Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-05-07

Schoolmaster, Mr. Birch, beside him.
Outside, the moon made the land
scape as bright as day. Farmer Bios
som. looking through the window
pane. thought he had never seen
prettier sight
How fine the night u.s." he said;
"the sky is so thick with stars that
you can hardly see the blue" Then,
without waiting for response from
his companion, he exclaimed: Halo!
as l live, here comes that Bob Driver
again, and making straight for the
house, tool"
Turning from the window, he looked
at the schoolmaster and chuckled:
Good thing we got supper over early
tonight; I've fooled him this time"
Mr. Birch smiled.
bob is a fine, growing lad" he
said, land was one of my smartest pu-
pills. I am afraid the people at Maple
Farm don't treat him any too WELL and
suppose that is why he is always
hungry"
Further discussion was cut short by
a knocking at the door.
Come in,'' cried the two men, with
one voice, and the subject of their re-
marks entered, bringing with him a
rush of air that snatched the knob out
of his fingers and banged the door to
behind him.
Good evening, gentlemen"
The words had hardly passed Bob's
lips when he was startled by the slam
ming of the door.
81 didn't do that, Mr.. Blossom" he
cried.
mo, Bob, I know that. Sit down
there" said the farmer, smiling as If
he were glad to see him-though he
was not-while Mr.. Birch grasped the
boys hand with:
Good evening, Robert; I'm glad to
see you;" which, indeed, he was, for
Bob, aside from his other agreeable
qualities, had faculty for telling tales
of various kinds that quite won the
schoolmaster's heart-being gifted him
self with a passion for the romantic,
and of the best works of fiction.
The farmer took but passing inter
est in such of Bob's narratives as he
had heard, for he considered this pas
time, as we'll as the reading of books,
generally, a waste of ones leisure
Bob Driver was big and strong for a
boy of sixteen, and had a laughing
face and black curly hair. AS he took
a chair near the table, and began
drumming on its sides with the fingers
of his right hand, his eyes took on
retrospective look, as he cast them for
moment on the floor, and, knowing
what was expected Of him, he plunged
at once into his subject:
did 1 ever tell you gentlemen of the
time my grandfather first took his
new locomotive out on the road?" he
asked.
Il think not, Robert" answered Mr..
Birch, pleasantly, while the farmer
merely shook his head.
WELL" began Bob, my father was
one of the first engineers to run To-
connective in this country, and, of
course, the experience of riding be-
hind the steam horse, as people used
to call it, was a novelty, then, and
many excursions were made up, and
people paid for tickets, just for the
pleasure of riding around from one
end of the line to the other"
"A very idle practice, l should say"
interrupted Farmer Blossom.
Just So" said Bob, with a smile in
the direction OF the schoolmaster,
which was returned. Well, one after
noon, my grandfather started out with
q brand new locomotive, to which was
attached his regular train of three pas
senger cars, crowded with excursion
lists. At the last moment, and when it
was too late to remedy the matter,
he discovered that his fireman had
deserted him-gone off somewhere on
an excursion of his own, | suppose
and without saying a word to anyone
he resolved to do his own firing on
that trip; and busy time he had of
it, as I've often heard my father say.
Afterwards he thought that he might
have got one of the train hands, or
even passenger, to help him, but
then they would have been new to the
work and would, most likely, only
have got themselves in the way; and
on top of it all my grandfather was so
angry at the fireman that he never
thought of asking the assistance of
any one on the train until after he had
put five miles between himself and the
starting point, and then, feeling quite
Independent, he concluded to let mat
ters take their own course"
At this moment Mrs Blossom entered
the dining room with a pan of fresh
biscuits, which she placed on the table.
and Bob Driver interrupted himself to
EXCHANGE n1aaSapt oroetin0 uitl,