The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-06-23

Wur IN IOr III ana made up my mind
Susan would have to settle which she
would have mighty quick. If she took
Del, all right. But she had to come to
the point. But. Lord" and here Jerome
glanced at tho lady passengers, Il could
alters II an engine, but manage a wom-
an wur more than | could do.
1.-The long and short Nv it was that
Del and me run on 12 for about two
year, and Susan would not make up her
mind. Del and me wur good friends, SO
far as the world knowed, but we wur far
apart in our hearts.
"We never had n wheel off before the
night when Del pulled 12 through on
Kane hill.
I'VE had stepped at the tank fur wa.
ter. Del wur at the spout, and ! wur
leanin out, looking back fur his signal.
Susan had been sort of preferrin me nv
late, and | wur feelin good. Del wur
sulky and stood with his head down.
waitin fur the tank to fill.
Men will think the truth if they
don't speak it, and lookin at Del l says
to meself, He's a finer lookin Teller than
you, jerome Bonner, and Susan Briggs
knows it, | shut off the safety valve.
The steam had been BLOWN off and
maxim n good deal of noise. The moon
light made it very ghostly, and once in
awhile | looked up at it. When it were
shut off, there rose a rumble out Nv the
stiffness that reached Del quick as it did
me. We both looked up the hill, and
there, roundia tho curve, wur a shad-
der. We knowed at once it wur a run
away train comm down on us. WAL,
runaway trains with nobody on them
had happened before, and we knowed
what to do.
"'Cut her loose, DEL l yelled.
"He dropped on the platform and call.
ed:
"'Back a little
II reversed ~ and eased the link.
"'Go ahead he yelled.
"And as | opened the throttle l heard
the link drop against the drawbar. We
wur free; II wur loose, a-goin to meet
the train smashin down on her. Ipatted
the iron CURL, fur Iwuz fond NV her. and
she went up the hill rs a bird, and l, for
gettin all about Del, stopped over to lock
the door nv the firebox.
"A great big hand grabbed me by the
throat, and looking up over my shoulder
| saw Del. His face was as black as mid
night when there's no moon, aud in his
right hand ne had n couplin pin.
Yer have got to jump. jerome Bon
ner,' he said.
LET 90 nv me- | managed to say,
while | hung ON to the reverse lever.
al won't. Yer have got to jump and
I'll pull - through
"lIe loosed his grip on my throat.
do you want 20 mako me talked Nv
as n coward? | asked.
We both of us could hear the train
gettin closer.
jerome. II you jump you'll ave me
bein a murderer. If you don't get
out Of my reach, III kill you and take
my chances NV gettin through all right.
Then I'll marry Susan Briggs. Quick
make up your mind. Promise me you'll
jump, or I'll Kill yer, and | don't want
ter be yer murderer-aud if | die in the
bump you will be alive to marry Susan.
She likes you best and me next. Jump!
He pulled me OF the box and showed
me across the cab. The train was leapin
on us. One more second, and all would
be over mcbbe. Del was still behind
Inc holdin the pm up ready to strike,
and ! knew he would. He wur strong,
and | had to go. Out | went, and ]
safe. No. II met the train plucky
md stopped it dead. The cars piled all
her and buried the cab. Just be-
fore she struck Del throwed the safety
valve open and shut her off. Then he
stood still.
He wlr knocked part through the
window when the bumb came, and !
.ound him there. | felt like 4 sneakin
Del had pretended lie would
XII! ne jist TO ct me off the engine, and
here ne WIZ dead and mo Twin. NY
mouth wur shut to tho world, but | went
ON to Susan and told her how Del had
lied for her. He believed you liked me
pest, Susan. and If | got killed YOU would
awful bad, 50 he jest drove me off
= with e corpl;2 pin, and then stood by
Ter.
nv rttit Z -iIh' i-l-t Oi4SttI = eyes, anu
me wipc@ taoA ON her apron. | wur
loldiu her hand. agd she took it away
liked her fur wcrVin and lcttin 90 u
no. II she hadn't, IL a-turned agin hur.
'eeljn ttrNt sized like to ba alone. | went
lway
Il inat ner II Eel's funeral. She wur
quiet and sdd, and | only nodded to her.
The people all wondered bout nv Jump
II and thought Inc coward. but nobody
say so. Susan kuuwcl ! wurn't.
| didn't care what the other people
.hought.
IL didn't say nothin TO Susan about
married fur about six months after
Delehanty wur buried, and when | spoke
" it at last she made up her mind.
Jerome she said, L alters believed
liked you better'n Del, but ever since
10 died I've felt like his wilder, and |
Know you amt courtin mo that way
"And | wurn't. SO | left her, and |
lint made up my mind yet to court her
IS Deiehanty's widder, but | am wishin
I'll the time that Del wur liyin and