The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-06-11
Locomotive No. 5.

For two months No. s and her engi
neer had the best Of luck. Then cam'
an accident by which they wert
/ thrown into the ditch. No. 5 was pref
| II we'll smashed, and Tom Drayton hal
/ ribs and a leg broken. The first IN
! quiry be made after the surgeons hat
/ fixed him up and he had regained con
| sciousness was after his pet. He sais
/ nothing OF his own hurts. They did no
| count There was a week or so IL
which the master mechanic did no
| know whether TO send No. s to this
| scrap heap or the repair shops. They
/ did not tell this TO Tom. but he seemed
to realize the crisis. and he fretted ap6
/ worried until the doctors were mysti
/ fed Then word was brought ons
] morning by the fireman that sweet
heart was to be repaired and made as
good as new. and within an hour tbs
doctors saw such a change in the big
man that they We're mystified again.
No. s and Tom were put back on tbs
old run, and for the next three years
they were in a way public characters
Not an accident Of any sort happened
them. Other locomotives We're ditehed
caught in collision or became victims
to spread rails. Other engineers were
killed or discharged or manned for life
No matter for snow or rain or fog Of
darkness, the pair could be counted on
However, iron and steel will not al
ways last Indeed, they grow old fast
er than flesh and blood There came q
day when No S began to limp and
complain For three months Tom tin
kered and patched and concealed her
condition. but this could not go on for
long She began to lose her strength
spells. and one day the master me-
ehanic overhauled her and pursed his
lips and turned his back on the engi-
neer.
What is it," asked Tom in anxious
tones.
'.she has lived her day as a passen-
ger engine. She may last for another
year on freight Iou will have to
change to No. II after this run
Big Tom walked away without an
other word and sat down IN the dark
est corner of the roundhouse and
brooded. II some one had told him
that on the morrow he must divorce
-. aI,a,don = wife he could nor have
So. - So
-.
i1o1i' nc . ''i-eNi .''oe'' oet' '1'eA 20
nm 70 hifiseh. ne report hao gone
our, ana they were sorry Tor hlIn. Hls
run was to begin At > 0 clock that even
ing. and the weather promised a wild
night. Some said that he would wan
der away and not be there to take his
tram out. put they We're Ialstakeh. he
was on tlfae, ana 20 all OUTSIDERS ne
suppressed ms Ieeilhs5. 10 MS hfe-
man ne sald III q voice hafdly ABOVE
whisper:
Ben. the sweetheart has got TO go.
This IS heH asst trip before the coaches,
They are going to put her on the
1relsat-
l5dt you know she Is GettIng old'
repl1ed the hFeman.
ate her DO you heaf-they shan.t do
- = 49, > t->@ -. - s%A~sA - ~
anu won nave It.
Maybe they will change their minds
tomorrow.
The engineer turned away without
another word and busted himself about
the departure. and promptly on the
minute No. 5 steamed out of the depot
as proudly as ever IN her life. There
was a gale and doUnDour Of rain.
She began TO slip and strain and
wheeze ere she had gone a mile. At
the junction. ten miles out. she had
lost two minutes time. The fireman
looked at Big Tom and saw him shak-
ing his head mournfuily- When the
signal to go ahead had been given, the
engineer turned and said:
Son, I want you TO climb over the
tender on To the platform of the bag
gage car. When | check her up you
are TO cut me loose aud brake the train
TO standstiil."
Heavens. but you can't do THAR
shouted the fireman.
But I viii do it. Don't say another
word. We have been partners for