The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-08
BY TEN INCHES.

line Of the W., c. and b. railroad, and tn,
company's officials were at their wits
end
An accident enabled Freight Enginee,
Billy Burton to discover the thieves and
enabled the company TO recover largt
quantity Of the stolen goods
A substantial money reward was ten
dered him for his services, but IL was only
after being repeatedly urged to accept it by
the president Of the road himself that hc
took It.
you've earned 1t honestly" urged his
superior, "for our offer extended to every
body. Now am going to put you on the
Imperial"
And this was more gratifying TO the
young engineer than that money reward,
for the Imperial was through fast ex-
press Of Pullman cars, and the engine
which whirled it from one end to the other
OF the w., G.. and B. line was the fastest and
handsomest piece of mechanism Tint ever
delighted the heart of locomotive engi-
neer really loving his profession and the
implements of his calling.
AS a further evidence of the trust re-
posed in him, Billy was given q two
weeks vacation with full pay.
One of his first acts was to "dress up"
and pay visit to his sweetheart, pretty
little Nettie Byrnes, whose father, old
Larry Byrnes, had died while Billy was
serving an apprenticeship at firing" on
the engine which Larry had run for many
years.
For year past they had been engaged,
and there was no reason, Billy thought,
why the marriage day should not be fixed
upon.
OF course Nettie was delighted to hear
of her lovers good fortune, and whom he
pressed her she blushingly consented to fix
the wedding day
Billy should consider himself man very
much to be envied when upon the expira-
ton Of his leave Of absence he laid q firm
hand on the throttle and felt the big ex-
press locomotive throb beneath his touch.
For month he continued without ad-
venture in his new position.
Then, much to his regret, he was obliged
to "lay Off for several days to testify In
court against the freight car robbers who
had been arrested through his efforts.
When they were called up for sentences,
the leader, q white faced, snaky eyed man,
turned fiercely upon the engineer, and |
shaking his fist called down upon the |
young mans head the vilest and most hor- I
rible curses
"I'll have your life for this, you houndr'
he cried.
Nettie had been sitting beside Billy. and |
when the rObber turned upon her lover she
uttered frantic cry and clung TO him con-
vulsively.
About q week after the trial Billy and
Nettie were married and began hOusekeep-
ing in q pretty little cottage at the end Of
the young engineers run, 50 that he could
lay or at home.
Nettie had often ridden on the engins
with her father, and as Billy could not
Afford to take her upon an extensive we'd
ding tour she had laughingly declared that
she would make honcyInoon trip upon
the big express locomotive.
So 1t happened that tho morning after
the wedding found her snugly coiled upon
the engineers box" looking very frush
and charming In her pretty, neat fitting
white dress.
And seeing that she was comfortably
fixed he kissed her again, and jumping
from the engine walked down the plat;
form to the dispatcher Office to deliver q
message to his friend, Tom Stafford, one
oi tnc tIeRrdpn OPERATORS.
by the way, Billy" said Tom when
the engineer declared that ..time was up
and he must get back to his engine to be |
ready for the signal, ''thc head of that |
gang of freight car thieves escaped from |
the cpcnitcntiary carly yesterday morning."
His face was SO grave when he returned |
to his engine that Nettie inquired anx.
iously IL he were i'll.
For the first 80 miles of the run the I'm.
perial made no &ops, and they had nearly
completed that distance when they entered
a considerable forest and approached a
sharp curve just before crossing a high
trestlc bridge that spanncd rocky gulc.i
through which tumbled "A shallow, brawl.
ing stream of water
As he approached the curve he seized
the throttle with one hand and the air.
brake lever with the other and leaned out
of the cab window.
Like a flash they rounded the curve.
As they did SO Billy's trained eyes saw
q terrible sight
Four heavy ties, one on top of the other,
had been spiked across the rail in the cen.
ter Of the bridge.
At the same time strange, ovcrpower-
ing influence seized Billy, and he stood
rigid, helplessly clinging to the throttle
and the brake lever.
On dashed the engine toward certain
destruction, and Billy's brain roclcd with
horror
Suddenly there was another terrible
Hash of lightning, and great tree i'm the
valley below was splintered from top t.
base and fell with n crash.
simultaneously the power of action re.
turned to Billy's paralyzed body, and with |
MS teeth firmly set he threw his weight |
upon both throttle and brake lever.
So sudden was the check that the shock |
nearly threw him from his feet. and Ncttis |
tumbled from her perch.
Would IL never stopS
Slower, slower, and not 10 inches from /
the obstruction, the great locomotive came |
% n standstill, and Billy, with n crv OF |
joy, rccled back upon his bench uncon |
scious. When he recovered his senses.
Nettie was crying and sobbing over him |
and men were coming up the hank bring
ing between them n dead man--thc mis-. |
crcant who had spiked down the ties.
He had been killed as hc WINS runpin.,