Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-12-31
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: : Merry
= Christmas

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windows ana dropped the cur
tain Harry put the blower
on "a quarter of Il turn 10 carry uft the
gas. We lighted our pipes, cooked our
heels on the boiler butt ana listened IN
comfort to the howlug blast without
As / sat and puffed ON my fragrant old
hElerwuOd my gaze became riyeted on
fue only thing visible the steam gauge.
Ike spectral face suspended in the
center of the uniform hlackness The
soothing hum OF the blower, the
warmth aud sense of coziness. combin-
eel with the hypnotic effect OF my fixed
gaze. set ma TO dreaming.
Tomorrow would he Chris /, and
mother was with rs. 1t ner first
visit since my marri Katie. her
poor uJtIe heart a.Hujter at the pros
pee. of q Visit nom That dreaded In
~pector gel r4i hyr Iapther-inlaw. had
shaved herself .paI, 10 death. Three
,....-lld d j. hrH nearly wrecked his
muucr-, wonderful patience by his
persistent rTalt~ IL .rnder her labor
futile ana had "H--cred' on the runs
FOR 81 muua To mahc sure OF being
huu" con this the greatest Christmas
rha r..r aas. For wonder, l had
uut #...I I'D yu.u Everything had
coma" nUg exactly MS had hoped it
would. would gct home early enough
for christmas dinner and late enough
10 preclude the possibility of being sent
ont again before the next day.
a .u..lg wreath Of blue smoke float
4- across the face of the gauge arrest
nl the selfish course Of my thoughts
t.d directed them go the boy on the
other side of the cab. Harry Meryin
had been on the road only couple Of
months. most Of which time he had
b.eu firing for me lie was bright
pleasant and willing 1t now occurred
10 me that | rather liked him. but that
knew absolutely nothing about him.
D. wasn't So very many years ago that
va~ strange boy on this same road
myself. and this was Christmas eve.
n.dr preteusc of getting light for
my pipe 1T the gauge lamp and leaned
across the boiler.
Where are you going to spend
Christmas, Harry / shouted above
tn. noise of the gale and the Stating
OF the curtain.
The fire glOwcd brightly in the bowl
uf his pipe once, twice, before he an
swcrcd He leaned against the boiler
on his side SO that ! could barely dis
Germ his features In the dim light and
replied checriesSly.
"Oh, in the boardu' house, l guess. |.
Where else: They're agoin' to have
roast turkey an cranberry sauce an
pl.m puddu', l hear
soon knew his story-a stepmother
tl... months after his own mothers .
death and, mentally added, a red
headed stopsou. He had picked up a
a.l. raj idea of firing While beating his
way uu here from Wisconsin, and, hap
p.u.E- to arrive at our roundhouse
jus, as man was urgently needed,
he caught on.
They're calm US he concluded, .
ard giving the bellrope a jerk. lie
s...nd down to hook up his fire.
When ! got coupled up and he
stepped up in the cab again, l said:
I'VE expect to have a little time at .
our house tomorrow Harry, and l .
should like to have YOU come up and .
take dinner with us
THANK you, Alec" he replied, II
viii"
There was an inch OF snow on the /
rails when ! got my orders to run as
an ezra, keeping out Of the way of all .
regular trains" But Davis. the con [
ductor said he had q nice, light run I
ming train, the cars all loaded with I
whiskbrooms and straw hats. l was
glad enough 10 hear IT., for there were /
10 miles of iron. slippery with the .
heavy falling snow. between old 1873
pilot aud home. II | averaged the /
maximum Of freight train speed, TWEEN .
~ miles per hour would arrive home /
by O'Clock in the morning but II was |
a bad night and | should never be I
able to keep them going at that gait, .
So ! promised myself not to kick if l
got home hy noon. very liberal al
lOwanCc.
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 thrce-quarters OF mile, but .
Davis was po cropv of his so we .
didn,t got II
n vos fo,rfrI pfoh+ Tbe Gala {
bov,Ind ana the spoyr drova horizontal I
Iv Ike q sand blast The wind was on /
the fremaD's side which moda il nos.
sible for me Ia Iool, ONT but All 7 corId |
sec was nm fnnapotrobIc white screen I
made visible in ono small snot nv tho
headlight had been easing tbe tbrot-
lie when she sIinped-for I shouId uead
I'll the sgnd lad bcfore | got home (
until she naorlv stalled That youldp't .
a. sa oova nor "a hare toeta and .
.eanad out to baor tho oratirvir,
,rp.,cI. If il ,,,la,. tho wheels
Harry arfr,,.5 nv shorIscr aud /
,hopted
Merry Chrfstpos'''