Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1903-06-05
No. %


were she was iate. He knew Hennes-
sy. It was for him to reach Oldtown
sn time 10 stop 40. : at Lyshon. Bit
ters sickened ut the thought Of the
Saturday night rush OF women and
children which had given Hennessy's
train the name Of the nursery ex-
press"
They worked quickly then. In thirty
seconds Bitters was in the cab, and his
Irish engineer was giving the mogui
steam enough and some to carry Bit
ters figured il was four miles to the
goal. and the way they paced II of
made It impossible for him TO say he
was disappointed when he jumped OF
at OldtOwn.
"No. s, hold her Mt Lyshon. My
freights busted, an thlrty-three Of
'em are on the grade, goin' to beat
thunder"
'No. sr' The dlspatcher's face was
pie crust. "She left LyshOn six min
utes ago. late" He went back to his
instrument and sent Seventeen" the
clear ont signal to warn the road
south Of him. but as he did so he knew
that No. was coming mp Long Misery
ten minutes late, straight into the
teeth of the worst runaway the \. and
| b. had known.
Hennessy was fumlng nj Lyshon.
for he couldn't afford another second.
yet Oldtown had seen nothing of the
wild freight.
Better wait FOR another report from
Oldtown," said the operator But
Hennessy was six minutes late then
and resolved to 90 on up the grade.
, He signaIed his engineer and jumped
on the rear. The brakeman was there
and grnned when the conductor cursed
bis luck.
Hennessy, half way through the
door. wheeled. There, away back by
the station platform. only fading bit
OF dismal detail in the familiar view,
was old Tympan standing in the mid
die of the track and waving crossed
arms.
Left and signaling us to come back
for him." said the rear brakeman.
Hennessy spoke eloquently, looking
at his watch. The time frightened
him. "I'll not 90 back for him. he
cried. IL can't be-
There was that i'm the rear brake
mans eyes which stopped Hennessy.
Suppose he should leave Tympan at
Lyshon over Sunday, with no trains
either way. and suppose the old mans
pull with r. ii. Z. were still working,
and suppose the young husband of her
who was Nell Tympan. he who worked
in the G.. Z. As office. should
And there was old Tympan himself
standing in the middle OF the track
and signaling, Back up, back up.
back up" Could he afford TO ignore
the old fellow? Though it hurt him 10
do ii. he said:
NO. | believe III go back for the
old guy, Bill"
The rear brakeman pulled the cord
and Hennessy went in to reckon just
how much over thirty minutes late
he would be into Oldtown.
There was no denying that old Tym
pan was exceeding drunk. HennesSy
smothered his wrath with difficulty as
No. S backed into Lyshon. for he
hadn't relshed what he had heard 20
Ing through the day coaches. He leaned
out toward the dirty figure reeling
across the platform and heard Tym
pans idiotic laugh as De boasted OF
having called back the biggest train
on the road. II jus went ont there
ri out there-and Signaled, Back up.
and yer backed up, didn' yer? | tel
yer. gents. there amt CT man o th'
rod darst ter dis-diSobey my orders
There was Il scramble on the plat
form behind them, and the diSpatchc
came shrieking like Il plow train at .
blind crossing.
Back UP. Hennessy, for all your
WORTH he shouted. Runaway freigh
thirty something cars Oft the wil'
train coming down the gradc-be her
I'm less than minute. Oldtown wired
Oh. HenneSsy. look mp the line"
1t was a cloud of sand and dust
the first curve in the Long Misery
three miles away.
Hennessy's knees wavered. The dis
hatcher struck him with his hist he
tween the shoulders. crying Quick
man. Run her back into the siding an
let the freight 60 by"
The passengers knew only CnoUSl
10 complain that they were no. ribl!
shaken up that afternoon near LyShon
1t was Hennessy himself VINO switched
No. \ into the siding and who thanHe'
heaven with all sincerity that it was
Just long enough 10 take his train ah'
leave the main line open. As he threw
the switch his head went dizzy VIII
the whirl Of the freight. When tn
threatening thrty-three banged past
| Hennessy gave 10. one look after, but
tainted over the lover and hung Ike
uniformed scarecrow until they gath
cred him up.