The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-06-10

Thedford. In very excited voice no
asked where Hunter was.
"Home, said. "and SO sick he can't
hold his head up" r-
"Heavens!" said he; II shall bo
ruined!"
Then he went on to say that if ho
wasn't in Chicago the next day. somo
deal, I think he called it, would fall
through, and it would cost him quarter
of million.
"There's train goes through Junction
City at eleven-hve that will get you to
Chicago in time." says 1.
"What good'll that do me?" says he.
"Pve been away for two days, and only
Just now got the telegram. If Hunter
was here lie might get me down; but as
it is 1 may as well go home and let the
money go.
"Mr. Thedford," said I, @Bob is sick,
but can run this machine to Junction
City in time to connect with the train
you want; but you will have to fire for
me, as my two cleaners are drunk, as
you sec, and there isn't another man in
this village knows the engine from the
tender hardly"
hope that have been forgiven that
lie, for there were two or three men that
could have fired all right, but it struck
me all of sudden that here was a fine
chance to get even with Billy, and let
him see whether it took any knowhow
to fire an engine for one hundred and
ten miles run. 1t so happened that we
had just wooded up on the home trip at
q little station three miles from George
town, so we had plenty of fuel aboard to
make the run with.
"Can you do it?" says he. "Remem-
ber it is one hundred and ten miles, and
it is eight-thirty now, SO you have only
two and a half hours to make the run
that generally takes double the time"
"I can do it," says l. "if you will jump
aboard, pull off your coat, and do just as
tell you.
| No sooner said than done, and in ten
minutes we had the old engine on the
turntable, turned her around and wero
off.
If the road was rough when we ran at
our usual speed, that night, making
| uOuUl0 OiluC, ~ wa Juou oWAuAs 1Ao W.
flew around the curves it seemed as If
we should lose the track at every turn
of the drivers, and the poor old machine
rocked and swayed so that, used as / was
to it, I could hardly keep on my seat by
the lever.
If it was hard on me, what must it
have been to poor old Billy? I could
hardly keep from laughing in his face,
as watched him, and heard him groan
rs he handled the heavy sticks we used
for fuel.
The heat OF the weather, added to that
of the furnace and the unusual work,
made him look as if he was in Turkish
bath. The water ran down his face, hts
stiff white collar hung down on his
shoulders like wet rag, and his beauti-
full smooth shirt bosom looked as if some
one had thrown pail of dirty water
over him. His hands were torn and cut,
from handling the wood, and take 1t al
together he was the most unlikely look
ing railway president ever saw. Once
in awhile I had to shout at him to lay
the wood more even in the furnace, and
would tell him he would get the knack
of it i'll time.
! Whenever he tried to rest I told him
we were losing steam, and If he wanted
to catch that train, he mustn't idle over
the work. If had thought to hitch
car on when we started we should have
run much smoother; but it was too late
to think of that now, and SO on we
rushed, now through woodlands, now
past grain fields, lurching first to one
side and then to the other, until ex-
pected every minute to land wrong side
up in the ditch.
However, luck was with us that night.
and we pulled up at junction City at
just eleven. Poor old Billy could hardly
climb down from the engine, but he
managed to gasp out:
"Come to my office at two o'clock next
Saturday"
learned afterward that, finding the
Chicago train was behind time, he hunted
up clothing shop and rugged himself
out so as to look like civiliz ed man,
which he didn't when he left me.
managed to find fireman who was
willing to make the run back with me,
and finally got home at three o'clock, and
finding the cleaners little sobered up,
got to bed as soon as possible, for l
was clean played out. told Bob about
my trip next day, and thought he would
die laughing to think of old Billy play
ing fireman. But all he said was:
"Pm afraid that'l settle your hash,
Jim; for he will find out that you
worked him more than was needed"
The next Saturday, at two o'clock,
reported at the presidents Office, wond-
ering whether 1 was going to be re-
warded for my extra work or kicked out
for my impudence.
When entered the office, there sat
the old man. spick and span as ever, and
showing no signs of his hard work.
"Well, young man." says he, "you
helped me out the other night, but
would not go through the same expert
ence again for ten thousand dollars. At
the same time think you were trying
to get even with me for not doing what
you asked about your salary, and have
concluded that this line can dispense
with your services"
At this my heart went down in my
boots, for can tell you it isn't an easy
thing to get a new job when you can't
bring a recommendation from your last
place.
Then he went on to say:
II have letter here from the supsrfn-
tendent of the Chicago and Western, ask.
in0 ma if I Cou rooop1 N, and kO than,