The Montgomery tribune., 1901-11-01
WHY TON QUIT HIS ENGINE.
Continued from last week.

"Say, Dan. do.you remember old
man Adams, who was conductor of
our train?" asked Tom more cheer
full.
eyes. Do you remember his
wife had baby that year during
the drouthp" asked Dan.
"Yes. Wasn't he a peculiar old
duckp" asked Tom.
"Yes. And don't you know he
called her eighty-one, and said he
named her that to remember the
drouth of cighty-one. Well,
cighty-one Adams is my wife and
fairer woman never whetted q
knife on a milk crock" remarked
Dan. "She was horned the year I
was 10. She is just half as old as
me, but she has just as old head
on her"
Handing his well filed measure
to the landlord and stepping over
to where Dan was sitting, Tom
reached out his big muscular hand,
cxclaiming, "Shakel"
"Glad to congratulate you, Dan.
Wonderful! So you married the
conductors little girl. Do you re-
member how we used to take her
In our cab and tickle her dimplc
chin, pinch her rosy checks and
kiss her time and about?" asked
Tom. "Wcll, have wondered
thousand Of times who, II anyone,
she ever married. Never saw hut
one person thought about oftener
and you know who that IL, Dan.
al have noticed you here at the
hotel several times, but never be-
fore had the courage to renew our
acquaintance. | left you In charge
OF my engine under very unplcas-
ant circumstances, and, Dan, ever
since that day I'd just as soon be
dead as not"
"Oh pshaw, Tom, 'twant no fault
of yours ant you forget II n
while and call round and see Mrs.
~ioglep I'll tell her who you are
and she will cheer many n lonely
hour for you. call her eighty.
Eighty-onc Is too odd and dry for
her nature "
The curiosity of the embryo rail-
roadcr, Mr. Rcubin Brown, Esq,
was aroused to its highest pitch.
"if you fellcrs are on to anything
let us ali into 1t. No use to be so
confounded sc1retivc. Cant YOU
get 'cm to tell us n railroad tragedy,
ur. Coontzp" qucricd Brown OF the
landlord.
"I guess Mr.. Maxwell could tell
you several. ! think he run on the
road about twenty years. Didn't
you, TomP"
"Yes. You see | used to run on
the old North Missouri, now called
the Wabash. Went on In 81, the
18th day of April. Got charge OF
No. ii0 on Chicago and Alton In
1873. ] run on the North Missouri
all through the war. Was held up
by train robbers and bushwachcrs
Think Bill Anderson would have
killed mo once II it hadn't been he
needed me to run the train to next
station.
"But all these things weren't
nothing to compare with what
happened to mo the 10Th OF June,
1881. That Is why remember the
drouth SO well, for had seen folds
of grass and grain that should have
been green catch from spark from
my engine and burn up like tindcr.
"Well. as Dan here tells you
used to switch OIL and lay on the
switch at the old gardeners, Just
below Stark's nursery.
alice, the gardeners girl, was
the plumpest, chcrricst, sweetest
little blue eyed angel outncr para
disc. just couldn't keep my eyes
oil her whenever she was in sight. |
And II pcared like she didn't try to
keep out of sight when old ii9 was
lying on the switch. She used to |
waive at me, as Dan Gays. Then
I'd just make the very earth trem-
BILE with the heavy trucks of my
train, and sich shrieks, like an
awful ovcrgrown whipperwill |
would make with my engine.
"Then she used to bring her
purity white apron full of rosy red |
Ia. H.. "a