The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-12-25

hour late. We. closed the cab
I'LL windows and dropped the cur
tain. Harry put the blower
on a quarter of turn to carry off the
gas. We lighted our pipes, cooked our
heels on the boiler butt and listened in
comfort to the bowling blast without.
AS sat and puffed on my fragrant old
brierwood my gaze became riveted on
the only thing visible, the steam gauge,
like a spectral face suspended in the
center of the uniform blackness. The
soothing hum of the blower, the
warmth and sense of coziness, combin-
ed with the hypnotic effect of my fixed
gaze, set me to dreaming.
Tomorrow would be Christmas, and
mother was with us. 1t was her first
visit since my marriage. Katie, her
poor little heart a-flutter at the pros
pect of visit from that dreaded in
spector general, her mother-in-law, had
slaved herself nearly to death. Three
year-old Bob had nearly wrecked his
mothers wonderful patience by his
persistent efforts to render her labor
futile, and had "fggered' on the runs
for month to make sure of being
home on this the greatest Christmas
that ever was. For a wonder, I had
not figured in vain. Everything had
come out exactly as l had hoped it
would. would get home early enough
for Christmas dinner and late enaugh
to preclude the possibility cf being sent
out again before the next day.
A curling wreath of blue smoke float
ing across the face of the gauge arrest
ed the selfish course of my thoughts
and directed them to the boy on the
other side of the cab. Harry Mervin
had been on the road only a couple of
months, most of which time he had
been firing for me. He was bright
pleasant and willing. 1t now occurred
to me that l rather liked him, but that
| knew absolutely nothing about him.
1t wasn't so very many years ago that
| was strange boy on this same road
myself, and this was Christmas eve.
made pretense of getting light for
my pipe at the gauge lamp and leaned
across the boiler.
Where are you going to spend
Christmas, Harry?" l shouted above
the noise of the gale and the Stating
of the curtain.
The fire glowed brightly in the bowl
of his pipe once, twice, before he an
swered. He leaned against the boiler
on his side so that l could barely dis
Germ his features in the dim light and
replied cheerlessly:
''Oh, in the board'n' house, 1 guess.
Where else? They're agoin' to have
roast turkey an cranberry sauce an
plum pudd'n', hear"
l soon knew his story-a stepmother
three months after his own mothers
death and, l mentally added, a red
headed stepson. He had picked up a
general idea of firing while beating his
way on here from Wisconsin, and, hap
pening to arrive at our roundhouse
just as a man was urgently needed,
he caught on.
They're callin' u.s." he concluded,
and, giving the bellrope a jerk, he
stepped down to hook up his fire.
When got coupled up and he
stepped up in the cab again, said:
I'VE expect to have little time at
our house tomorrow, Harry, and 1
should like to have you come up and
take dinner with us.''
s'Thank you, Alec" he replied. 81
will"
There was an inch of snow on the
rails when got my orders to run as
an extra, keeping out of the way of all
Aoa Dx.k
ductor, said he had nice, light run
ming train, the cars all loaded with
whiskbrooms and straw hats. I was
| glad enough to hear it, for there were
l1o miles of iron, slippery with the
heavy falling snow, between old 1875
| pilot and home. If l averaged the
maximum of freight train speed. twen-
ty miles per hour, would arrive home
by O'Clock in the morning, but it was
bad night, and l should never be
able to keep them going at that gait,
SO | promised myself not to kick If /
got home by noon, a very liberal al
lowance
1t was hard pull out of Tabor's
| junction. When the yardmaster hap
pened to be feeling just right, he would
let one of the switch engines get in be-
hind train and give her a shove for
half or three-quarters of a mile, but
Davis was no crony of his, so we
didn't get it.
1t was a fearful night. The gale
howled and the snow drove horizontal
ly, like a sand blast. The wind was on
The tireman's side, which made it pos
Jible for me to look out but all could
see was an impenetrable white screen,
made visible in one small spot by the
headlight. had been easing the throt-
tie when she slipped-for should need
all the sand had before / got home
until she nearly stalled. That wouldn't
do. so | gave her bare taste and
leaned out to hear the gratifying
crunch of it under the wheels
Harry gripped my shoulder and
shouted:
merry Christmas!
wished him the same and many Of
them and noticed that it was just IL
by the engine clock. She hadn't slipped
since gave her the sand. but was puff
ing along with suspicious freedom, for
we were not up the grade yet. ! told
the brakeman to go back on top of the