Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-11-22
jim Nelson s Revenge.

things so if / am going to tell what I
know about this, I ask your leave to
do it in my own way for am a plain
man, with plain words, and have no
was married to Susan Galley on the
first day Of February, in the year 1868,
at St. PauI's Church, HighfOrd Street,
which may be seen by looking at the
writing in the books. Her father is in
the butchering line. He says to me,
when I asked him for Susan evil
liam" says he, so course I have a lik-
ing for my little girl, and likes to. see
her we'll settled in life and happy, and
I ask you as man and father, what's
your lookout ?"
f'Susan's father'' SAYS I, "I drive as
you know, on the Great Eastern that
goes across country, with e2o0 a year
and fuel, and I'll take care of your
Susan, and be a kind and dutiful man
to her"
william" says he, shaking my
hand, with tears in his eyes, that the
bleating of all the lambs he's killed to
this day couldn't bring, t4you can take
her and good luck to yer, though since
her mother was thrOWed, she's been bit
and sup to me, and 4tEaven help but
she may be the same to you.
Well i was going away, feeling happy
along of the ease with which things was
working, when he calls me back, say
nor yet a backbiter. But I must say
that if you take Susan, you get an enc
my along with her"
"Sho s" says ], taken quite back.
"Fact says he; "that's Jim Nelson
been hankering after my little giEl, of
and on; but she don't like him. No
more do I /; and no more do you"
nodded Eyes"
"And he told me one night that he'd
be an enemy to the one that got Susan,
without twas himself" /"
''Never you fear; / thought it was
them lawyers, that might be driving US
apart. said /, laughing hearty but
the old fellow shook his head in a
doubtful style.
Well we-that is Susan and I-were
WedlOcked, as they call it, gay and hap
py as a marriage bell we were coming
out of the church, when up came Jim
Nelson, white round the mouth and
nose and he whispered to me, william
Rogers there's something -betwiZ5 yOn
and me as long as you live, which
won't be long ?'
What he said, he said quickly; and
before I could get Susan's arm off, so as
to give him a clip, Susan's pa-WhO
in his mOuth-stepped up, and being a
strong man, he caught Jim by the
shoulders, and turned him around, and
gave him one with his boot. think
il was done we'll, for he rolled down the
steps, and into q hole that the sexton
was in, and that made it worse. /
didn't feel like laughing for it seemed
unnatural; and that day was to me
happy, and I wanted it so all round /;
it felt as though my engine was run
ming over the sleepers, instead Of on
the rails, when Jim got up out of the
hole, all covered with dirt, and stood,
as pale as a ghost, shaking his fist at
me and Susan without speaking a
word.
I couldn't shake off the remembrance
Of it all that day or the next day or the
next, and q kind of dread stuck to me ;
in spite of all could do the thoughts Of
it would come suddenly to me the Od-
dest places, and began to feel little
strange. 1t WASN'T fear for me at all,
but I kept thinking, suppose he would
do some harm to Susan when I was
away on the road, or come to scare her
with his white face. By George ! thinks
/ to myself, I'd tie him on the track
lengtbWise, and run over him, If I
thought he'd do that. I know it was a
cruel thing to think of him who had
done me no harm, but 1 was just so saw
age along Of thinking of his wanting TO
come between me and my lawful wife,
The next day / went on my route, as
usual, which was from Croydon to Pal
ertOn, just one hundred and three miles.
I drive the NeSter with the express
down in the morning, and then back to
/ Croydon again, starting at about O'Clock
/ in the afternoon though it was not
4 quite certain, as we have to wait for
/ passeng gers by the boat, and that is kept
| by the storms and such like, though on
/ the average the time doesn't vary more
| than fifteen minutes.
In the winter time, as it was when
I this happened, of course it was dark
/ as pitch when we run into Croydon
I "a nd II a HVITu
/ look well at the head light, and drive
with my eyes wide open and / gener-
ally let her 90 full, as the track IS well
/ cleared of special trains at that time
and the way they have Of teIegraphing
now day, keeps me well posted
| about the track ahead and the signal
| lanters along the route. So you see
/ felt pretty safe, and knowing I was @
/ careful man I didn't have much feal
! that I'd let anything that would show
! that jim was going to get his revenge
] by doing me harm on the road, OF
/ spelling my reputation as an engineer
/ For, do you see the idea struck me that
/ knowing the road himself and all its
/ working, that he might think it was
/ to hurt me in that way, so I kept my
! eyes open.
/ The next day 1 looked at Jin's house
which is about twenty miles out O
| Croydon, in the woods, and near the
track. I saw him standing in the door
/ way seOwling at me, or, leRstWays
/ where / was for he knew my train
and habits, as we were chums once. He
kept his eye on the cab window, anc
as we got almost out of sight, looked
round suddenly, and I saw him shak
ing his fis5 at the train, ThinksI to my
self when I say William Rogers, yor
look sharp when yOu come back ovel
this route tonight, men that have
spite that lives as strong as that, twJ
nights, ought to be looked after apf
more than that, Susan said to me tha
morning, when she was putting my
dinner in the pail, says she, civilian
dear"
eyes Susan" says I, with mouth ful
of bread.
civilian would it make much differ
ence if you came in an half hour lat,
tonight with the train 2H
f'lJO Susan perhaps not" You see
half knew what was coming.
because Pm afraid, almost Of some