The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1931-07-31
Toot-a-Toot
Toot
By JACK WooDFoRD
y 4 Il + II Il Il Il
10 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.N
(WNu Serytcel

the grade toward Westminster. The
engineer looked up at Mike Watson,
hand grimly on the throttle as usual;
this was the tricklest grade on the
line. Plenty of steam was needed, and
a steady hand on the throttle. The en-
gineer had the usual good head OF
steam up; he shook his head grimly
and cursed to himself as he looked
at Mike. Mike would, he knew, in
minute, pull a series Of idiotic toot-a-
toot, toots on the whistle. He always
did, despite the desperate strain on
the climb when every ounce OF steam
was necessary. 1t was small thing,
but the fireman always felt furious
about it. He took certain pride In
trimming his fire to meet every emer-
gency; he played upon the oil feed
control as virtuoso plays upon q
violin; he could calculate the steam
needed to nicely, without blowing
the emergency by getting to much;
and then Mike always had to go and
mar the performance with his idiotic
toot-a-toOt tOots.
The fireman was a bachelor. De-
spite this, he could realize the neces~
sity of some men marrying, even II
they were railroaders; but how as
ordinarily level-headed fellow as Mike
could after years Of married life,
toot toot at his wife every time
he passed their bungalow, built on the
hill near the track where Mike nightly
passed with long freight, was more
than the fireman could understand.
And every time she heard the to0t.
a-toot toot, she came out upon the
porch, with the porch light on, and
waved her handkerchief. Marriage
the engineer could understandable
such monkey business as that
Sure enough as they reached the
center Of the grade, to the fireman's
disgust, the toot-a-toOt toOt sounded.
The fireman stepped to window and
spat disgustedly. There she was, on
the porch, as usual; the porch light
ON, waving fool handkerchief like an
idiot of high school girl. The fire.
man started to expect0rate again
for he always expectorated twice over
this nightly performance-when a
sight that almost caused hin, to swal-
low his plug held his eyes. man had
rushed upon the porch. He had
grasped Mrs. Watson by the throat
and was shaking her head from side
to side with obvious murderous intent
tro In af
ties to a standstill with yank at the
airbrake that sent compressed air
whistling and screaming to the end Of
the train. The cars bumped against
each other from end to end of the
train. as though furiously indignant
and intent upon destroying them
selves.
Mike took a long iron bar with him
as he jumped out of the engine and
started up the hill. The fireman, auto
matically looking back to the end Of
the train, out Of long years of rail-
road experience, noted with satisfac.
tion that the brakeman was running
back down the track with a lantern
and flares. He followed Mike up the
incline toward his home, painfully
conscious that he was breaking at
least 81 Of the most cherished rules
of the railroad. But Mike was Mike
fool that he was and Mrs.
Mike was Mrs. Mike, even If she did
act like school girl Mentally as he
ran after Mike. the fireman COM
III ho
might have had coming but for this
break tonight. He formulated albis
TO present to the superintendent But
he could think of no allbi which might
account for the desertion Of ones en-
gine on the main line for q mere
der to which he was wholly unrelated
at that.
When Mike burst upon the porch
the man who had been vigorously
strangling Mrs. Mike vanished within
the house. He managed to get the
door locked. just as Mike threw him
self against II so that It's firm wood
creaked alarmingly Mrs. Mike threw
herself upon him. But Mike, utterng
bellows OF rage. threw himself again
and again at the door.
The fireman aided Mrs. Mike AT
last they got him Gained to the point
Of listening to her.
"It was Davey Wharton she
gasped. "Davey, the switchman from
up the track Number two tunnel had
a cave-in. He telephoned the dis.
patcher. but you had just cleared and
II was too late. He tried to set up
flares. but he couldn't get them light.
ed, on account of the wind; and then
he heard you coming. He knew you
always whistled at me, and that !
waved back. There wasn't minute
to explain to me so he Just
grabbed me and made off he was mur-
dering me- figuring you'd come II you
saw that"
The fireman sa' down heavily upon
the porch floor. He gazed at his
fingers and carefully tapped them. He
was figuring out for the second time
what his old age pension would be,
and this time with the pleasurable
knowledge that he would actually get
1t, unless he again engaged In some
QuIxotic performance.