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

pretty lltllc nome, anu MI lulh uhu
been caused bv the big. broadshoui-
dered young fellow who was now max
ing his way across the open prairie To
the co. round house. dinner basket
in hand aud with the usual roll of
oyerclothes under his arm.
The Brotherhood Of Eailrond Fire.
men were to give the first dance OF the
season that night, and Joe Quinn, the
bright young engineer, with whom
Polly had been Keeping company for
over year, had promised to take
her, and now, Just as the evening
shades were falling, and it was nearly
time to don the pretty dress made
with such loving care for the event,
he had come to the house and told her
that it would he impossible for him to
keep his engagement. He had been
called to go out ON No. 3, the "Lim-
ited," and could not get off. 1t was
enough to vex saint, thought Polly.
John Ward, Polly's father, had been
in the employ of the 80" company
for many years and had risen from II
position rs II laborer to that of fore
man of the round house. On the
night OF which we write he had been
home 20 his supper and had been
obliged TO retuSV TO the shops again to
complete some tNpairs to locomotive
that could not wait. Polly was alone,
and, with nothing else to do, sat un-
der the big tree and grievel over her
lovers detection.
Across the level prairie she could
dimly see in the growing dusk the out
lines of the monster shops and engine
house. On the turntable track, down
near tho water tank, she saw the
bright rays of an electric headlight
that she well knew was on the big
''ten-wheeler' that her lover was to
run that night. She could see the
faring "torches" of Quinn and his
fireman as they worked around the
ponderous machine, getting her ready
for the mad rush OF the fast limited
express.
The mellow tones of the engine bell,
..s.,J19d by tha '~'-. in ''
floato6 across the plain, rousing Poiiy
from her reverie, and telling her that
her lover had started or tho passen-
ger station i'll the city, two miles
away. She watched the headlight I'M
Ill it disappeared around the curves,
and was about to start for the house,
when her attention was attracted by
voices on the other side of the tight
board fence that inclosed one side OF
the lot scarcely ten feet from where
she sat.
"rell you it's dead sure 60 if we
only hustle. That's Quinn backing
down now on the 81. He'll run the
life OF 'em out of here, and couple
of good oak ties stuck in that trestle
will do tho job slick enough. Nobody
will be watching very close, and We
can sneak the safe into the wood,
easy enough.
"Bill, said n second voice, 81 don't
just fancy killing such lot of people
as thatll do. Can't we flag em mt the
trestle n go through the car same as
the other gangs do? There's six OF
us, n We ought TO bluff that express
man easy enough.
''No use to talk about it now,
Hank" responded the first speaker.
'lhe boys have got the thing all fixed
n we can't change it now. Come on,
We'll have to run if We get to Rocb
Greek before Quinn does"
As they finished their low-toned,
hurried talk two men came from be-
hind the fence and started on run
down the road toward the railroad
track.
Polly was bright, quick-wittet
girl and generally very self-reliant
but now she stood in the black shad
ows of the big tree, completely para
lyzed by the atrocty OF the awful plar
these men had revealed,
They were going to wreck No. t
rob the express safe,
How could she give the alarm il
time 10 avert this terrible sacrifice o
human life? 1t was over half milt
from her house across the prairie t.
the shops, aud from them it was nearly
as far tothe main track, to reach whicl
one would have to cross the intricat,
tracks OF the great switching yards
which at this time in the year wer
crow ded with grain cars, Could sh
get to the shops, find some one trust
worthy. tell her story to them, an,
still leave time enough for her messen
ger to reach the main track to stop tn
train?
While these questions were fla shinI
through her brain the little clock il
the hall chimed the half hour. 1t wa
half-past and the train left the cit
at .. She had only thirty minute
left. Suddenly she started toward tn
house on run, crying.
81 can do it know / can.
On Joe's last trip in she had given
little lawn party, and Quinn, with tn,
characteristic love of a railroad ma!
for light and color, had brought oyel
from the shops lot of railroad Ian
terms, white, blue, red and green, I,
hang in the trees, and now they wer,
stacked in tho hall awaiting their re
49,. A.. a