Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-10-08
I'm AN INCH OF HIS LIFE"

Throb. thrOb. went the heart OF the
J great engine rs it stood motionless up
on the track. and proudly Dick Graf
ton, the trusty young engineer, placed
his fingers upon the lever rs if it
were a thing Of life and he was feeling
! its pulse To be satisfied that its strength
was sufficient for the long trip before
him.
Only one minute and his time would
be up, and Dick prided himself upon
his promptneSs, but his fireman was
not visible. lmpatiently he pulled Al
his mustache. while he glanced keenly
toward the gate through which his
fireman would enter.
Slowly his eyes dilated. his face
paled and a thrill Of agony tingled ev-
cry nerve of his body; for close beside
the iron railing, surrounded by the
/ restless crowd. stood Dicks pretty
Young wife and his fireman. Shiyers
Of doubt and loving confidence strug-
1 gled together for the mastery. Scarce
IL a half hour before he had left his
wife i'm their Cozy home and she had
seemingly followed him at a safe dis
iance 10 have 4 last word with his fire.
man. Truly il was not a very pleas
ant state Of affairs, TO say the least.
The electric lights iiared out with
renewed b~rilliancy. as if TO torture
hin more completely. and he watched
her Law both slim white hands upon
the young mans arm and smile up in
10 his face. Then tie fireman hur-
ried through the gate and down the
open space 10 his engine.
I'm on time. Dick?" the young man
half questioned, his voice eager and
clear.
Yes came the curt reply. and at q
signal from his conductor Dick gave a
quick. mastery touch 10 the lever, the
great driving wheels began TO move,
and the heavily loaded passenger train
was on its way.
Only n fatal moment. and all the
JOY Of the Young husbands life had
been dashed aside. As his train glided
along through the lighted streets, and
out into the open country, he was
thinking how he had met Harry Wright,
and through his dissipation and hard
luck he had guessed at the manhood
within him. and had kindly given him
q chance by securing for him the posi-
tiOn of fireman on his engine. That
had been four months AGO, and their
constant companionShip had made
them fast friends. and never until this
hour had he regretted his part in his
fremau's reform. Had ne warmed a
viper in his bosom only To receive his
death blow from its poisoned fangs?
He lifted his head aud looked toward
his companion a he stood in the light
from the open door Of the furnance.
ana he could but note how handsome
hc was. How strange that he had
thought his wife proof against a hand
some face. even while she was false.
What's up, Dick?7 Harry said,
meeting the engineers hard, stern
gaze. You haven't had q pointer on
some irain-wreckers, have you?"
Yes, I've had a pointer" replied
Dick, with 4 strangely sarcastic accent
and with 4 forced. disagreeable laugh,
he sent his engine ahead with increased
speed.
Harry began whistling softly &c
himself. wondering all the while what
could be wrong with merry-hear;ed
Dick.
Suddenly the engineer turned. the
red flame iiaring across the dark face
and maguifying the wild CLEAN in his
ewes - he glanced at Harry, then
with forced iiUmuess he said:
~lou seem mighty happy somehow:
like a fellow that has just parted with
his girl"
Harry bent forward and looked
keenly into Dicks face, for he had no.
rcsd how his breath had cnt in be-
tween each word, and how wildly his
eyes glared. lie couldn't have seen
pshaw. of course not.
~ fellow that parts with his girl
isn't always happy. Dick" he said
evasiyely. 1T was q girl that made
me what was when YOU give me a
lift-a girl as pretty as a picture and
heartless As stone. Your help came
just in the nick of time, old boy, for /
had about made up my mind that a
pistol shot would be a good way 10 end
the matter with me.
a cruel CLEAN came into Dicks ewes
That was just what he was trying TO
come TO q conclusion about-how he
could end the matter with his fire
mainland his words were very sug-
gestive:
With a quick, sharp whistle the train
rounded a curve between hills. and
came out into 4 stretch of flat land,
where the ~twinkling of many lights
told that they were nearing a town of
considerable size. just in the edge
of town a bright light shone from a
modest brick cottage, and in its glow,
standing in the open door, was a young
fair-haired woman. With almost a
groan Dick turned his head. Why
must the cottage so closely resemble
his own, and the fair-haired woman
look SO much like his wife? His wife.
a curse forced its way through his
white lips, and he dared not trust him.
self to look toward his companion;
then the station was reached and again
they dashed into the open country and
into the darkness.
One thing had been settled in Dicks
mind many miles back, and that was
that he must take the life of his fire.
man somehow, but as yet the man
ner and time were under consideration
WITH MN.
The engineer was not naturally
a wicked man and each time he met
the gaze of his fireman a SILVER would
thrill his very soul, then the pretty
face Of his wife would come before him.
and with it a realization of his loss and
betrayal, and it would make of him a
demon only waiting an opportunity to
destroy his rival; bat the night slowly
passed away and the crimson Herald
of another dawn came into the Eastern
sky. and the deed was still under con-
temptation.
Harry had seemed entirely uncon-
scious of anything unusual in Dicks
manner, and often n smile would
come to his lips and a merry twinkle to
his eye. ~betraying how pleasant his
thoughts were. all of which set Dicks
brain on fire, but now, that the light
of day was about him. he decided to
wait for his revenge until the return
trip.
~You amt well. Dick?" questioned
Harry. appearing at last to notice how
wild were the eyes and how white the
lips of his engineer. I'm glad we