The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-05-02

when he sprang to the brake, only to
find it useless, there being a broken
chain. At the same instant that he
looked up very much scared, he saw
the strange man In the cab Of the pas
senger engine. He screamed out,
g Save me, Charlie, save me-" and then
sank down on the top of the car.
There was an exclamation, and the
strange man bad jumped clear off his
engine and ran across to the regular
freight engine on the other track. It
was only the work of a second to pull
the pin of its tender from the car, then
he sprang into the cab, where only the
fireman stood. Throwing open the
throttle, he started down the side
track, headed toward the fleeting car,
some distance already away. A brake
man, who had Immediately grasped
the situation. ran and threw open
the switch. allowing the engine
to speed on to the main track. The
steam was put on and the fireman or
dered to open her wide and coal up.
Like meteor she flew after the runa-
way car. On they swept, gaining rap
idly; they were within twenty feet of
the car when the engineer ordered the
fireman to open her little wider and
then to hold her steady at that point.
Carefully the strange man, who had
been recognized by Bill as Charlie,
crept forward along the foctboard of
the boiler until the cowcatcher was
reached, when he lifted the long pin
which always rests in the center Of
the pilot, and catching firm hold on
the standard he leaned out, waiting
until the bar slipped into the bumper
of the car, when he dextrously dropped
the pin, that stood partly upright in
the hole of the bumper, and then the
car was fast to the locomotive. Both,
however, were laundering along down
the terrible grade, and fast approach.
ing the curve and the bridge. He then
crawled back to the cab. In the mean
time, with great nerve and sense, the
fireman had commenced shutting off
the steam, and giving the track sand.
When the strange engineer clambered
back the brake on the tender was
tightly set. Then the lever
was reversed and thrown over
This put the engine in a
back action, and gradually the speed
slackened until final stop was made.
The engineer then sprang out of his
cab and hastily climbed on top of the
box car. There safely lying on the
walk which runs along the tops of all
freight cars, onehand tightly clenching
the brake-rod, which kept him from
falling off, was Bill. He was in dead
faint. Then, pardner, occurred
queer scene. The strange engineer
commenced tearing open Bill's clothin'
and trying to bring him too, right
there on the car. He worked away
desperately, and just as he saw signs
of life, he called out passionately,
Clara, my darling wife, speak to me
My God, she's dead !" and the fireman
saw that Bill Schaeffer was a woman.
1t was all explained then. She was
brave enough to run an engine, and
had been taught by her husband;
but she could not face sudden
danger, and, Woman-ike, had
tainted. Charlie explained to
the crowd who had followed the
strange race down the track on another
engine about the wonderful affair. 1t
seems he had dearly loved his wife and
had taken her along for three years on
the engine with him as a fireman until
she became as skilled as any. She al
ways wore mems clothing when on the
road and passed for his brother. But
at one time he had become crazy jeal-
GUS of her causelessly, and had deserted
a,ip Chicago, without any explana-
tiSAChat was two years before the
strange meeting, and he had drifted
and wandered about since trying to
find her and make his atonement. She
had also gone to work as an engineer,
with a view of finding her husband.
The boys gave the united couple won
derful reception when Logansport was
reached, but the affair was kept out of
the papers. 1t is now made public
through the Herald for the first time
you can say that. Well, I'll come and
tell you some more stories some day
Goodbye" ."-Chtcago Herald.