The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-05-14
INTERESTING STORY.
WON BY A BULLET.

W "1's AA'eiy oVuy St1u 50. NO one pre-
snmed to rival her, and none of the girls
envied her She was the pride of Kingston.
AT the last public ball there were two
guests, George Simpson and Frank Clifton,
who had never honored Kingston society
with their presence before.
George Simpson was an engineer on the
railroad, and passed the town nearly every
day. Somehow he was not much liked.
Frank Clifton was the new telegraph ope-
rator at the station. He had only been in
Kingston week, but half the town knew
him and liked him.
Kingston, I say, was way station. The
telegraph operator was station. agent, ex-
press agent, ticket agent, truckman and
porter; he ran the whole business.
Frank Clifton had given ample satisfac-
ton, and all the officials had confidence in
him. Notwithstanding his pressure of bust
ness, Frank had found time TO become &C.
quainted with Mabel. Crawford and her
mother, and they had invited him to tea.
Frank Clifton and George Simpson were
It the ball, and of course they ranked the
young men of the town. They were the OBJ
jects of all the admiring chances of the
young women, and all the clerks and farm
ers were jealous.
George Simpson was particularly attentive
to Mabel all the evening. Frank danced
with her once, and talked with her II while
OH the veranda. The ball broke up, and
Simpson walked home with her.
ntlxa ,,,,r. h. Az. ~
and George were engaged. Everybody be-
lieyed it, for Kingston had pecsliar way
of finding out such things, and it never
made mistake.
Then there was talk of how many rides
Mabel had taken with George on his engine;
how she sat on the fremans box in the cab,
and rang the bell as the train rolled into the
station. -
The sewing society put their heads to-
gether and said, 4" l told you so !" " knew
what ii was a-comin' to )" g. jest thought
it, and so forth.
Those who loafed about the station dis
covered that whenever three long blasts of
whistle were heard from the direction OF
the long curve up the road Mabel would
soon be seen standing about where the COM
ing engine would stop, and George would
step down from his cab, and the two would
chat till the train had to move on.
g Has that cur been barking at you late
ly? ?" asked George of her one day, as they
stood by the engine.
What do you mean, George ?n she said.
oh, that impudent upstart, Clifton, of
course. Has he troubled you lately %
"ohl George, you do him injustice. He
is a gentleman and one of our best friends
g He is low cur, for all that, and want
you to have nothing to do with him. I'd"
Why, what has Mr.. Clifton done ~ ask
ed Mabel, in establishment.
George did not answer Mabel's question
directly. He was cross aud unreasonable,
and felt mean. He determined to have it
out with Mabel before he left her. SO he
continued
You have promised to be my wife. ]
insist that you do not receive another visit
from that operator"
George, please don't. He has been SC
kind to us, mother and me, and we owe him
every courtesy. You are asking
The gong struck the signal for starting.
Quick !" said George, as he put one foot
al the step and started to mount the engine.
Now or never"
How can L? Oh, you are cruel to ask
it.n 8 SIS
Then you do not promise Good-by
for"
Yes, George, yes anything she cried
81 promise"
He leaned down and kissed her, smiling
multantly. Then he pulled the throttle and
ihe train moved away.
Mabel watched it till it had rounded the
curve OF the edge of the town, and she sigh
ed as she turned away and started home.
Frank Clifton came out on the platform,
and babe her a pleasant "good morning
as she passed the station. She turned awaJ
from him without speaking and walked on.
The slight cut him to the quick, but he
felt there was something wrong. Simpson,
he said to himself, had succeeded in turning
her against him at last. He knew Mabel
and her mother had always been his friends,
and it hurt him to be misunderstood.
Time passed on and Frank kept to his
work. He had not been to the Crawfords'
since Mabel turned her back ON him. Ma
bel continued to meet George Simpson at
the station, though she did not come down
so often as formerly. Rumor had it that
they were soon to be married.
One night Frank was sitting half asleep
over his key, worn out with fatigue, when
ne was aroused by hearing his own CALL He
answered, and the following order came
over the wires from the rain-dispatcher
Side track, No. 10, north-bound, King.
ston, ii P. NJ. Hold for Extra No z, soutn.
bound, due HOG" There was nothing un-
usual in the order. Frank 40. KID" It,
and made the necessary preparations for
tagging down No. 10, which, being
through freight, did not stop at way stations
unless signalled to do SO.
The night was dark and stormy, the rair
came down in sheets, the wind blew, light
ming flashed. Frank waited patiently for
the train.
The track from the North was ON a heavy
down grade, and it was the custom of engi-
neers to blow their whistles when they
reached the summit, some half mile away.
The clock struck eleven, and Frank step.
ped out ON the platform. Above the roar Of
the storm he heard the shrill blast--once-
twice-three times!
Simpson :" he calculated, as he turned
back for his lantern and wen. out on the
track.
The headlight rose over the summit like
full moon climbing the hills, and flashed
down the rails. The rain came down in tor.
rents, the wind whistled past the corners Of
the station with an ominous sound, the
train came laundering on.
Frank raised the lantern to swing it across
the track, but before the signal could be
given fitful gust of wind put out the light.
The train was not two hundred yards of
and had not slackened its speed. There was
no time to get another lamp.
II was moment of horror to the young