The Red Cloud chief., 1895-07-26

Nh'HlNlplAs NNNAA~
s%tantly loungcd about the station. maxi
ing friends with the officials. and es-
pccially with an engineer named Silas
Maridey. | became much attached to
this q although he was forty years
of age. by no means a sociablc fell
low.
He was my ideal OF n brave. skillful.
thoroughbred engineer, and I looked up
to him as something of n hero. lie was
not a married man. but lived alone with
his old mother. | was u frequent visitor
at their house. and | think they both
took quite n fancy to- me In their quiet.
undomorstrativo way.
When this Markloy's fireman left him.
! induced him To- Let me take his place
durIns the remainder of my vacation.
lic Ecsii3ted some time before he con-
scented to humor my boyish within. but
he inally yielded. and I was in great
glce.
The ta't w"s That. I'm my idleuoss and
the oy"YWorhcd state OF my brain. |
crnvod for Tie excitement, and besides.
] a such longing dreams OF the fiery
ride through thu hiliv, mounted literally
ON the iron horse. So { became an eN-
pert fireman. aud lis d it exceedingly;
for the excitement moro than com
lcusGt"d for ,he rousa work / was re-
quirod So do.
Eut There corro "a tine WHOM I got my
fill Of settlement. A:S. Marley one
day formed a plan which seemed to
give her q good deal Of happiness. 1t
was her sons birthday. and she wanted
to go down To- PHILADELPHIA in the train
without letting him know anything
about II. and tne'a purchase Il present
for him. She tyos uo into her conf
dCneC ana asked mo {, assist her. | ar
RANGED the prciimiE9.iDs, got rcr into
TIE train without bong noticed by
Mu.ilcY. who, OF Cou.ga. was busy with
his engine.
The old lady was In high glce over
the bit Of innocent deception she was
practiclng on her eon she ~enjoined mo
again not 20 tell Silas. II then l left
her and took my place.
1t was a midsummer ncy, and the
weather was dolightlu'.
Tle train was ono which stopped at
the principal stations on the route. on
this occasion. as there were two specials
ON the line, 1t was run b. telegraph
tina; Is, the engineer had simply to obey
the Instructions which he receives at
each station. so tina he is put as n
machine in the hands Of one controller,
who directs all trains from a centrll
point, and thus has che whole line under
his eye. II the engineer does not obey
TO the least tittlo his orders. 1t Is de.
st,uction 90 the whole.
Wen, we started without mishap, and
!, up to time, and easily reached the first
J station in the time allotted to us. As
!, we stopped there, Il boy ran alongside
, With ~. 4,1.gY..l, NrLf,h -. l,,,l.l q.
, the engineer. The next | heard
, II smothered exclamation from Mark.
, ley.
} Go back he said 60 the boy; "tcl
Williams to have the message repeated
there's a mistake
: The boy dashed of; In a few minutes
) he came flying back.
Had 1t repeated he painted. "Wil,
; liams is stormlng at you: says there
no mistake, ard you'd best get on"
He thrust the second message up as
|, he spoke.
Narkley read Il, and stood hesita.ini
for half a minute.
There was disInay and utter perplex,
ity in the expression of his face a.
!. he looked al the telegram and the Ions
train behind him. His lips moved as Il
he We're calculating chances, and his
eyes suddenly quailed as he saw deatl
at the end OF the calculation. ! wat
WATCHING him with considerable curios
ity. I Ventured to ask him what wa.
the matter, and what ne was going e
do.
TN going to obey" he said. CURLY.
The engine gave "A long Shrek of hor
rOr that made me start as # II wer,
4 Marklcy's own voice. The next instan
: we slipped out ~ the station and DASHED
through l~ow-lying farms at II spec,
which seemed dangerous to me.
Put In more coal" said Markley.
/ shoyeled In more. but took time.