The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-11

and tho great arc light at the shops
She soon found what she wanted, a
red one, and with it clasped in her
arms ran to the kitchen for matches
with which to light IL.
Match after match was struck, only
TO 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 toward the
track, bareheaded, thinking only of
Joe and the awful fate that awaited
him il she were not in time.
| Leaving the city of - the @. B.
and Q. road runs south nearly two
miles in almost straight line, then
makes a long curve to the left and
straightens out to the east. In the in
ner radius of this curve the company
located the shops and switching yards,
and little farther back, and 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 mile from their
house, and considerably more than
that from the yards.
Polly was thoroughly familiar with
all the surrounding country, for, in
the sr'Nmer just passed, on the pleas
ant Sunday afternoons, the big en-
gineer would take the little maid for a
long walk, and, 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 S
Cut" to Rock Creek. She knew the
place we'll. 1t was at the foot of a
short but very heavy grade, and, as
the road left the deep rock cut, named
after the contractor who had blasted it
through, it ran over high embank-
ment and around q curve to Rock
Creek, which it crossed on 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 no
headlight would show on it until it
would be too late to stop.
II was the intersection OF the street
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 Engineer Quinn
had looked over the train register ai6
bulletin boards in the trl.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 at the massive
machinery before starting on this his
first passenger run. The train was re-
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, Tim ?"
he called to his fireman, who was busy
in the cab of the engine.
sol did, sor." "Say, Joe did We cut
out tn driver brake?" asked Murphy.
81 had to. Some one got to monkey
ing with the pipe and broke the con-
nection. Maybe we won't need it; if
We do she's got mighty good lever
and hundred and sixty pounds of
steam, and that'll answer, 1 guess.
"Hello! Here she comes" called
Joe, as the bright headlight of an ap-
proaching train shot into the farther
end of the big passenger station.
The engine was soon coupled to the
cars and in few minutes the huge
machine was drawing its long, heavily
laden train out of the depot. Joe at
throttle, vigilant aud cautious, care
fully watching the little varicolored
lights on the semaphores, and running
slowly until the crowded confines of
the city should be passed. All the
worry and vexation of the long wait at
the station for the delayed train had
vanished, and now, with the cool night
air blowing in his face, the engineer
was filled with tho exhilaration that
is known only by those hardy fellows
who drive the iron horse that knowl-
edge of mastery over the powerful ma
chine that seems almost human in its
work that obeys almost the slightest
touch. Soon the city is left behind
and as he nears the long curve at the
outer yards and sees the last sema-
phore signals at safety" he gives the
throttle lever light pull. Under the
increased pressure the iron giant leaps
forward like thing of life.
Meantime how Jared it with the lit
tie woman We left flying down the
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 not
passed; OF this she was sure; she
would have seen it from the road if it
had.
All A bright light is dancing on
the rails at the end of the curve, and
now she can plainly hear the low rum
BILE of the heavy train on the rails. A
moment later the brilliant electric
headlight is throwing its powerful
rays down the line, and row, for the
first time since she left the house, she
thinks to look at her lantern and is al
most frozen with horror to find it had
gone out. A little glowing coal still
kt,a IL Al A.