Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1925-01-15
ENGINEER
AND THE
PILOT
BY NATHANIEL DICKINSON
% BY Short Story Pub. Coz

the engineers hands, as the frown on
his dark face and the mood which
caused it whenever the picture of the
dapper young pilot, in his natty blue
uniform and black-visored cap. on the
upper deck, passed before his mind
and stirred afresh the hate which lay
smoidering In the depths of his soul.
There was something soothing, then,
In the very anger of the elements to
the engineer of the Sayville The
| startling, vivid Wilderness of the white
caps which here and there showed
| their teeth against the back-gre of
the river, the dull glow of red, half
way up the northern horizon, which
marked the track of the coming storm,
were all akin to his mood, and strange
| ~ comforting.
We'll get it, he prophesied gloom
| lily to himself, ''and 1t looks like hell
fire." he vagarized.
| For Patterson was Iii love, and only
this morning he had discovered the
full metes and bounds OF this passion
and the other great one--hate. For
| the one he was indebted to certain
girl whom he had known but a month
for the other to the young pilot Of the
SayvilIe, whom he had known for
years.
That 1t was all his own doing, this
present condition of affairs, did not
tend to ease his hate, or his love- Two
weeks ago he and Bolton, the pilot,
had been friends, and harmony reigned
between the engine~room and the pilot
house. Then, in moment Of that fool
ish confidence which lovers have, .he
had taken the pilot to call on the girl
be was to marry, and this had been
the beginning of the end as far as the
rough engineer was concerned, for the
pilots hands were not grimy, and his
voice was low and pleasant, and then,
too. conscience and love are sworn
her charms So from friend of both,
the pilot became friend of each,
which Is vastly different In such cases,
and GOODNESS grew between him and
Patterson
But Patterson's pride was Of a ma
ture which kept him silent, and In
silence the GOODNESS grew between him
and the girl he loved and his old
friend, Bolton. And then, this very
morning, had come the inevitable
When he had gone to say good-by to
his promised wife, he found her In the
little garden he had grown so to care
for, in the arms Of another man-Bo-
ton.
Something had seemed to snap In
him then, for he had stopped in his
tracks with an expression almost of
horror In his eyes He was too dazed
to be Angry then.
The girl had sprung from the arms of
her new lover with a cry Of alarm, and
he stood ready to fight for his very
life with the man he had wronged, for
there was that in the others eyes
which was not good to see.
But the big engineer had slowly
passed his huge hand across his eyes,
turned and walked out the gate and
down the street again. There was
something terrible in this-more so
than If he had vented his rage then
and there
Now. the cloud had passed from Pat
terson's brain and left him with one
clear thought, and that the desire to
kill. Beads Of perspiration stood out
on his forehead.
The jingle Of bells in the engine
room called him back to the present
and his past. He cast last look at
the black thunderstorm, and went back
to his engine as though he had said a
last good-by to this world.
When the Sayville cast eff her moor
ings at six o'clock and swung away
from her dock, the rising storm had
already brought night down over the
river, and the dull red In the north
had faded In the approaching rain.
Up in the pilot house they had called
for full speed In spite Of the narrow
channel, in the hope that the steamer
might run away from the storm. But
they were in its track, and but a few
miles downstream 1t overlook the
Sayville and swept her decks from
stem to stern with a deluge of driving
rain.
Down among his throttles and levers
Patterson received the signal to slow
down to half-speed. For moment he
stood motionless, hesitating whether
or not to obey the signal and then, his
reason coming back to him In meas
ure. he slowed his engine down.
But thought came to him that
there was place on the river, where,
IL he had hesitated, 1t might have
meant the death Of those in the pilot
house, and this was at the draw-bridge
which spanned the river five miles be-
low at Middleburgh.
The draw-men on this and the crew
of the steamer were sworn enemies
Time after time the draw had been
SvyuuO en- ta r1iIy that tho Covvf1fo ho "a