The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-03
ROMANCE OF THE RAIL.
An Engineer Aided by His LOc0mO-
tive Gets q Partner for Life.

tive Gets a Partner for Life.
The engineer stood oiling mis- locomotive
and waiting for another train. A wedding
party was on the station platform, bidding
effllsiye good byes to bride and groom
.sI never see wedding party get on my
train,n said the engineer, 'sths, do not
think of the time j got married myself.
That was several years ago. Though
an engineer. / was rather Wild, and
when Icourted the daughter OF the section
boss-as pretty All Irish lass as ever lived
the old man objected, He said if l
didn't reform my ways I'd be killed some
night on my run, and he didn't want any
WIDOWS and children on his hands. But
the gal and made up oar minds that
we'd get married any way, and trust to
luck for the future. That, you know,
is the kind of risk the best OF 'e]n nave
to take. So I made all the preparations
for an elopenlent ! had a day run, but
one night | changed off with another
engineer on purpose Ihat run
brought me to the little station Where
the section boss lived during the night 1T
was all arranged that she should come on
| board my engine, ride to the second sta
ton with me, and there 8 telegraph oper-
ator, a friend of NINE was to have min
y
and the lass was soon seated behind me in
the cab. How the old locomotive did run
that night. She seemed to fly through
the air without touching the Fails, but
| even then she didn't go fast enough to
| suit me. At the next station we stopped
for orders, and the orders were to- side
| track three miles beyond ut the coal
| switch and wait for No. 6. That was tour
] miles from Il, where the minister WAS
| 1t was pretty rough, but orders had to De
| obeyed We had got nicely on the switch
/ and stood waiting a little while, when
| the bra kenan came running forward as
! fast as he could run, and from the top or
| the front car shouted, The old mans
| coming on handcar. Look out !
| turned, and sure enough, thirty rods
away hand-car was coming with fotIE
men on it. Somebody had betrayed us.
There was no time to lose, As
quick as a flash I decided what to
/ do Shouting to the brakeman to uncouple
!, the tender from the cab, told my fireman
] to lump for the switch. He did so, and
/ opened the throttle. Just in the nick Oh
time the switch was turned, and we bound
/ ed onto the main track The old man
I made a run for us-but he couldn't make
! it, and then he returned to his hand-cal
| and gave chase. Ihe queSLlOn WIS now,
could [ make II siding before No.
left there? II I couldn't / might have 9
collision. 1t was a fearful risk, but
pulled the throttle wide open, and while
fired the lass kept her eye peeled along
the track She was g brave girl, ano
never faltered, though we run SO fast
4 that the engine bounded and swayed as il
it would leave the rails. Soon she called
to me, 81 see light. / looked, and I
was the headlight of No. g. But looked
4 again, and could see the switch-llghts
this side of her-she was standing a
/ IL. Iwhistled iercely for the switch
again and again. ] could see the engine
of No 6 begin to puff-they were moving
out. Again whistled, and at last they
heard me- No. stopped putting, th
white switch light gave way to red one
! and in few seconds we glided upon uh
4 siding At the station was our minister
and in five minutes we were married
Then we followed No. 6 back to the Goa
SWITCH and l moved on with my fral
q without the loss of any time. The upsho
Of it all was that when he heard OF it tn
superintendent overlooked my wild run
for wife, and the old man came dow
and did the handsome thing by us.
never see wedding party but | think G
that nights ride"