The National tribune., 1892-04-28

| one hearty voice greet the other. Then, not
recognizing the tones, did not listen. In an
| instant she was all attention again, Tor sue
heard her fathers name She leaned forward.
| well. here's pretty mess, and no mistake
Jack. Three fremen marked on the sick-l'sG
tonight and there isn't man to 90 out on %
! with wilson"
"Where's So going tonight? ] thought she
and old Thad Wilson never went out after
| sundovn."
"They don't usually. Bot the Superntend-
ent wants special at o'clock tonight some
of the stockholders of the road are here ana
want to get over to Monkton before morning:
! That wreck on the Long Branch is keeping all
those fellows on the other side of it. Every
| body on the Short Branch is worked out but
| Wilson, and the row is to get fireman ior
him"
Where's his own freman-Morris; isn't
! that his name?"
"Morriss child is sick, and he's laying oil.
! They've been short of men for week or TWO
now. The Master Mechanic would take almost
any man be could get tonight. Ihat would
be soft snap for q green hand; short run ana
| light firing"
The men exchanged few more words, then
separated. Margaret stood beside the gate.
| Duly, slowly thought returned. All, yes !!
she remembered now. The caller would come
| presently, and they wanted her father 10 run
| fatherI lie sat in the house which his own
weakness had made desoate, his brain ilter.
ally par&lyzed by opium. He run tram
| Margaret shuddered.
! What could she do? Should she go and tell
! her story TO the Superintendent? Ihad VIII
J sons daughter could not bring herself to pub
| iish her fathers fall. And then, III her per-
! plexity, came a bewildering thought, ana tne
| ground seemed to quake under her feet Couia
! Sb do Cha
would try anything if she could save her
| father.
An hour later the Master Mechanic was con-
! fronted by a slim young fellow, with cap
pulled low over his eyes. He had appeared
suddenly in the rounf-honse, and inquired lor
| Mr. Williams. His manner was bold, ana III
the half-light of the place he accosted the Mas
! ter Mechanic bravely:
al have been told, Mr. Williams, that you
are in need of firemen."
The wcrd " firemen" acted like magic. Mr..
Williams turned and looked at him sharply.
Yes the young man seemed very brave, but
! that Master Mechanic never suspected now
Margsret's heart was humping under Boh's
old coat, and that the hands thrust into the
pockets were clenched.
Evidently he was not displeased with the
appearance of the applicant. He needed men,
and there was no time to parley
"Yes Young man, i need fremen. Are you
| hunting job?"
"Yes, sir; am. Can you do anything for
me?"
Ever fired before2"
"Onc year; down in Texas. Didn't like the
! climate and so / came back North"
A few minutes talk followed, during which
the wonli-b be fireman felt herself quake in Bob's
shoes Margaret afterward had vague rec
objection of telling that her name was j. w.
| Jones' and that Mr.. Williams asked her ques-
tions which she must have answered credit
ably. In few minutes he said:
Are you ready for work to night2"
Yes. sir, immediately
"Thcre's special over the Short Branch at
$50 Wilson hauls it with the 55. You 90
with him. The engine is on the main track,
just outside the house," and the busy man
hurried away mentally saying: "I'll watch
that fellow. | believe he lied about firing
year and the name Jones sounds suspicious.
He looks like a green hand, but / guess he'll
get along. Fifty-fiye is a good steamer, and
they'll take only one coach"
Meanwhile the fireman hied herself out of
the round house, the ordeal passed. No
need TO tell Margaret where her fathers engine
was to be found. As the fireman appeared
he looked up and said pleasantly, extending
his hand: well. young man, are you going
to be my pard to-night?"
Now, this was just what his daughter was
not prepared for. She had expected savage
greeting if any, and the sound of the pleasant
words now SO seldom heard, was almost too
much. In choked voice she answered:
eyes, sir; think / will"
He talked continually as they backed down
to the station.
and then Margaret fully realized what she had
done. Her only fear was that her father would
recognize her.
| As they left the miles behind them and the
| engineer Chartered on, the thought came that
! this was not quite her fathers manner. She
had seen him in many moods but this Boosting,
alb, no. This was not her father. What did it
| mean?
Gradually the speed Of the train increased.
Yes it was true What Margaret had not
dared to express, even in thought, had come to
pass. The fatal drug was welding all its power,
and her father was in its grasp. 1t was q
! ghastly situation. The engine was rushing
through the darkness, thick, appalling dark
ness, that made the heavy air more oppressive;
a sultTy breeze was stirring, and occasionally
came distant rumble-the warning of storm.
On the engine helpless girl, and-hark!
/ What was he saying!
Wants me to pass "a at Wayne does he2
Well, we'll see about that If74 is of the main
| track, all right if she isn't, III put her off
| This is my road, every foot Of it. This engine
belongs to me, too. am king, and who dares
say now sLlail run i III go 10 MonEtou at Wnat-
ever time ! choose, and If there are any trains
in my way I'll go through them! Alb. that
will be royal sporti No killing of beasts for
me-that is tame! / slaughter my subjects by
scores. They arc mine. Have not the right ?
! All! can hear them now. They will implore
me to stop, but / will not heed. They will be
| crushed, mangled. ! will ride over them all,
and they shall know that am supreme"
Meanwhile, hurrying to meet them, came the
| nj Occasionally runlhle of
thunder would reach the passengers above the
noise of the train. They would shade their
faces with their bands, and, from their COM
Portable places in the coaches, watch the on
coming storm. The conductor passed through
the car and was questioned on all sides about
the connection at the other end Of the branch.
| He had orders to take the side track at Wayne
for special. He would stop at the station to
| unload his passengers, then would pull about
an eighth of mile farther down to the switch
Did he tell his passengers all that? No, in
| deed lie had railroaded too long for that
| He merely satisfied them about the connection,
and then sat down. fervently hoping that the
| special wouldn't keep them waiting long. tits
| going to be nasty night" he said.
1t may or il may not have been due to an
wrought Imagination, but as Margaret sat
cr0uching in a corner of the freman's seat she
saw as plainly as you see it now the brightly
lighted car, the passengers impatient only for
the end Of their journey, and the engine liter
ally consuming the distance between them.
But she saw what we did not see. In the
very end Of one Of the coaches, asleep in seat,