Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-10
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The Phantom Headlight.
BY Susan Garret.
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"Ready to start l suppose, Billy"
"Yes, sir. Got on good steam."
"Be pretty dark by the time we
reach Jacksonville"
"Yes, sir. Looks like it was goin'
to fog up some"
The fireman and the engineer were
talking together in the cab, just be-
fore Number Eight pulled out from the
depot with its heavy load. Phinney
Fitzpatrick, the engineer, was q broad
shouldered young fellow of middle
height, blue eyed and light haired, with
an honest, open face. He had q we'll
bred air, which was to be expected.
Carolina gentleman.
He had been sent by his father to
the university, where he soon won
threefold reputation-as thorough
gentleman, jolly good fellow, and
q failure.
When he failed for the second time
on the last Latin examination, and had
been made doubly sure of the fact by
the receipt of his report, Phinney said
to his father: ~ iss
Dad, Pm not going back to Chapel
Hill"
HIN! Rather emphatic. What do
you intend to do then?'
"Tm going to work-going to work,
on the railroad"
And my son will be common en-
gineerY'
well, it's no use returning to col
lege, and I'd rather be a common en-
gineer' than an uncommonly stupid
college boy"
So that is how Phinney came to be
an engineer. He worked two years
as fireman and then was given an en-
gine. He had been changed from one
engine to another, and at the end of
tour years on the road was making this
trip from Jacksonville to Wilmington.
Forty miles of the run had been
made in safety. The sun had set in
hazy fog.
lawfully foggy, isn't it, Billy?"
"Yes, sir. Mighty foggy, sir" an
swered Billy, who, in ten years serv-
Ice, had never risen above the post of
fireman, and seemed to have no am
bition for anything higher than shov-
elling coal, and supporting his wife
and five children in what they consid-
| cred comfort. ITS on nights like this
we see the ghost headlight, sir"
"Ghost headlight! Well, I've heard
of phantom rickshaws, but never of
phantom headlight"
II didn't say it was fantuln, sir.
Just said 1t was common ghost"
Him! Not at all common. should
say. Well, what do you think it is?"
Its the ghost of some old engine
that's got wrecked; and 1 think it's
about here they see it sometimes"
Just then Phinney blew the danger
whistle loudly, slowed down and
stopped the engine.
Look at that fool engine yondcrw
he said, pointing to a light that was
coming rather slowly down the track,
and now stopped.
why, it's this fantumw cried Bill
ly. Il s'pose it's the fog that makes
her light look GO low
Il don't believe any such trash. I'm
going to see what the fellow means
by coming down the track when he
knows the excursion train is due" And
Phinney, in spite of Billy's protests
got out of the cab, and started down
the track with a lantern.
He had gone only few yards
when, finding the centre of the track
very wet, he mounted the rail and
walked on the iron, an art in which
he was expert, but after walking sue
cessfully for n while, he suddenly lost
his footing. He stopped to find out
| what had caused him to stumble The
rail was gone! Forgetting the phan-
tom headlight and the other engine in
| his surprise, he hurried back to Num-
| ber Eight.
BILLY, the tracks gone, not fifty
yards aheadm
"Gone, cir? Gomez
"Yes. gone, vamosed, left out! Don't
stand there like a-er--we must fix it
right now you know for Billy was
standing staring at him in perfectly
vacant astonishment.
After the hands, under Phinney's
supervision, had replaced the rail, he
suddenly remembered the other head
light.
why, where's that engine gomez
he asked. For it was nowhere to be
seen.
God bless the ghost headllghtr'
said Billy, with devout irrelevance.
At which Phinney only laughed. But
afterward, when the trembling women
and frightened men had become calm
and Number Eight was speeding safe
" down the track, almost at the end