"Tweet!!" The same shrill whistle pierced the air, the same I had heard for over a year

now. "Next stop, Boston" the conductor called from the front of the train. I had heard a

rumor that he wasn’t a conductor at all, but a bodyguard for the governor, who was on his way back home to Boston from Holden.

"Hey, Andrew!" My name was being called from my fellow brakeman, Henry, a car

over. "Are you thinking about Sally again? You will get to see your beloved soon", he said jokingly.

I made a snowball with snow from the top of the train and threw it at Henry with a sour expression on my face. Sally was the extremely muscular woman that ran the Train Workers Inn. She was well known for being the ugliest woman in Massachusetts.

"You wish Henry," I laughed at him as he wiped snow off his hat and face.

The overseer shouted at us, "Boys, stop messing around. We aren"t off this train yet!"

A second later, we heard the braking whistle, our whistle. I sprang into action. Jumping from car to car I tightened the brake wheels to stop the train at the station. When the train finally stopped, all of the doors were perfectly aligned with the stairs leading to the ground.

I ran back to the middle of the train where I met Henry. We congratulated each other for a job well done and watched as all of the passengers got off, disappearing into the bustling crowded city called Boston.

Henry stretched and yawned. "We were on that train forever," he commented as he climbed down the brakeman ladder to the ground. "I am going to go see Sally. Should I tell her that you are going to be there soon?" I was down to the third rung when I decided that he was going too slowly. I jumped over to the ladder on the next car over and jumped off the train. "How about I tell Sally that, from you?" I grinned devilishly and ran off towards the Inn.

*******************

"Hey there, stranger" How long were you out this time?" Sally’s deep voice rang out over the noise of the Inn. I could see her serving oyster stew with crackers and butter to a couple of work-hardened coal movers.

I waved at Sally then sat down at an empty table to two, knowing that Henry would be along after collecting his baggage from the train. He had taken a new join to train new brakeman. That meant that he would be staying in Boston when the next train left. I shook my head “He will be here when I get back next time” I thought as Sally strode over to take my order.

"It’s been awhile since you last came in," Sally commented as she took out a small note pad. "What will it be today Andrew? The special today is ham with baked beans and brown bread. Today’s stew is Oyster Stew with crackers and butter.”

“The special of the day sounds delicious. Henry should be here any second and I am sure that will go for his regular. Can I get a mug of peppermint tea to go with that?” I responded with a smile that was as goofy as Henry’s fantasies.

“One special and one regular it is,” Sally repeated dutifully as she made her way through the crowd with her bulk. I followed her with my eyes, watching her break up a fight over a game of cards. “Everyone knows I don’t allow gambling so I don’t know why you folks feel the need to try!” She shouted at their backs as she threw them out of the door. “You can come back when you don’t have your cards, just like everyone else.” She closed the door with a firm *bang* in the men’s astounded faces.

I smiled at myself, knowing that they would be back within an hour, cards tucked in luggage back at the boarding house where most men stayed in the big city. I had just accepted my mug of tea from one of Sally’s helpers when Henry breezed over to the table, dropping his heavy bag next to the table and kicking it under.

“So”, he said briskly, rubbing his hands together to summon warmth. “What did you order me for supper?” The same helper brought him his normal massive mug of black coffee.

I motioned to his cup, saying “Don’t you think that I at least have enough sense to buy you the same thing you always get? I’m not that much of a dunce.”

Henry gave me a hard long look. “You’re right, he said finally, looking away as a new helper came with his normal bowl of beef and vegetable stew and bread in one hand. I rubbed my hands together as I looked down at my ham and baked beans with brown bread.

“Well, did you check the lists on your way in to see who your new partner is?” Henry started to shovel stew in his mouth, somehow managing to stay dignified as a bit of broth dribble down his chin.

I raised my eyebrow at him with a smirk. “Henry, you are a piece of art, did you know that?” I asked as the first silent helper replaced my mug with a full one. I offered her my thanks then turned back to my meal. Sally had been right about the generous portions. I started on my beans first, slowly working my way through the ham, which had been one of my favorites as a child.

By the time I was done Henry had floated off to join a couple of his other friends. I motioned over a helper and gave her the money for our meal then trudged my way back to the brakeman boarding house that was run at the station. It had started to snow, a light fluffy kind that I could only appreciate off duty. When I got to the boarding house I checked to see who was my partner on the tracks tomorrow. George Smith. He was okay, still a little green after being at the station for only 4 months. I took a quick glance at the weather reports, noticing how low the temperatures were supposed to drop. The light fluffy snow was going to turn into sleet, icy snow over night, promising a hard day jumping the cars on the tracks.

I shuffled to my bunk, amazed at how tired I was. I got out my warmest clothes and an extra pair of socks, hoping that they would do the trick against frost bitten feet. I flopped in to a bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I awoke to the sounds of my fellow brakemen muttering about the cold, the snow, and how the managers of the station refused to cancel departures for the morning. I grinned to myself and pulled on my warm clothes. As I jogged over to the Inn, I hoped that Sally had saved some of her first brew of strong coffee for me like she normally did when I had an early departure.

“Good morning, Sally” I greeted as she turned around.

“Morning there, Andrew! So I hear that George Smith is your new partner until they find you a more suitable one” Sally replied as she handed me the cup of coffee that I had hoped for.

“Thanks”, I said watching the common rooms fill up with sleepy train workers that wanted breakfast before going to work. “You are right about Smith. I am a little worried about him though. He trained in the summer and started to work without guidance only this October. This will be his first big storm. I don’t want anything to get messed up that I could be blamed for, not with Christmas only two days away. My parents want me home this year because I wasn’t there last year on account of training and travel costs.” I took a long sip of coffee that was now only scalding hot instead of boiling.

Sally nodded her head in agreement as she kept an eagle eye on the card players from the night before. “I would really miss you if something happened. You are one of my best customers. And, you had better get your mother something good this year to make up for last year. Andrew! It’s almost 8 o’clock! Aren’t you going to miss your train?” Sally exclaimed as she glanced at her hanging wind up pocket watch that her father had given her. I realized that she was right and pulled the money for the coffee out of my pocket and ran to the back door as fast as I could. I flew past all of the opening stores to get to the station. My bag was already on the train and I needed to sign in before I could climb up to my post.

“You are a bit late there, aren’t you Andrew?” asked Mr. Jones, the man in charge of the time machines. “Have a Merry Christmas and I hope that you have a safe journey on the tracks.” He gave me the same good bye he gave every worker that signed in at his post.

I nodded to him and hurried off to get to the train so I could unscrew all of the braking wheels before we got started. I made it to the train in record time when I noticed the light fluffy snow was back after a night of sleet. The snow would make jumping the cars more dangerous than walking on a skinny bridge of ice with ice skates on. I got to the top of the train just as the whistle for loosening the brakes was sounded. I ran to obey the whistle and managed not to slip the whole time.

I sat at the front of the train before heading back to the middle to talk to George. I waited until we were out of the station, watching the trees go by faster and faster. I got up and was picking my way back when the train gave a jerk. I felt myself fall and my last thought before hitting the ground was that my mother would be devastated that I hadn’t made it back home for Christmas......

Andrew P. Chase died on December 23, 1891