The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-09-22
aDel and me didn't talk much on that

the point. But, Lordp and here Jerome
glanced at the lady passengers, II could
alters run an engine, but manage wom-
an wur more than could do.
"The long and short NV it was that
Del and me run on 10 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 wheel off before the
night when Del pulled 10 through on
Kane hill
"We 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 says
to meself, He's finer lookin feller than
you, Jerome Bonner, and Susan Briggs
knows It, shut off the safety valve.
The steam had been BLOWN off and
maxim 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 rumble out NV the
stiffness that reached Del quick as it did
me. We both looked up the hill, and
there, roundin the curve, wur a shad-
der. We knowed at once it wur rum
away train comm down on MS. Waal,
runaway trains with nobody on them
had happened before, and we knowed
what to do.
"Cut her loose, Del, I yelled.
''He dropped on the platform and call
ed:
"'Back little
II reversed 10 and eased the link.
"Go ahead, he yelled.
"And as / opened the throttle heard
the link drop against the drawbar. We
wur free; 10 wur loose, a-goin to meet
the train smashin down on her. Ipatted
the iron gurl, fur Iwuz fond Nv her. and
she went up the hill as bird, and /. for
gettin all about Del, stopped over to lock
the door NV the firebox. ).
ga 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, and in his
right hand he had q couplin pin.
eyer have got to jump, jerome Bon
ner,' he said.
"'Let go NV me- managed to say,
while hung on to the reverse lever.
"Iwon't. Yer have got to jump and
I'll pull 10 through
"He loosed his grip on my throat.
"sDo you want to make me talked Nv
as cowardY I asked.
"We both of us could hear the train
! gettin closer.
".Jerome, if you jump you'll save me
from bein murderer. If you don't get
out Of my reach, I'll 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, er I'll kill yer, and don't want
ter be yer murderer and Il die in the
bump you will be alive to marry Susan.
She likes you best and me next. JumpP
ssHe pulled me off the box and showed
me across the cab The train was leapin
on us. One more second, and all would
be over mebbe. Del was still behind
me holdin the pin up ready to strike,
and / knew he would. He wur strong,
and I had to 60. Out / went, and
landed safe. No. 10 met the train plucky
and stopped it dead. The cars piled al
over her and buried the cab. Just be.
fore she struck Del throwed the safety
valve open and shut her off. Then ht
stood still.
sHe wur knocked part through the
| window when the bumb came, and
found him there. felt like sneakiI
coward. Del had pretended he would
kill me jist to get me off the engine, an(
there he wur dead and me livin. NJ
mouth wur shut to the world, but I wen
home to Susan and told her how Del hat
died for her He believed you liked mi
best, Susan, and If got killed you would
feel awful bad, so he jest drove me of
10 with couplin pin, and then stood BY
her.
"The tears came into Susan's eyes, ant
she wiped them on her apron. wuI
holdin her hand, and she took it away
/ liked her fur weepin and lettin go u
me. If she hadn't, I'd a-turned agin hur
Feelin that she'd like to be alone, ] wen
away.
sI met her at Del's funeral. She WI
quiet and sad, and / only nodded to her
The people all wondered bout my jump
in and thought me coward, but nobod,
dared say so. Susan knowed wurn't
and didn't care what the other peopl
thought.
81 didn't say nothin to Susan abou
gettin married fur about six months afte
Delehanty wur buried, and when / spok
nv it at last she made up her mind.
".Jerome,' she said, I alters believe
I liked you better'n Del, but ever sine
! he died I've felt like his widder, and
know you amt courtin me that way
s.And wurn't. So / left her. and
amt made up my mind yet to court he
rs Delehanty's widder, but / am wish
: ali the time that Del wur livin and
wur dead. Then mebbe Susan woul
be my widder.
Ladies'" said Jerome as he aroi
from the beam, would you like to rid
on the engine? am goin to run .
the hill to pump water into the boile
and III show you where Delehani
died"
t The lady travellers accepted the invit
t ton. Jerome gallantly helped them
s the cab and started the engine up Il
0 hill.-Alfred L. King in New York Di
9 patch
: Method In Her Request.
y