The herald., 1895-07-24
A RAILROAD STORY
WHICH ENDS WITH A
WEDDING

branches of the old elm tree IN the front
yard of her pretty little home. And all
this had been caused by the big broad
shouldered young fellow who was now
making his way across the open prairie
toward the 80" roundhouse. dinner in
hand, and with the usual roll OF under
clothes under his arm.
The Brot herhood of Railroad Firemen
were to give he first entertainment of
the season that night, and Jote 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 fall
ing, and it was nearly time to don the
pretty dress made with such loving care
for the occasion, he had come to the
house and told her it would be impossi-
BILE for him to Keep his engagement. He
had been called to go out on No. 5, the
limited. and could not get off. 1t was
enough to vex saint Polly thought.
The mellow tones OF the engine bells
softened by the Intervening distance
fioate1 across the plain, rousing Polly
from her reverie and telling her that her
lover had started for the passenger depot
in the city, two miles away. She watched
the headlight until it disappeared around
the curve, and was about to start for the
house when her attention was attracted
bv voices on the other side of the high
tight board fence that inclosed one sde
of the lot, scarcely ten feet from where
she sat.
II tell you it's dead sure go if we
only hustle. That's Quinn now. backing
down on 81. He'll run the life out of e m
here. and a couple of good oak ties stuck in
that trestle will do the job slick enough.
After the tumble they IL get, nobody'll be
watchin' very close n we can grab the safe
and make a sneak for the woods.
God, Bill" said a second voice. ~
don't just fancy killing such a lot of peo-
the trestle m 60 through the car
car same as the other gangs do? There $
six of us. and we ought to be able 10 bluff
that express man easy enough"
'Its no use talking about that now,
HANK responded the first speaker.
The boys have got the thing all fixed
up, n we can't change it. Come on-well
have to run il We get to Rock creek be-
fore Quinn does"
AS they finished their ow-toned, hur-
ried talk. two men came from behind the
fence and ran down the road toward the
railroad track.
Polly VISA bright, quick-witted girl.
and very self-reliant. but now she stood
in the bla ok shadows of the big tree COM
pleteiy paralzyed by the atrocity OF the
awful plan these men had revealed.
They were going to wreck No. 8. to
rob the express safe.
How could she give the alarm in time
to avert this awful sacrifice of human life
1t was over nalf a mile from her house
from them it was nearly as far to the
main track, to reach which one would
have to cross the great switching yards
which, at this time of the year. were
rcowded with grain cars. Could she get
to the shops find some one trustworthy,
AL L. h
for her messenger to reach the main track
and stop the train?
While these questions were flashing
through her brain the little clock IN the
hail chimed the haJf hour. 1t was $50
and at 8 the train left the city. Suddenly
she started to the house on run, cry
ing:
II can do it, | know | can!''
On Joe's last trip she had given little
lawn party. and Quinn. with the char
acteristi; love OF a railroad man for light
and color. had brought over from the
shops lot of railroad lanterns. green,
blue, red and white to. hang on the trees,
and now they were stacked i'll the hall
awaiting their return to the storeroom.
In a second Polly was beside the pile.
holding first one and then another be-
tween her eyes and the great arc light at
the shops. She soon found what she
wanted-a red one-and with it clGsped
in her arms ran to the kitchen for
matches with which to light it. 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 bare-headed, thinking z
only of Joe ana the awful fate that
awaited him i she were not not On time. =
Down in tie city Engineer Quinn had
1oolyod ba fro OF NJ but ri n
boards in the train dispa tcher's Office. and
was back where his engine 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
wds reported ten minutes late, and he
had in his pocket an order from the divi-
sion superintendent to make up that lost
tim over his division.
Hello here she comes!' " called Joe,
as the bright headlight rf an approach
ing tram shot into the farther end of the
big passenger station. "Get her hot.
Tim. I'm going to nail her to the cross
out of here"
The engine was. soon coupled to the
train, and in few minutes ths huge ma
chine was drawing it's long, heavily laden
train out of the depot. Joe at the throt-
tie, vigilant and cautions, carefully watch
ing the little varicolored lights on the
semapbores. and running slowly until the
crowded confusion of the city should be
passed. All the worry and vexation of
the wait at the station for the delayed
train had vanished, and now, with the
cool night air blowing IN his tace. the en-
gineer was filled with that exhiai ton
known only to those hardy fellows who
Drive the iron horse-that knowledge of
mastery over the powerful machine, W hich
seems almost human IN its work, obey
ing the slightest touch.
:. Soon the city is left bahind, and, as he
neaIs the long curve at the outer yards
and sees the last semapbcre signals at
safety" he gives the throttle lever a
light pull. Under the increased pressure
tn. iron giant leaps forward like living
thing. With his body nalf out of the
cab window. the little cap pulled down
over his eyes, every nerve and muscle in
his athletic frame at its highest tension.
Joe is closely watching the track abe ad tor
the danger that may arise at any mom-
ent.
Meanwhile. how Jared it with the tile
woman we left flying aown the street?
Polly reached the road crossing out of
breath 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 was dancing on the
rails at the end of the curve, and now she
could plainly hear the rumble of the
heavy train on the rails. A moment later
the brilliant electric headlight was throw
ing It's powerful rays down the line, and
now, for the first time since she left the
house, she thought to look at her lantern.
and was almost frozen with horror to find
il had gone out. A little glowing coal still
on the wick told it's own stury.