Arthur Stanwood Pier

“ Fred answered, "not to have all the comforts of home. There's nothing like a night on the floor for putting a man into condition."
McCance grinned. "Anything for an argument when you want to dodge a fellow's thanks; ain't it so? This is what I've written to Marie: 'These two gentlemen that take my love to my love will bring my love to me.' I'm educating her all I can in the fine points of the language." He laughed and gave Fred the note. ”

“ But you don't know what it would be to run a handcar over this road in that time."
"I came up here for exercise," said Fred. "I could get as much running a handcar as paddling a canoe—and more novelty."
McCance laughed and shook his head. "You'd keel over before you'd gone half the distance."
"Now we'll do it just to show you."
"The hand-car is subject to my orders."
"Very well; why don't you take it yourself, then? We'll help you—and you have a whole train crew in there."
"We have the business of the road to attend to—fixing up the train and starting it back." ”

“ McCance drew out the drill, hammered sparks from it, and thrust it back into the fire.
"There's another thing that bothers me," he confided. "If I could patch the train up and it should get through and bring her here—yet not in time—not until after the minister's sailed for Labrador—why, it would n't do. You see, she's trusting me—coming on to marry me when I can't go to her. But I don't know why I should be putting my puzzles up to you gentlemen."
"Because we can help you solve them!" I cried. "Let us take the handcar to-morrow morning, run it down to Marshall, and bring back the bride." ”

“ Then he took off the two broken pieces of the connecting-rod. "If I can drill through and rivet these pieces together with the brake rods—"he muttered; and with his hand-drill he set to work. "The steel needs tempering; it will be a long job," he said at last with a sigh. "Nothing more we can do here to-night."
He turned to Fred and me. "We'll take your canoe on the hand-car now, and in the morning we'll put it in the river for you."
With the canoe on the car, there was room for only three of us. "I like running this machine," said Fred. "I'd rather run it than walk." ”

“ Then the next day he takes the steamer back to Labrador. He's an old friend of mine, and used to be in charge of this settlement; we both wanted to have him. Now the train, day after to-morrow, if it was n't late, would get Marie here three hours before the clergyman would have to leave. But most likely it won't be running. Even if I can fix it up so that it can crawl back to Marshall, they won't let it go out on the road again until it's been more permanently tinkered. So it looks to me as if I'd have the minister but not the bride."
"Is there no other way of getting her here?" ”

“ He brought out various implements and loaded them on the car, and last of all he directed the conductor and the fireman to put aboard a jackscrew and rollers.
"We have so much to carry that I'll have to ask you gentlemen to help pump," said McCance. "I'm rather ashamed—but—my hands"—
So we four, the conductor and Fred on one handle, and the fireman and I on the other, sent the car trundling along, while McCance squatted on the jackscrew. When we arrived at the train, we found the engineer sitting beside his locomotive dejectedly. McCance made a brisk examination and ordered up the jackscrew. ”

“ He was a good-looking, clean-cut chap; when a man who wears no collar makes that impression, it means something. Alert, sensitive, and resolute—I wondered that one whose face showed these qualities should be a dweller of the solitudes. ”

“ The fireman threw out a suggestion. "I bet Tommy McCance can fix her."
The engineer's face brightened.
"Why, maybe he could; I think likely. Why don't you and Jake go and fetch him? I'll stop and tinker."
"All right." The conductor looked at us. "If you folks want to come along, it ain't much of a walk." ”

“ He needs another pair of hands to help him. Lord knows how he's managed to take care of himself."
That evening at any rate he was relieved of certain duties. The conductor cooked the supper, and afterwards the train crew insisted on the privilege of washing the dishes. McCance invited Fred and me to accompany him to his shop. There he made a fire in the charcoal stove and began heating his drill. ”

“ LOVE AND THE MACHINE
BY ARTHUR STANWOOD PIER
In the combination passenger and freight car, our canoe was the only freight, and Fred and I were the only passengers. Our car was the only car on the train; our train was the only train on the railroad. It was the Northern Newfoundland Trunk Line; and inevitably Fred, with his tendency to be facetious, had termed it the Junk Line.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic was from Marshall to Wingates; on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from Wingates to Marshall. ”