The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-12

There was a big crowd at the Terminal
depot and he was sweating profuseiy
when he at last had worked his way
through the crowd and came out of the
subway where the fast mail for Deer
Lake was standing, every one of her big
steel muscles standing on strain, avail.
ing the hand of the engineer to open the
throttle. Dick had scarcely swung his
suitcase to the first step of the last coach
when the air brakes gave little groan
and the train slowly started to roll out
into the yards and pick her way through
the mesh of tracks until she got to the
main line.
He did not enter the coach but stood on
the back platform until big SO was out
of the yards and had struck a 40-mils
clip on the main tracks. Then he entered
the coach and sat down in the only
vacant seat In the car. The seat in front
that was what he supposed, for just
resting above the back of the red plush
seat was a great. widebrimmed, blacl,
straw hat decorated with wide spread
ing red chanticleer feather. But the
presence of a lady in parlor car is
nothing out of the usual and Dick paid no
attention and i've minutes later he was
buried deep in the mystery of the latest
summer love-story book
1t had grown dark and the porter had
just gone through lighting the lamps in
the coaches when they pulled out of
5ewanee junction and the long cleaning
couble track stretched out for miles
ahead of them. They now had clear
track for 60 miles to Nashville without
u stop, and with u good head of steam
old 90 was pounding the rails for about
30 miles an hour. Dick had tired of his
look and dropped it to the floor to take
q short nap, when he heard the girl in
front of him get up to get a drink OF
water. When she returned he happened
TO open his eyes and with an exclama-
ton he was awake In an instant. He
started to speak but caught the name
between his lips, for although the girl
looked straight at him she did not show
the least sign of recognition. Dick looked
at the wavy hair of the back of her head
for fully 10 minutes after she had sat
down. In that time he did some of the
hardest thinking he had attempted since
the final examination at his junior year
at college Kate Robinson, If you don't
want to speak to me you don't have to-"
he said under his breath and picked up
the book from the floor.
He read, or rather pretended to be
reading, for he did not see one word Of
tho page before him, and was thinking
of the girl In the next seat. Kate Rob-
inson and he had been the closest of
ohums that year at the university Every
Dick. They liked each other and didn't
care penny who knew 1t, but they had
ouarreled over a little incident that hap
pened at the senior class dance and both
had left the college for their summer
vacation without saying good-by to each
other, and now here they were on the
same train. Dick was sorry and wanted
to make up So was Kate, but she was
going to show Dick Heron that she could
sc. along without him as well as not and
he would have to beg mighty hard be-
fore she made up with him. Besides
she thought to herself. ''I'll bet that he
lust followed me to see IL I would moi
apologize to him."
Roth were thinking how much they
VIC uld like to be in the same seat when
suddenly the air brakes were thrown on
with such force that every passenger
in the coach found himself sitting on the
floor In front of his seat and looking ns
If he had been dropped out of an airship
into a salt water lake on the moon.
"Oh, Dick" came from the seat where
the girl had been sitting with the great
black straw hat and the red feather on 1t,
'wh-what is wrong7"
Dick gathered himself together and
position the seat.
Kate. you're not hurt. are your"
mo. I'm not, but I'm scared to death, .
responded that young lady. Now the
naughty manner had melted away and
her pretty face was all smiles.
BY this time the train had come to a
dead standstill and one long screaming
whistle was coming from the engine.
Then with a Jerk that bobbed the heads
of the passengers nearly off the train
started backward. Faster and faster
they went back toward Sewanee junction.
until the speed of the train swayed the
coaches from side TO side nlarmingly.
The engine did not whistle; there was
just one long, continuous, scream piercing
the night air like a flying arrow.
There was wild excitement among the
passengers of the train. People talked
excitedly and every one made wild
guesses what had happened and why the
train had so abruptly stopped and was
row flying backward Kate was excited
and frightened, but although Dick thought
he knew perfectly we'll what was wrong,
he did not say a word of 1t to her or
anyone else Before he had time to frame
up something to tell Kate to ease her
mind the front door of the coach opened
and the fireman of the engine rushed in.
his face and hands black and sweaty and
his blue overall suit besmrched with coal
dust.
'Who can run the engineer he bawled
ont above the noise and roar of the flying
train. Everybody stared at him as If he
was a ghost Not one answered. ANY
body here can run an engineer" he re-
peated louder than the first time.
whats wrong?" asked a fat travelling
man sitting in the front of the COACH
but the fireman had turned, disgusted
and the door slammed on his back with
out his answering. Dick had sat motion
less until this time but now he sprang
up and ran after the retreating fireman.
He overlook him just as he entered tho
mall car.
Say, friend. know a little about a
locomotive" he said. The fireman looked
at him.
''Where did you learn it? he demanded.
whats wrong7" asked Dick. In q fcw
words the fireman told how a headlight