The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-07-30

| polished steel levers. the gauge, the barn
and the wheels of the engine were gone.
and in their place were neatly papered
walls hung with pretty pictures; the win
dows were as clean as soap and water
oft applied could make them. and the
| curtains were of spOtlcss white. The
floor was carpeted with ingram of neat
and CHEEKY pattern, where the sun
beams liked 10 sport, especially when
baby sported with them-a pattern that
was homelike by lampllght. The pic
ture didn't stop with this. A sweet
faced woman sat in an easy chair rock
ing, by the side of the dying embers in
the CRATE, for even in summer the nights
are cool on the hillside. Her hair was
| the color of ripe corn silk and her eyes
so blue and tender, so true and gentle,
that even the magic first painted
just little slower when he came to
this fair figure, lingering lovingly as he
did his work. Then the door by his
side opened, and in crib by the side Of
q bed were nestled two little baby girls;
their golden curls spread over the pillow
with grace that art has never learned
nor ever will their pink cheeks flushed
with the warmth of their coverings and
their bright eyes hidden by four little
white curtains fringed with golden silk,
such as no loom has ever spun, even in
enchanted FARMLAND, where cobweb-
threads are spun BY elfin weavers into
clothes, colored by dyes distilled from
rich rose leaves and purple violets,
golden rods and peach blossoms, and
fashioned into garments by domestic
spirits for royalty to wear.
1.-The engineer sighed and the picture
was gone. The walls were greasy, the
floor was dirty. the night was dark and
he was once more at his post of duty.
1t was midnight and the Long Point
water tank stood up beside the lonely
track like grim and corpulent spectre.
On the right of it rose the great trees of
the harsh woods. On the left of the
track was the ravine, whose walls were
as straight rs a stone could fall. The
rocky bottom of this ravine was fully
200 feet below the rails, which were
scarcely ten feet distant from its brink.
1t had always been dangerous, but the
superintendent said it couldn't be help
ed. The river, which flowed parallel
with the track, was as near the rails on
the other side, and bridge of trestle
work half mile in length was too ex-
pensive. So the danger was unavoid-
able. The directors agreed with him
and so did the needless passengers who
gave the dangers of their journey little
thought SO long as they reached their
destinations on time.
The sharp eyes of George Martin
saw the straight rails of the track as
they came to a point in the distance.
They also discerned outlined against the
lesser blackness of the horizon the black
outlines of the water tank. But they
failed to see the four determined look
ing men crouched in the shadow of the
woods. Neither did they see the loose
dirt, freshly stirred on the track at the
curve. They did not see that the rails
had been moved: that they We're laid
unfastened on the ties so that the slight
est movement would scatter them like
straws before the hurricane, while the
train would dash with lightning speed
over the embankment into the ravine
below. On came the train. nearer and
nearer. The four men drew closer and
closer together, waited and even held
their brraths in sOui-communing anx-
iety. In one second all would be over.
1.-The newspapers issued the following
afternoon contained the following dis
patch:
Express train No. 10 went over the
embankment at Long Point water tank
at midnight last night. Engineer Mar
tin was in charge There We're over
forty persons killed by the fall, and
many others of the hundred who were
on the train will die from injuries in
flicted.'"
Here the watch stopped.
''Well, inquired its listeners in uni
son. ''how did the engineer come out of
the accident?''
Il almost forgot that" continued the
watch Just as the engine was a few
yards from the loosened rails he looked
at me. As he did so his experienced
eyes caught a glimpse of the murder
Gus arrangement. With the strength
of a giant and the speed of thought he
pulled back the lever reversing the
engine. called to his fireman to Jump,
and then he jumped himself
I'm gladof that. observed the clar-
ionet with sigh of relief. ''Was he
hurt?''
Not in the least. But the jar stopped
me ut that very second"
'.How did you come here?''
'Iwas stolen from his bureau drawer,
for after that my queen said that ]
should never work another day."
''Stolen?' exclaimed the clarionet,
''why don't you tell the people whom
you belong top
Cant make them understand
Il can tell them" bravely cried the
clarionet, land will right off,
Have you any watches to sell?" in
terrupted voice from within the store.
..Yes," replied the pawnbroker, reach
ing for the relator of this tale.
Why exclaimed the customer
That's mine. 1t was stolen some time
ago, and / can prove il.
A second later policeman entered
the door, and it was not long before the
watch was slowed comfortably away in
George Martins pocket, almost break
ing its case with the vehemence of its
joyous ticking.
''Well!' observed the clarionet to his
fellows after quiet had settled down like
dust upon the collection, Il, for one,
am glad"
so are We" replied the other collat-
erals sincerely and in unison.
80 are we-every one"
And | think they were.-Benj0mi1
Northrop, in n. T. Graphic.