Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-05-23

the cutting, Il never thought OF
your being my rival"
s'Faith,' said he, 81 never put you
and Belle Carroll together in my
thoughts before today
"You bear no malice I" l asked,
offering him my hand for Bellies
sake.
"What would l bear malice for p
he returned. "If she be not fair for
me, what care l for whom she be ~
But he pretended not to see my
hand, so drew it back, and was
angry with myself for Offering it.
/ was nervous all that afternoon
for the first time in my life, l believe.
| don't know that I had any positive
what do you call it?-presenti-
ment Of evil, but l was nncomfort-
able, and altogether unlike myself.
Joe s.aid in the tender all day,
and whistled. He was the best
whistler | ever heard, and the men
used to stop picking to listen to
him.
The day wore away painfully. We
got good load on the fat cars, and
dumped the dirt two miles further
down, on road that crossed the
track. By that time it was nearly
dark, and I gave the word for Deca-
tur.
At Harristown be stopped to get
the engine before the caboose, and
take on a dozen twenty-four foot
rails. The men threw up the last
rail just as the first fakes of ter
rife snow storm fell around us.
Then they jumped into the caboose,
where there was good fire.
| waved my lantern above my
head to Joe, and off we started.
| was talking with the fireman,
who was still sulky, and determined
to demand his discharge, when a re-
mark of one of the Irishmen called
my attention to the fact that we
we're travelling at much faster rate
than ordinary. In few seconds,
the caboose, which was condemn
ed freight car, as old as the line it
self, commenced to jump off the
rails, and bump down on them again
in an alarming manner. There was
no weight on it to keep it steady,
you see, and we were going at rate
far beyond regulation speed.
Faster and faster we went, and
the caboose swayed from side to side
and bumped and jumped more and
more.
The men got frightened, and
struggled from their seats, with their
eyes on me, questioningly, and then
fell back again, because they could
not keep their feet.
"That born divil means TO murder
yez all |" cried an Irishman, wiping
the sweat Of fear from his forehead.
All this time ] had thought Joe
was playing off one of his mad prac-
tical jokes on US, and / was shaking
with rage.
"Hs'll never drive that engine
again. said, as gained my feet.
I pushed back the sliding door,
and swung myself out, so that /
could see the light in the tender.
The wind was blowing a gale, and
the snow blinded me. | got bet
ter idea of the pace at which we were
going, looking out, and fear crept
into my heart as / estimated the
danger.
I swung the lantern low down,
backward and forward, and shouted
out at the top of my voice.
Joe answered with q shrill laugh
that rose above the bowling wind,
and I felt the caboose leap under me
and come down with sickening
crash. I knew that he had let on
more steam, and that the trick be
was playing on US was one of those
practical jokes that Satan delights
in. It meant murderl
We were about seven miles from
the Sangamon, which is crossed by
trestle-work, forty rods or more in
length, over which no trains were al
lowed to pass faster than man can
walk.
/ knew perfectly we'll that the ca
boose would never go over that elias
tic bridge ct the rate of twenty miles
an hour, let alone sixty, the pace al
which Joe was driving us then and
/ felt as sure that he meant to keeE
the throttle valve open till he smash.
ed us, as / was that I'd cut a poor
figure before my Maker, If called
away that night.
thought Of my gray haired old
mother, knitting stockings for me By
the Preside in Toledo; l thought o.
Belle, so beautiful and so good, and
happy; and I thought how nice il
would be to have Joe down under
me on the floor of the caboose-t6
have my knee on the pit of his stom
ach, and my hands On his throat.
There was a panic among the men
Some of them were swearing, and
| some we're praying. Two or three
hung on my coat as / swung ths
lantern mechanically to and fro out
side. and implored me to save them
"Men," said /, turning round, SIC
| ca4tfno down tho I,nfarn ssTharot.