The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-07-12

with which to light IL.
Match after match was struck, only
10 go out, but at last success crowned
her efforts and the light burned bright
and clear in another moment she was
speeding down the road towapl the
track, barehesded, thinking oily of
Joe and the awful fate that awaited
him il she were not in time.
Leaving the city of - the g. ID.
and @. road runs south nearly two
miles in almost a straight line, then
makes a long curve to the lcft and
straightens out to the east. In tile in
ner radius of this curve the company
located the shops and switching yards,
and little farther back, aud east OF
the shops, had laid out little town
| for its employees. On the street near.
est the shops was the home of the
Wards, and this street crossed the
railroad nearly milo from their
house, and considerably more than
/ that from the yards.
Polly was thoroughly familiar with
Nil the surrounding country, for, in
/ the sa'lmer just passed, on the pleas
ant Sunday afternoons, the big en-
gineer would take the little maid for a
long walk, Gnd, lover like, would
choose the least frequented paths.
| One of their favorite rambles had
! been down the shady street to the
railroad and occasionally down the
railroad track through "Quinlan's
Cut to Rock Creek. She knew the
place we'll. IL was at the foot of n
short but very heavy grade, and, as
the road left the deep rock cut, named
| after the contractor who had blasted il
! through, il ran over high embank-
ment and around u curve to Rock
Creek, which 1t crossed on q trestle
thirty feet above the stony bed of the
little stream. The trees in the bot
tom obscured the view OF the bridge
even in daylight, and at night nc
headlight would show on it until il
would be too late to stop.
Ii was the intersection OF the streeS
and the railroad at the top of the
grade that Polly was straining every
nerve to reach before the threatened
train should arrive.
Down in the city Englnee- Quinn
had looked over the train :egistef at
bulletin boards in the tra.n dispatch
er's Office, and was back where his en-
gine was standing, just outside the
passenger shed. Torch in hand he
was taking one last look Mt the massive
machinery before starting on this his
] E,al fnh,
ported ten minutes late, and he had in
his pocket an order from the superin-
tendent to make up that lost time
over his division.
"Did You fill these rod cups, limp
he called to his fireman, who was busy
in the cab of the engine.
''Oi did, sor." ''.Say, Joe did ye cut
ont tn driver brake?" asked Murphy,
81 had 10. Some one got s'a~-
-ng wltn fne pipe 49,. .roK,
nection. Maybe We won't "a, i; il
We do she's got mighty good lever
aud a hundred and sixty pounds o
steam, and that'll answer, 1 guess"
"Hello Here she comes" called
Joe, as the bright headlight OF an ap
| lAdlI fllOb luIO Nl3
end of the big passenger station.
The engine was soon coupled to the
cars and in few minutes the hug,
machine was drawing its long, heavily
laden train out of the depot. Joe a
throttle, vigilant aud cautious, care
fully watching the little varicoloret
lights on the senaphores, aud running
slowly until the crowded confines o
the city should be passed All tn,
worry md vexation of the long wait al
the station for the delayed train ha,
vanished, and now, with the cool might
air blowing i'll his face, the engineer
was filled with tho exhilaration tha
is known only by those hardy fellow,
who drive the iron horse that knowl
( edge of mastery over the powerful ma
chine that seems almost human in 1t.
work that obeys almost the slightest
touch. Soon the city is left behinC
aud as he nears the long curve at the
outer yards and sees the last sema
phore signals at safety" he gives thu
throttle lever light pull. Under thu
increased pressure the iron giant leapi
lorWaru ike u tninB OF llie
Meantime how Jared it with the lit
tie woman we left flying down tn
street?
Polly reached the road crossing out
of breadth and trembling like leaf
She stopped in the middle of the track
and listened. The train had no
passed; of this she was sure; sh
would have seen it from the road if j
had.
, All! A bright light is dancing o,
the rails at the end of tbs curve, ant
1 now she can plainly hear the low rum
( BILE of the heavy train on the rails.
: moment later the brillisus electri,
, headlight is throwing its powerful
Y rays down the line. and row, for tn,
first time since she left the house, sh
e thinks to look at her lantern and is al
most frozen with horror to find it hat
e gone out. A little glowing coal still
o on the wick told itS own starry.