The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-06-12
Jim Nelson's Revenge,

/ always like coming straight a
things, so if l am going to tell 20
what / know about this, l ask you
leave todo it in my own way, for Pm
plain man, with plain words. and hav
no knowledge of writing fine, so her
goes.
/ was married to Susan Gately, oI
the frs; day of FEBRUARY, in the yea
1868, al st. PauPs Church, Highfort
street, which may be seen by looking a
the writing in the books. Her father i
in the bltchering line. He says to NE
when l asked him for Susan; william,
says he, "of course / have liking TO
my little girl, and like to see her wei
settled in life, and happy, and ask yol
as man and a father, what's your look
out'"
"Susan's father" says l, 81 drive, a
you know, on the Great Eastern, tha
goes across the country, with $500 ;
year and fuel, and I'll take care o
Susan, and be kind and dutiful man t
her"
William" says he, shaking my hanC
with tears in his eyes, that the bleatinl
of all the lambs he's killed in his day
couldn't bring, "you can take her ant
good luck to yer, though siuce hel
mother was throwed, she's been bite anC
sup to me, and 'Eaven help but she may
be the same to you"
Well, was going away, feeling hap
py along of the ease with which things
were working, when he calls me back
saying, "William, / amt vicious man
nor yet backbiter, but | must say il
you take Susan, you get an enemy
along with her."
"Sho" says I, taken quite aback.
Fact" says he, "that jim Nelson la.
beer hankering after my little girl of
and on; but she don't like him. No omore
do |; and no more do you"
| nodded Eyes"
"And he told me one night that he'd
be an enemy to him that got Susan,
twas himselfR
Never you fear; l thought that it was
them lawyers that might be driving us
apart" said /, laughing hearty; but the
old fellow shook his head in doubtful
style. 10
Well we-that is, Susan and I-were
wedIocked, as they call it, gay and happy
As a marriage bell; we were coming out
Of the church. when up came Jim Mel
son, white round the mouth and nose,
and he whispered to Inc, "Whliam Rog-
,rs, there's something between You and
ne so long as you live, which wont be
Iong."
What he said, he said quickly; and be-
fore | could get Susan's arm off, so as
10 give him clinch, Susan's pa-who
was walking behind with white rose
n his mouth-stepped up and being a
strong man, he caught Jim by the
and turned him round, and
rave him one with his boot. think it
vas done well, for he rolled down the
steps, and into q hole that the sexton
vas in, and that made it worse. |
lidn't feel like laughing, for it seemed
unnatural; and that day was, to me,
happy, and | wanted it SO all round;
Ind it felt as though my engine was
'""Hi"g over the sleepers, instead of on
lole, all covered with dirt, and stood,
IS pale as a ghost, shaking his fist at me
md Susan, without speaking a sylla-
Die.
| couldn't shake off the remembrance
If it all that day nor tho n:St. :nd a
Kind of dread stuck 10 me- in sP'se oi
All | could do, the thong hts OF 1t wonid
:aus- suddenly to me TO ~ teel shs oldest t3s
strange. It WASN'T f.or for mo ar ali
,ut I kept thinking i1t r.int'.e me AZ Ati,
should do some harm to Susan when l
was away on the road, or come and
,cars her with his white face. by
Ieorro! thinks l to myself, I'd tic him
On the track leugthwise, and run over
him, if | thought he'd do that. / know
il was a cruel thing to think of him who
had done me no harm, but | was just so
savage 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 10 Pal
Icrton, lust one hundred and three
miles. / drove the Nester with the Ex-
press down in the morning, and then
back to Croydon again, starting about
four o'clock in the afternoon; though 1t
is not quite certain, rs we have to wait
for passengers by the boat, and that is
kept back by storms and such like,
though on the average the time doesn't
vary more than five minutes.
In the winter time, as 1T was when
this happened, of course it is as dark as
pitch when we run into Croydon, with
ont there's n moon; and | always look
well to the head light, and drive
with my wei! open; and | generally let
her 90 full, as the track 10 well cleared
of special trains at that time, and the
wav they have of telegraphing now u
DAYS, keeps me well posted about the
track ahead and the signal lanterns
along the route. So you see felt pref.
ty safe. and knowing | was n careful
man, | didn't have much feaT that Id
lot out anything that would show that
Jim was going to get his revenge by
doing me o harm on tie road, or by
spoiling my reputation as an engineer
For. do you. see, the idea to me that
knowing the road himself, and all IT.
workings that he might think il wa:
easy to hurt me that way, and so
kept my eyes open.
The next day i looked at jim mousse
which is twenty miles out of Croydon
in tbe woods, aud near the track; | saw
him standing by the doorway, scowiinl
at me. or leastways where he knew
was for he knew my train and habits
ne we were chums Cnce. He kept HI
eyes on the cab window, and as we e,
almost out of sight, looked round sud
den. and saw him shaking his fist at tn
train. Thinks | to myself, when sa7
that, "William Rogers, you look sharI
when you come back ever this route to
NIGHT: men that have a spite that live
as strong as that two days and tw
nights ought to be looked after" an
more than that, Susan said to me tina
morning when she was putting my Dime
in the pail, says she, "William, dear
ayes, Susan" says /, with my mout
fun of bread. y,
civilian, would it make much dlj
ference if you came in half an hour lat
tonight with the train !"
"No. Susan, perhaps not" You see
half knew what was coming.
because I'm afraid, almost OF some
thing: don't ask me what it is, for
don't know myself. l feel it somehow
and want you to drive slow and prom
ise me, william, dear, TO look at ID
/