The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-03-15
THE TRICKY
LOCOMOTIVE.
A Story That Puzzled the Farmer and
the Schoolmaster.
By ). H. KIRwIN.

H Wa just dilcI NMliiEutB tuc Ahthp
had been lighted, the supper things
cleared away, and Farmer Blossom sat
in a chair in the dining room, with the
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 Is" he said
"the sky is 30 thick with stsrs that you
can hardly see the blue" Then with
out waiting for 3 response from his COM
panion, he exclaimed; "Hailo as /
live, here comes that Bob Driver, again,
and making straight for the house toor'
Turning from the window, he looked
AZ the schoolmaster and ehuckied:
"Good thing we got supper over
early tonight; fooled him this time"
Mr.. Birch smiled.
bob is fine, growing lad, /" he said,
''aad was one of my smartest pupils.
1 am afraid the people at Maple Farm
dln't treat him any too well, and ]
suppose that is why he is always
hungry"
Further discussion was cut short 10y
knocking at the door.
"Come in, cried the two men, with
one voice, and the subject of their re-
marks entered, bringing with him
rush Of air that snateaed 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.
II didn't do that, Mr.. Blossom" he
cried.
''No, Bob; 1 know you didn't 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, Pm glad to
see you;n 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 the best works of fiction.
The farmer took bat passing inter
. =: - ,f nobfa parrofivaa aa ha
had heard, for he considered this pas
time, as well as the reading of books
generally, waste of ones leisure.
Bob Driver was big and strong for
boy of sixteen, and had a laughing
face and black curly hair. As he took
chair near the table, and began
drumming on It's side with the fingers
of his right hand, his eyes took on a
retrospective look, as he cast them for
a moment on the floor, and, knowing
what was expected of him, he plunged
at once into his subject:
"Did | ever tell you gentlemen of the
time my grandfather first took bis new
locomotive out on the road?" he ask
ed.
~ think not, Robert" answered
Mr.. Birch pleasantly while the farmer
merely shook his head.
"Well," began Bob, my grandfather
was one of the first engineers 10 run a
locomotive in this country, and, OF
course, the experience of riding behind
the steam horse, as people used to
call it, was a novelty, then, and many
excursions wtre made up, and people
paid for tickets, just for the pleasure
riding around from one end of the line
/ 10 the other"
"a very idle practice, should say, >
interrupted Farmer Blossom.
Just so, said Bob, with smile in
{ le direction ofthe schooimaster, which
WIS returned. swell, one afternoon
M grandfather started out with
band new locomotive, to which was
attached his regular train of three
passenger cars, crowded with excur-
/ Sl0UAStS. At kAC AsArt h4Ch-~AAf eN-N
when it was too late to remedy the
matter, he discovered that his fireman
had deserted him-gone off some
where on an excursion of his own,
suppose-aud without saying word
to any one, he resolved to do his own
firing on that trip; and busy time be
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 sc
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 himseifand the start
ing-pOint, aud then, feeling quite inde
pendent, he concluded to let matters
take their own course.n
AT this moment Mrs Blossom enter
ed the dining with pan of fresh
biscuits, which she placed on the table
NJ rs-f..- IL Il