The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1903-05-28
| DUNAWAY ON
An THE A. AND B.
! By JAMES EDMUND DUNVRNG .....
Copyright. 1908. By T. @. Mcclure

said:
"Old Tympan's out there again, 1
see, Palmer"
mo use," replied the general super
intendent. His name came in two
hours ago. l told him to report here
next time he got drunk This finishes
him"
Five minutes later old Tympan, aft
er forty years of service for the A. and
B., went tumbling down the stairs be-
cause he was drunk at the Hancock
street switch the day the directors
went up the line. Palmer had given
/ him pass home, eighty miles up the
road, and then fired him with ten of
the words Palmer wasn't accustomed
to using on ordinary jobs.
Train No. 6 pulled in while Tympan
fumbled the pass on the platform, and
! he climbed in and found double seat
in the smoker. He knew only that he
was out of a job, with a full pint in
his coat and Palmer's transportation
to take him up home, where he could
camp down for the winter with the
boys. He had threatened that many
times. They deserved it for letting
him work for living.
] taking vacation, Tympan" asked
Hennessy of No. when he came
through for tickets. Tympan admitted
he was off for a bit of time up the
road.
Guess you amt coming back right
off, tainted Hennessy. THE return
check on your pass don't seem to be in
sight. Long lay off, ell, Tympanw
Tympan sat up pulling his hat over
his eyes.
"Dick Hennessy," he said, you go
slow on yer kiddin' r I'll roast you one
o these days f'r hein' so smart. They've
| fired me. you en- bet-yes. they have;
fired me good, but I'm next to Palmer
| yet. An heard what Palmer told
| the G. p. A this mornin' about your
runnin' over orders twice last week
! know somethin', an don't you kid me
no more"
Train No SIS conductor ignored the
| challenge partly because he dared do
no more He knew the whole operat
/ ing department had been knocking ev
eryhody in sight because old Tympan,
| invariably drunk and disorderly, held
his job while better and younger and
sober men were overhauled in Palmers
| office for nothing more than leaving
| stations half a minute ahead of or
! ders or failing to wise the annual Of
some of the spying directors who went
| up and down. K. Ii. Palmer got a
master tongue flashing those days from
| the rank and file and now that the
! dismissal had really come Hennessy
was no more skeptical than any Of the
others concerning the general superin-
| tendents honest intention Of keeping
! Tympan out of service.
! Hennessy tried to conciliate Tympan
on his next trip through, but the old
man lay with his hat over his face,
steaming with rage, too angry even to
curse No. was making beautiful
work. and Hennessy felt better than
usual. He had eight ears with big
| load of women and kids and wanted to
| be on time anyway because it was his
| lay off that Saturday and there was an
all night game in the CLUB at home.
At Inchburg Hennessy got his usual
orders, everything all straight, and left
| on time. The rear brakeman found him
| just afterward and said:
| Hear about the wild freight went
up ahead of us? She's big one and
| it wouldn't surprise me if she got
! stuck on the Long Misery and held us
at Lyshon."
! Hennessy knew his man was right.
| Lyshon station is at the foot Of a
| thirteen mile grade known for good
reasons as the Long Misery" If a
| freight got hung there ahead of No. 8,
| it meant Everything balled up, for the
| A. and r. : single line. and the di-
rectors won't stand for a siding be-
tween Lyshon and Oldtown the sta
| ton at the crest of the Long Misery.
Hennessy took the platform at Ly-
shon before No. SIS brakes held her and
sought the dispatcher in the dlngy sta
ton.
wild freight" echoed the telegra-
pher. Eyes. went up an hour ago. Big
train? Yes, big train, but she's got a
good rail, and l don't believe she'll
I hold you a minute"
Hennessy went out and looked in the
book by the station door. He found
where the wild freight had reported
and saw with satisfaction that she was
in charge of Bitters, one of the ring
and sure to do his best to get that
heavy train out of the way long before
Hennessy came along.
Lyshon was on the card for only
thirty seconds, but Hennessy risked a
trifiing delay and went back to the op-
orator:
Cant you ask Oldtown, Just for a
chance, II that freight's showed up
YETI" he asked.
Wild freight 543 started over the
Long Misery in good order that Satur-
day and made excellent time for eight
miles or more. Then she was stopped
by shaky injector In the mogul. Bit
tiers left his caboose and ran up ahead
In time to see his redheaded engineer