Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-01-13
sually timid in the presence of hia father

what girl can see to admire in big lout
Of a fellow like you he said, at tre same
tine bestowing upon his brawDy and grimy
con a look which belied his words. What
does the girl love you for?"
II don't know, father, " said Jack, bash
fully, and bowling his hesd as if to look at
the water gauge. II don't know, unless
it is because she thinks / am to be an
engineer some day. 1 think that's it, She
wculdn't love me, Pm afraid, if were to
leave the road. Pm just sure she
wouldn't"
Jack said this without guile. He be-
lieyed it, and his father believed it, too.
The old man smiled undtr his gray bsard.
so greatly did the artless compliment
please him. And so, almost without al
effort, and without realizing how elo-
quently he had pleaded his cause, Jack
won his fathers consent to his remaining
on the engine. He was 10 marry the girl
he loved, and bad his fathers consent to
marrying as quick IS lie liked. OF course
Jack was very happy, and whistled lit
tie tune as he opened the furnace door and
shOveled huge scoops Of coal into the glow
ing fiTetox.
Mary Clifford was pretty girl. She
had great brown eyes, which looked out
| from under bow of marble Whiteness.
Her home was near the railway track, ard
there Jack had first seen her while taking
occasional rides with his father bsfore
mounting the footb5ard as fireman. Mary
used to stand out at the front gate and
watch tie cars 20 by. A locomotive was
/ ha- idaaI Of otrapot;n op1 leoufv Toeparia
old engine Was resplenie1t with hrsss
trimmings and ornaments, and thsse, kept
as shiny as a good housewives silver, and
glistening in the sunlight, had caught
both the eye and the fancy of the big eyed
maiden aud done more thsn half the v irg
fer the boy who so prOund)y rode By his
fathers side. Once Whsn the accommois-
tion stopped nesr her home to wait for the
passing Of an extra" to crafty her
curiosity she came cut, and was urged to
yisi;e the locomotive cab and sit On tie
enginser's perch, AID her bravery wss
tested by On invitation to mount thu pilot
or 'coScaicheI" and ride down 10 the rail
way crossing, half mile away. She was
equal to the occasion, a0d thought the odd
ride such rare sport that for many day
after, and even after she had grown TO be
dignified young lady, she lOnged to re-
peat the experience.
Well, the wedding day was set, snd all
preparations we're duly made, Jack con-
tinuing meanwhile to fire" No. 45l for
his father. Jasper was becoming familiar
with the new engine, but the electric head
light he could not endure without many
words of grumtlirg and many forebodiDgs
for TIE future. To add to his troubles at
a time when he was little able to bear new
burdens, he was transit; rred from his cid
run on the accommodation to an express
train. Most men would have taken this
for an honor, but to old Jsspsr it was an
effront which be could not forgive. Nor
Could he help it, either, aud Sd he took the
new run, which ambitious Jack was glad
80 get, and between them they made very
good time night after night.
A couple of weeks before the wedding
day Jasper and Jack were on their way
vast on a regular trip, when they were
again stepped at tire side track near Mary'S
h0me, TO pass a belated freight train. Jack
looked in vain for light in the Clifford
house, for it wss near midnight. Just be-
fore the freight came laundering along,
and while Jack was busy shov1ling coal,
old Jasper was startled by catching q
glimpse of something which looked to him
like human form stealing through the
dsrkne toward his engine, but he in.
stsntly attributed the delusion to the
totheT5ome electric headlight, turned his
eyes away, and so)n sfterward opened tie
throttle and resumed his journey. 1t was
a moonless night in December, and the
rsdow, s0ffsIed under tie rays q Tie sur
ot at midday, had now been frozen and
crystsllize1 On the ground and along earth
Wo.ks of the railway, so that the b iilian'
rays from the electric headlamp set tht
course with myriads ofsparkli9g diamonds
very pretty to lcok upon but exceedingly
troublesome TO the eyes Of the veteran
engineer.
An hour Later @ red light at Miller
Station caused Jasper to put on the brakes
ana cane to a stop.
There's the train order" faid the tele
graph operator, appearing at the ceb win
dow, and here's private message fol
Jack "
"My God, father - cried Jack, reading
his message befora Jasper had docipheeC
the frat words of tie train dispatcher
order on the yellow manifold paper, 'ceaC
that! What shall we do?"
Jasper took the dispatch and read:
"Mary Clifford has disappeared. Searcl
parties are out. Come home"
Jack was frantic, aud wanted to jumI
off the engine and start back on foot But
old Jasper had a better idea.
"Wait till we get to Smithville," he
said, "and there you may ask the fireman
Of No to take your place, whileyou take
hia and return home That is all that can
be done, my boy"
They were two very cad men who rode
away in the cab of engine ISL. They had
not a word to ssy to each other. Each
WAS busy with his own thoughts. Jasper
was thinking that his fOreb0dings were
beginning to bear fruit, and that the new
engine and the electric lamp had brought
bad luck at last. Jack wss trying to tbInk
what in the world had become of Mary
Clifford.
The train was rapidly approaching Back
Hill tunnel, the fierce rays from the new
lamp filling the frosty rock cut with q
d.zzing array o. crystals, when both father
AID son suddenly uttered an exclamation
of horror and turned their faces toward
each other. At that instant the locomotive
plunged into the tunnel, with a roaring
ard quivering of the earth, but by light
afforded by the single gauge lamp Jasper
read in Jacks face that which be was
dreadiug TO see there, and Jack saw in the
blsnched cheek and dilated eyes Of his
father that his worst feared were realized.
His hand trembling more violently than
the engine itself, the old engineer threw
his weight agaips. the throttle and shut
off all steam, and at the same moment ap-
nil ID the air. As soon % the train had
come 20 q standstill be reversed, opened
the throttle once more, whistled