On advance of time
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2025-11-27 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77344 |
Description
The enchanted kingdom by Nevis Shane is a short story written in the early 20th century. Set in a gritty American railroad town, it focuses on rail-yard life, a looming catastrophe, and a rough-edged courtship where bravery reveals true character. The story follows Elsie Macumber, who refuses the surly hostler Sam Dobinski and favors the big, bashful brakeman Patrick O’Hara. Stung by rejection, Sam drunkenly schemes to send a free engine onto the main line in heavy fog, aiming to wreck the express driven by Elsie’s father, Engineer Macumber. As the express barrels in under “advance of time” orders, Patrick spots the danger, leaps aboard the loose engine, and coaxes it ahead just in time, while Macumber slams the brakes—averting disaster by a hair. Sam slips away in the fog, and Patrick, embarrassed by praise, retreats—only to be invited days later by Macumber, who has “used his influence,” to step into the parlor, where Elsie is eagerly waiting. (This is an automatically generated summary.)