The Penn's Grove record., 1892-09-09
NUMBER 7.

q black oil sodden cloth, She touched
the engine as II she loved 1t. Every
part of 1t shone like the sun. EVER
valve worked with precision. Every
screw was ecure Joe laughed TO see
her ding a shovelful of coal into the
furnace like a born fireman.
His own machine called his atten.
ton from the A. Then Rose heard
him cry out, and. springing down, she
Into the station.
IA runaway engine coming this
wayi" he said hoarsely. ''Spite work
Of a discharged engineer. No n on
twenty-five miles an hour
single track-Dave's train only
going ffteen--the A and that ore car
on the.only siding between here and
Red Valley. My Godg"
"Where is itP" cried Brier Rose.
SIT broke away from Horseshoe
Gap. Message ID from Prairie City.
It's already passed Prairie City,
headed straight for here. It's bound
to catch Dave before bis train gets to
Red Valley.
Rose turned white to her very lips
She covered her face with her brown
Only for a moment, though.
Then she flung back her head and
Joe full In the face.
II can save him?" she cried. She
sprang for her engine and climbed
into the cab.
'sRosei Rose" roared Joe In dis
may.
Rose turned her white face toward
him imploringly. 'Be at the switch,
Joe, and listen for my signals, as you
value Dawes lifei" she cried. Then
she pulled the throttle valve out to
It's full extent The engine shivered
all over and at flfty-two miles an hour
the A. driven by Brier Rose, leaped
down the track to meet the runaway.
".
There was not q moment to loose.
A certain number of miles, lessenine
every moment, lay between the lum-
bering freight, with Dave on board,
and the cruel, ~senseless, runaway en-.
CINE. Between them was Brier Rose,
With Just q chance Of safety.
She knew that q loosened rail oil
any obstruction would hurl her to
her doom, and still not avert disaster
from Dave. The whistle Of the A
shrilled out an unearthly screech
continually to warn even the birde
from ~fiuttering too near the messeD.
ger Of life.
The engine rocked from side TO side
at the dizzy rate Of speed. For the
first time the odor of hot oil made
Rose feel faint She hung half out
of the cab window painting for breath
and her hands clinging crazily to the
window for support.
Suddenly she saw smoke in the dis
lance. Larger and larger grew the
blackspeck on the track. Faster and
faster few the A. to meet 1t. Nearer
and nearer came the runaway. When
she could plainly see the shape of the
approaching engine she closed the
throttle with a rush that made the
A tremble. She reversed her engine,
and at q little less than twenty-five
miles an hour began running away
from the runaway.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, it
gained on her brave engine. A hOr-
rible fear took possession of her that
It was coming to slowly, and that
they both would reach Dawes train
before she stopped the runaway. She
changed the speed and let the engine
gain on her faster.
II can signal for the siding II l
fall" thought Brier Rose. "Joe will
obey my signal" But she shudered.
In sightof Weeping Willow at last.
The A whistled frantically. Rose
signaled for q clear track, and only a
train length apart the A and the
runaway few past the little station
platform, crowded with every man.
woman, and child In the town.
Joe understood her plan now. He
bounded into the station, frenzied
with excitement, telegraphed to Red
Valley what Brier Rose was doing;
then, from sheer nervousness, he
squeezed Foxy until he yelped wildly.
Out of sight Of Weeping Willow
and Dawes train in the distance,
nearer and nearer came the runaway.
The A snorted In defiance OF being
caught. Rose braced herself for the
shock. Crashl came the cowcatcher
of the runaway into the unprotected
real of the gallant "A. Rose hal
loosened her hold, and the concussio,
flung her to the door. with her soft
cheek against the cab seat.
Faint with her fall she gathered
herself together and shut off the
steam. Then with the nose Of the
runaway yiciously pushing the A,
Brier Rose crept like q cat over the
tender, down over the trembling en-
CINE, and on her hands and knees she
crawled over to the runaway, up
along the boiler side into the cab,
and crashed the throttle shut when
the A was within q cars length Of
Dawes train.
When she came to herself she was
In the Red Valley station. Dave was
bending over her, and calling her
name with trembling lips. She
opened her eyes and smiled into his
face.
'Oh, Brier Rose, how could you
do it?" he whispered with a shudder.
"1didit for you, Dayid-for you
A Quiet Tip for the Fool Killer.