The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-16
A RACE FOR 4 WIFE.

but seein that Mollie preferred me WASH
cariu much about her dads opinion. le
wasn't no use for us to try TO get spllceo
In Columbia, for everybody knew tnar
her father had ordered her not 70 be seen
with me. so the only thing for us to 40
was TO watch our chance and go on on the
1i.iet 70 some place along the line.
thought il over for several days ana get
the whole thing in shape. L told .Aoile TO
come down to the Toundhouse about
O'Clock one night, and | would take her
q little ride on my engine she afraid?
Well. guess YOU don't know her. Why,
she had run the machine herself many a
tina.
L had given the hint to Jack, my FIRE
man, and he was on hand when / backed
out on the main track, leavin Jim's en-
q . in the roundhOuse. Mollie was wait
in, and she jumped on the tank like an
engineers sweetheart ought to do. Just
d we Were pullin out Jim came around
the corner. His eyes opened, tell you.
d" Where you goin, Bill:' he shouted
Just cut for little ride, | remarked
coolly, putin Mollie on the box in front
of me so had to pu: my arms around her
10 reach the levers. / saw Jim gasp and
start on a run toward Mollie's house,
where he knew her father was.
In two minutes we were spinnln, IN
three hT-mrnin. and in five minutes we
were tearin through the valley like cy-
clone 1t was pitch dark night, and not
a thing could be seen ahead.
There they come, yelled Jack before
we had gone ten miles.
'Lookin back, we saw a shower OF
sparks just visible above the tree tops.
We concluded at once that was Jim and
Mollie's dad, and that we would have TO
do some pretty tail travelin TO avoid CAP
ture. Mind you, Jim carried a gun. The
engines were pretty well matched, but OF
course / was somewhat nervous. just
ahead was heavy grade five miles long,
and | knew it would be a tough pull to
get over it, but once on the other side OF
the hill our chances for gettin away would
be good.
DO your best, Jack, TO keep up steam,
called across to the fireman.
Mollie was restin in my arms as quiet
" as if we had been sittin on the hair
cloth sofa in her parlor, her lips half open
and the wind BLOWN her hair all over my
face Mighty sweet it smelled too, but
! hadn't much time to think about such
things then.
''AIl of sudden we heard whistle,
and it sounded right behind us jump.
ed with dismay and looked baJk. There
was Jim less than half a mile away, com
in like house afire. Mollie looked, too;
then her eyes fell on Jack, whose wood
was getiin low, and who had rolled a
barrel out from the back part of the tank
and was tryin 10 bust the head in. She
slid out of my arms, and holdin on to the
levers got down beside the fireman. The
first / knew of il was when / saw her fish
In out big fat hams from the barrel and
passin them to Jack, who was feedin the
furnace with 'en. / didr t stop to ask
any questions. Bully for you, Jack"
yelled as the steam gauge jumped up
again.
Well, that did the business. We reach
ed the top of the grlde without Jim
gainin another inch, al d then we begun
10 slide downward. CHEAT Jupiter, how
we did drop down that hill! The noise
was terrific. and the old machine rocked
like a cradle Lookin back, saw Mollie
standin on the tank boldin on by the
brake, her dress flutterin, her hair BLOWN
and her eyes shinin like stars III neya
forget that sight.
the top Of the hin he'd be after Us lickety
split. and ! begun To fear we couldn {
make the rifle this time but all at once a
thought - ruck me J shut off steam and
yelled to lack to Tut on the hand brakes.
He Jumped TO the wheel, Moliie helpin
him, and in a few mil utes we had nearly
stopped.
jump down quick, Jack, and open
the switch, said I'm goin TO run up
the bark sidin.
In less time than it cnkes TO tell it We
were on the sidin, the switch reset for the
main track, and then i run up in the
woods and stopped. We shut off all lights
and waited.
In minute or two we heard faint
faint rumble, which changed into roar.
Then we could distinguish the clickety
cl LEX of wheels passin over the ends Of
rails, the rattle of machinery and the hiss
in of steam, while the putin of the ez-
hausr was SO rapid as 10 blend into hollow
thunder \ whirlwind of sparks became
visible, and then with a hop, skip and n
jump ,Iim's engine passed us like u streak
of runaway lightnin, the occupants never
dr5amin we Were in the siGin.
We hunted up the nearest preacher
and got married-me with my face all
black and grinly and Mollie without any
bat, for the wind had blOwed it away
Jack was witness, and let him kiss the
bride, for / thought he deserved it. We
got back 10 Columbia about midnight,
and next mornin ] took ont the express
IS if nothin had happened.
What became Of jim? Why, the blam-
ed fool actually run right straight ahead
all. night till he reached Charlntte the
next mornin. He was the worst surprised
man in the state when he found we had
given him the slip. Then the supsrin-
tendent wanted 10 know what lie meant
by takin ont his engine without orders,
aud the END of i; was that i'm not only
lost the girl, but ent suspense" IS we'll ="
Chicago Post