with a crash that
fairly shook the hills and piled the
wreck full twenty feet in the air, the
rescued mortals below forgot their
recent danger, and were swayed by
one emotion only-an overwhelming
awe before that act of superhuman
valor. An instant of this, then one
wild rush for that great pile of brok-
en- timbers. All, well indeed | knew
that Pat had made his last trip!
Still living, although crushed be-
yond the possibilities of life, we found
him, and bore him back on the wreck
ing-train Che would not have it other
wise) to the cottage.
"Bn," he whispered, "won't you
90 and break the news to her? BE
gentle, gentle, Bill"
Gentlel | wondered if an angel 5
ways could seem gentle to one used
to his.
never could recall how | told her.
Let it be sacred to that hour OF sor-
row.
do not think he felt the pain as
we carried him up the hill. He only
realized that he was going home,
She was there to meet him, her hero,
and hplDed MS Law him on the bed.