Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-09-04
SAVED BY A PHANTOM.
BY PAUL PAsTNoR.

On track No. 2, in the big terminal
station of the N. & G. P. r. R.
stood the southbound lightning ex-
press. On track No. 4 stood the
eastern mail.
My old mate, Tom Hatch, was en-
gineer OF the express; / was engi.
neer of the mail.
Tom and l were like brothers. |
had been his fireman for three years
and so devotedly had l become at
tached to him, that it was only after
long deliberation, and chiefly on &C.
count of the comforts my increased
pay would bring to my wife and
children, that | decided to leave
him and accept the promotion offer
ed me as engineer Of the mail train.
1t was within about four minutes
of Toms schedule time of pulling
out. | was oiling my engine, when
suddenly | heard my old mates
voice calling me. Tom was leaning
out of his cab, and I noticed that his
face WAS paler than usual and had a
troubled look.
"Mate,' he said, 81 ieel queer to-
night-never felt so queer before in
my life. Come over here minute,
won't you ?"
/ went over and stood by the side
of No. 90-a magnificent great ma
chine, perfect in construction, and
one of the finest engines On the road.
She was throbbing ard pulsing, as
if full of conscious life and power
and eager for the start.
"Mate,o said Tom, in low voice,
leaning down towards me, 81 don't
know why ! should feel so blue to-
night, but if anything should hap.
pen to me on this run, l want you
to promise that you will have an eye
out for Emily and the children-see
that they get their rights and all
that, you know. | should like to
feel that they have a protector.
This iorboding may be all"
"It's all nonsense" I cried, "or
indigestion Come, Tom, brace
upl l didn't suppose you were SO
superstitious."
Tom smiled family.
"Of course it's easy for you to
talk that way" be said, "because
you don't feel as / do. Two days
ago | should have laughed at the
notion myself. But now-well, I
can't explain it to you, mate. Will
you promise to do what I asked ~
"Ot course I will" 1 replied
warmly, "but-"
"All aboard p shouted the con-
ductor, and signalled the engineer
to pull out.
"Goodby, old man !" cried Tom,
as he opened the throttle.
Goodnight, Tom,' answered as
the great drive wheels of No. 80 be-
gan to>revolve.
As | went back to my engine I
could not help wondering, with some
uneasiness, why Toms "goodby"
should have sounded so like a knell
in my ears.
Alas l knew the next morning.
1t was q terrible wreck-and no.
body seemed to know how it happen
ed, only that broken rail must
have thrown the engine from the
track just as she was approaching
the bridge, and she crashed into the
stone abatement while running at
full speed.
Tom was found lying in his cab
stone dead, with his hand on the
lever, and jammed in on all sides by
iron rods and parts of the boiler.
Poor, brave fellow He might
have jumped and saved his life, at
least, as the firemen did !; but he
stood at his post and tried to stop
the train. Beautiful No. 80 was
smashed to bits-no setting her TO
rights again, any more than poor
Tom.
Well, as / had promised, l did my
best for Emily and the children. If
| had been Toms own brother [
don't believe I could have tried
harder to make things smooth for
them; and with Toms little proper
ty and what the railroad company
paid over, they got along very NICE
ly.
Curiously enough, one of the first
things the superintendent did was
to offer me Toms place as engineer
of the express. 1t meant big pay,
but big responsibility, too, and I
hesitated aboCt accepting. But f.