Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-11-16
The Engineers
Story
By NJ. O. RoLFE

n NE autumn afternoon our train
| happened to be a little late. and
we steamed into Melville, the end of
our run, at very lively rate There
were so or more on the platform,
awaiting the arrival of the train;
and among them, more lovely than
any other woman there, was Belle
Reighton.
She started q little as the whistle
screamed out close by where she stood,
and that was what drew my attention
to her at first.
The brakes were all on, and we were
stopping as briefly as we could, but
there were two baggage cars and half
a dozen well-flled coaches behind, and
they crowded us pretty hard; and 1t
was evident we would run rod or
two beyond our usual stopping place.
When l saw Belle start, We were not
quite even with the point where she
was standing-maybe 1S or 20 feet
away. Her foot struck against the
wheel Of a truck close by. and she
staggered headlong right toward the
track. Only two or three steps, and
she would go over the edge Of the
platform, and the engine was rush
ing along to crush her as soon as she
fell. felt cold all at oncel
No one was very near her-not near
enough to grasp her and drag her back
from the sudden. terrible death that
threatened her. In moment she
would totter over on the rails be-
low-and in a moment my. engine
would be there. too!
Impelled by a sudden impulse, l
crawled along the side Of the boiler,
clear to the front of the engine, and
leaped to the platform right against
her, as we came on. saw the fire.
man stare, and his face actually looked
pale through the coal dust and smoke.
/ saved her!
But the force with which had
sprung from the engine threw me
across the sharp iron rest at the bot
tom of the baggage truck, and, before
anyone got to me. had tainted, and
had little more life than dead
man.
When came to myself again, they
had laid me on a sofa in the ladies'
room, and they were all talking at
once so fast that I couldn't under
stand much of anything any Of them
said except two-the doctor and the
girl l had saved.
Hes coming out of his faint" said
the doctor. 1.-TWO of his ribs are
broken, but l do not think he's fatal
ly injured"
That's bad enough" said a voice
"a tender, plying, woman's voice, all
In a tremble, and which I knew in
stinctively was her voice. But, thank
Heaven, it isn't any worse"
Then all was still moment. The
doctor kept feeling around my ribs
in a way that made me imagine he
was trying to bore through me with
a very dull auger. l hadn't opened
my eyes yet, and shut them tighter
and bit my lip hard to keep from
crying out with the pain.
zone of them is fractured In two
places" said the doctor.
"He saved me, but he nearly lost
his own life in doing it." said her
voice again. what an awful death
II would have been! want to do
something for him. DOCTOR"
"You can do nothing now" was the
reply. 1--WE must manage to get him
home as soon as he Is revived"
While he was speaking. l raised my
eyelids and took a good look at the
girl. Her eyes fell as she saw l was
looking at her. and the warm blood
Redeemed the face that had been almost
as pale as my own-and II was de-
cidedly the prettiest face had ever
seen. Then she opened her big, brown
ewes. so bright through her tears, and
said. sweetly and earnestly:
"You are hero!"
I thought would willingly have
two more ribs broken to hear her say
those four words again.
After awhile they took me home
Belle found out where we lived. and
ran ahead to prepare my old mother
to see me brought in on stretcher
She wouldn't 90 away till she had
helped mother to make me easy, and
extorted a promise from us that she
might come and do her part toward
nursing me back to health and
strength.