The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-07
O. milk. 1t was a mighty thin drink /;
but I'd "a swilled dish water if she'd Of

but I'd "a swilled dishwate if she'd Of
fered it.
"After that my fireman run the train
mostly, while l lay in the grass an heard
her singin' about her work, once in a
while comm to the door to give me a
pleasant word. Of course I'd "a got the
grand bounce if the thing had got to
headquarters; but my fireman liked to
learn, an as long as he didn't find NO
fault at his double work, it wasn't no
one else's funeral. So the thing lasted
two weeks-such a soft job couldn't run
long-an' then the bottom fell out.
"But Mary an me had come to be
right smart friends by that time
an when l was put on the passenger
blowed signal jest before l come to the
house, an she'd stand in the door an
Swing her sunbonnet at me as we passed.
"Of course you all know that most O.
the Western roads was built on bogus
plan. The farmers along the proposed
line was persuaded to give mortgages
on their farms, to be used as collateral to
borrow money on, the railroad companies
guaranteeing to pay the interest on the
mortgages, and pay the farmers hand
some dividends on the stock they took
in exchange for the mortgages. SOS it
'u'd be all in pocket with them, an never
cost 'em cent. All went lovely till
the mortgages fell due. Then the COM
panies busted the stock wasn't worth
cuss an the farmers had to clear of
their mortgages themselves, or git kicked
out O. house an home. 'Twa'n't more n
human natur' that they should rile at
that; an fur awhile they pulled up tracks
an dumped trains into the ditch kinder
promiscuous, you bet.
"Wall, as the fall passed, the evenin's
got shorter, until didn't git to Mary's
house until after dark. Then she used
to stand in the open doorway, with the
light behind her, or, when it stormed, at
a winder.
"One night pulled out dead ag'in' a
tearing northwester. 1t was blacker'n
the inside of stone ink-bottle out; an
the rain lashed ag'in the cab winder SOS
l couldn't see through the glass any way.
"Just by Mary house there was quite
a down grade, an at the end O. that
grade curve around the face of bluff,
with thirty foot fall on the outside of
it-a mighty nasty place to git ketched,
old hoss, or I'm liar thought about
it before / got thar but says to N.Y.
self, says l, "A man that's born to be
hung'll never git drownedp so / pushed
ahead, as usual.
"Just before comm to the Lockworth
farm blOwed my signal an stepped out
O the cab, to see the light in the winder.
The trees was jest more'n lashin' an tos-
sim, as could see by the flashes o. light
min: but thar want no light.
81 was a-goin' to step back into the
cab, mighty disappointed, when crash
came something through the cab winder.
By fash of lightnin' caught a glimpse
of woman standin' beside the track,
bareheaded, an with her hair an clos
bIowin' wild, and heard shrill voice
scream:
"Cap! Cap! Cap!'
"A glance showed me the frame Of a
lantern on the cab floor. That was
enough. l kuowed it meant danger.
.'To whistle fur brakes like mad-to
reverse the lever-to throw the throttle
wide-to sand the track-didn't take no
time at ALL An then [ swung out on
the step an looked ahead, while my
fireman was strainin' the tender-brake
to the last notch.
"It seemed an age before she begun
to slack up; and when she come to
standstill the nose O. the pilot was within
ten feet of as dev'lish device as you
ever seen. Halfway round the curve,
and in the very wort place, crosspiece
was spiked to the track, an on this was
an incline, p'intin' our way for the pilot
to run upon.
"I reckon tLar was some white faces
when the passengers piled out O the Car,
an seen that they had come within ten
feet O. kingdom comel Some one asked
me how found it out in time to stop her.
didn't answer him nary word but,
jumpin' on that engine again, l left the
boys to remove the obstruction, while
/ backed that train to the Lockwood
farm.
"I found her beside the track, Jest
whar she stood when we passed her, the
wind blowin' SOS she could hardly
keep her feet, an the rain a-blindin' of
her almost. When jumped down she
nabbed me by both arms, and screamed,
hysterically.like:
"O, Cap! o, Capt.
"Then everything seemed to give way
an she was as limp as an empty sack.
"She had overheard farmer, what
had seen his family sot out o. doors,
threaten to dump train fur the railroad
swindlers, an watchin'-because that
was my run, boys-had discovered the
plan to pile my train over the bank.
knowing that wouldn't be likely to see
her signal, and remembering some stories
I'd tod her, she stood close to the track
an throwed lantern through the cab
winder.
"But now it was all over she wilted,
an l had her on my hands.
81 reckon, fellers, thar was queer,
all.overish feelin' about me, and mighty
big lump in my throat. All drippin' wet
as she was, took her up in my arms an
straddled it off toward the house. An
solemn, l kin tell ye
AS how she'd saved my life (not to
mention the hull train), an what a dain-
ty leetle thing she was to be out there
alone in the rain and wind, waitin' fur
me to come along, fell to kissing of her
wet cheeks, an lips an hair, all the way
up to the house; an she let me, clipging
to my neck, an sobbin'. an sayin', now
and then:
40, Capl o, Capt.
can that, gents, is the how yer hum
BILE servant popped the question"