Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-10-07
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY, SATURDAY MORN1N

wasn't no one else's funeral. So the
thing lasted two weeks-such q 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 I was put on the passenger I
blowed signal jest before 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
of The Western roads were built on bo-
gus plan. The farmers along the pro-
posed line was persuaded to give mort
cages on their farms, to be used as COL
lateral 10 borrow money on, the rail-
road companies guaranteeing to pay
the interest on the mortgages, and pay
the farmers handsome 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 a cent.
All went lovely ill the mortgages fell
due. Then the companies 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 ma
ture that they should rile at that; an
fur awhile they pulled up tracks and
dumped trains into the ditch kinder
promiscuous, you bet.
"Wall, as The fall passed, The even
in's got shorter, un;il I didn't Get 70
Mary's house until after dark. Then
she used 70 stand in ibe open doorway
with the light behind her, or when it
stormed, at q winder.
"One night I pulled out dead ag'in'
q teariug Northwestern. It was blacker'n
the inside of stone iuk-bottle out; an
The rain lashed ag'in The cab winder
SOS I couldn't see through the glass
any way.
"Just by Mary's house there was
quite down e"ade, an' at ihe end O.
that grade a curve around the face of o
bluff, with q thi,;v foot fall on The out
side of ia mighty nasty place 10 git
ketched, old boss, or I'm liar! I
thought about it before I got thar; but
I saws to myself, says I, "A mau that 8
born to be hung'll never git drowned!
so 1 pushed ahead, as usual.
| "Jest before comm to the Lock
worth farm I blowed my signal an
stepped out O. The cab, to see Gle light
in Che winder. The tgees was jest
NOR lashin' an iossin', as I could see
by tue flashes O. lightuin'; but thar
want no light.
ct was a-goin' 10 step back into The
cab mighty disappointed, when crash
came something through the cab winder.
By fash of lightnin' I caught q
glimpse OF woman standin' beside the
track, bareheaded, an with her hair an
clos BLOWN wild, and heard shrill
voice scream:
"Cap! Cap! Cap!
GA glance showed me The frame of o
lantern on the cab floor. That was
enough. kuowed it meant danger.
"To whistle fur brakes like mad-to
reverse the lever-to throw the throttle
wide-to sand The Srack-didn't take
no time at all. An then I swung out
on the step an looked ahead, while my
fireman was straining the tender brake
to the last notch.
"It seemed an age before she begun
to slack up; and when she come TO q
standstill, the noss o. the pilot was
within ten feet of o dev'lish device as
you ever seen. Half way around the
curve and in the very worst place, a
crosspiece was spiked 10 the track, an
on this was an incline, pintin' our way
for the pilot to run upon.
{" I reckon thar Was some white faces
when the passengers piled out O. the
car an seen that they had come within
ten feet o'kingdom come! Some one
asked me how I found it out in time TO
stop her. I didn't answer him nary a
word; but, jumpip' on that engine
again, left the boys to remove the OBJ
siruciion, while backed that train to
the Lockwood farm.
"I found her beside the track, Jest
whar she stood when we passed her,
the wind a blowin' SOS she could hardly
keep her feet, an the rain a-blindin' of
her almost. When I jumped down
she nabbed me by both arms and
screamed, hysterically-like:
ESQ, Capt. 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 jump train for the rail-
road swindlers, an watchin'--because
that was ms run, bovs-had discovered
She plan to pile my i:ain over the bank.
Knowing that wouldn't be likely 10
see her signal, and remembering some
stories I'd told her, she stood close 10
the track an throwed lantern through
the cab winder.
"But now il was all over she wilied,
an had her on my hands.
"I reckon fellers, thar was queer,
all-overish feelin' about me, and o
mighty big lump in my throat. All
drippin' wet as she was, took her up
in nv arms an straddled it off toward
the house. An thinkin'-mighty SOL
emn, can tell yeas how she'd saved
nv life mot to mention the hull train),
an what dainty leetle thing she was
to be out there aloue in the rain and
wind, waiten' fur me to come along,
fell 10 kissing of her wet cheeks, an
lips an hair, all the way up to the
house; an she let me, clinging to my
neck, snd sobbin,' aud sayin', now and
then:
$50, Cap! o, Capt.
can that gents, is tie how yer hum