Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-24

innocent teamster got in the way ana
was sent to the hospital for treat
ment for his injuries.
| Natures Sweet Restorer.
! IA Railroad Yarn, by Herbert Il, Ham
blen.l
| Tom Cummins had been ten days at
the other end of the division" pushing
stalled freights over the hill, double
heading passenger trains thru snow
| drifts. etc.; wrecking, off the track,
/ fioundering in the snow with jacks and
wheel trackeds, and then thawing out
damply in the engine cab. He had
lived on boarding house sandwiches,
devoid OF butter or mustard, and oc-
casonally grubbed on the mysteries at
the railway restaurant. By way of
sleep he had had short spells of hectic
coma in the hot and stuffy bunk room
pieced out with eat maps, doubled up
! on the cab seat in sidings, while wait
i ing for delayed passenger trains.
/ AS a result he had acquired an acute
| dyspe psia, severe cold with rheumatic
variations, varnish like coating of
Crime and grease, an overwhelming de-
sire for sleep. and case of homesiek-
ness that was simply uncomfortable.
! He had reported all manner of things
the matter with his engine, hoping TO
be ordered home for repairing; but
1.-THE oil man" observed that her wheels
still turned.
| He had written on the engine house
register: Don't call me until I've had
eight hours Sleep although he was
thoroughly aware of the futility of 1t.
He glanced At his watch as he
istretched out on the malodorus bunk
tcushion; it was 1857. He didn't be-
lieve that he had been asleep yet when
his stertorous snoring was Interrupted
by the caller:
Hey, Cummins, Fourteen's two
hours late. You're to go down with the
first section
Heavens, what snap! 1t was the
first time he had ever caughe it. The
/ OF man must have relented at last. To
go over the division in three hours,
with four empty coaches-and home!
When he got to the junction he tele
graphed his wife: "Will be home in an
hour-starved."
He whistled coming thru the cut, and
Helen was ON the lookout When he
registered this time, he wrote
Engineer Cummins dead; decompo-
sition set in-don't call me for twelve
hours" and he gave them work re-
port that should have kept the engine
in the shop for twice that time.
Helen had warm bath ready, and,
once more clean, shaved and in mis-
right mind, he wrought havoc among
the bacon and eggs, and did justice TO
her buck wheat cakes and honey. Then
with little Billy on his knee, he smoked
his sweet old briar-root to the very
dregs in undisturbed bliss; but clean
sheets and downy pillows invited aim.
AS Helen closed the shutters, drew the
shades, and imprinted warm good
night kiss on his lips, he murmuIed
sleepily:
IF the caller comes, scald him."
sTll do better dear. I'll leave Tlse
loose in the yard and Billy and III go
visiting all day; then I'm sure you
won't be disturbed"
once he woke, but there were lances
of daylight under the shades, so he
rolled over again, grunting contentedly.
He awaoke again to find it pitch dark.
Some one was tapping at the kitchen
door and he waited in vain for his
-
yet While wondering how the visitor /
escaped the vigilance of Tige, and de-
batting whether to get up or not the
door opened with slight crash.
In an instant he was out of bed. The
silver set he had given Helen at Christ /
mas, the pride and joy of her wifely |
heart. was on the dining room slde-
board. Quietly he tiptoed downstairs.
"a
pres ence. The dining-room door was
OPEN and he crept silently III, edgins
away from the door at once. AS he
starined to catch definite sound, he
bethought him of his defenselessness.
A savage boot heel on his bare toes
would render him hors Gle combat. lie
became confused and lost his bearings.
He could not now find the door II he
wanted to-but there was the table. lie
felt that the intruder was edslng
toward him. Carefully, and with quak-
ing heart. he crawled under the laple,
Rugged the center leg and tried 10 mink
what to do next.
The fellow was behind him now, and
he thought of lodging back again, but
a strong hand gripped his collar, there
was binding fash and:
Hey, Cummins, git up'n git the
snow plow. Hurry up now; therre
waitin' for We"
He blinked stupidity at the callers
lantern, held within an inch
Of his nose for a well-defined purpose.
Despite its glare, the bunk-room sur
forced themselves upon his
attention. What time is it?' he asked
vaguely.
Time being a prime factor In rail-
coading, this question issues, parrot
ike, from the lips of the seml-eoma- 1
lose. /!
SILT" q
He pondered this information dumhlY