The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-14
RACING ON RAILS.

"Old man Smith, that's Mollie's father,
didn't like me near as well as he did Jim,
but seein that Mollie preferred me wasn't
carin much about her dads opinion.
sit wasn't no use for US to try to get
spliced in Column bia, for everybody knew
that her father had ordered her not to be
seen with me. So the only thing for US to
do was to watch our chance and go of on
the quiet to some place along the line.
81 thought it over for several days and
got the whole thing in shape. told Mollie
to come down to the roundhouse about
O'Clock one night and I would take her
little ride on my engine. She afraid?
Well, guess you don't know her. Why,
she had run the machine herself many
time
81 had given the hint to Jack, my fire.
man, and he was on hand when backed
out on the main track, leavin Jim a engine
in the roundhouse. Mollie was waitin,
and she jumped on the tank like an engi-
neer's sweetheart ought to do. Just as We
were pullin out Jim came around the cor
ner. His eyes opened, tell you
Where you goin, Bile? he shouted.
Just out for little ride,' remarked
coolly, putin Mollie on the box in front
her to reach the levers. I saw Jim gasp
and start on a run toward Molhe's house.
where he knew her father was.
"1n two minutes We were spiDnin, in
three hummin, and in five minutes we
were tearin through the valley like cy-
clone. 1t was a pitch dark night, and not
a thing could be seen ahead.
There they come, yelled Jack before
we had gone ten miles. 80
'fLookin back, we saw a shower of
sparks just visi BILE above the tree tops. We
concluded at once that was Jim and Mol
lies dad, and that we would have to do
some pretty tall travelin to avoid capture.
Ea
engines were pretty we'll matched, but of
course I was somewhat nervous. just
ahead was a heavy grade five miles long,
and 1 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.
&c DO your best, Jack, to keep up steann,'
I called across to the fireman.
"Mollie was restin in my arms as quiet
1y as If we had been sittin on the haircloth
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.
''All of a sudden we heard whistle,
and it sounded right behind US. jumped
with dismay and looked back. There was
Jim, less than half a mile away, comm
like a house afire Mollie looked too.
Then her eyes fell on Jack, whose wood
rel out from the back part of the tank and
was tryin to bust the head in.
''She slid out of my arms, and holdin
on to the lovers got down beside the fire.
man. The first knew of it was when I
saw her fshin out big fat hams from the
barrel and passin them to Jack, who was
feedin the furnace with 'em. didn't stol
to ask any cushions. Bully for you,
JaokP yelled as the steam gauge jumped
up again.
"WeIl, that did the business. We reached
the top of the grade without Jim gainin
another inch, and then we begun to slide
downward Great Jupiter, how we did
drop down that hill The noise was ter
rifle, and the old machine rocked like
cradle. Lookin back, I saw Mollie standin
on the tank holdin on by the brake, her
dress hutterin, her hair BLOWN and her
eyes shinin like stars. I'll never forget
that sight.
81 knew that as soon as Jim reached
the top of the hill he'd be after us lickety
split, and I begun to fear we couldn't
make the rifle this time, but all at once
thought struck me- I shut off steam and
yelled to Jack to put on the hand brakes.
He jumped to the wheel, Mo1lie helpin
him, and in a few minutes we had nearly
stopped.
&" Jump down quick, Jack, and open the
switch, said. I'm goin to run up the
sidin.'
''In less time than it takes 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 a minute or two we heard faint,
faint rumbling, which changed into a
roar. Then we could distinguish the click
ETY. click of wheels passin over the ends of
rails, the rattle of machinery and the hiss
in of steam, while the putin of the exhaust
der.
and then with hop, skip and jump
Jim's engine passed us like streak of
runaway hghtnin, the occupants never
dreamin we were on the sidin.
''We hunted up the nearest preacher and
got married, me with my face all black
and grimy and Mollie without any hat, for
the wind had blowed it away. Jack was
witness, and let him kiss the bride, for I
thought he deserved it. We got back to
Colum bia a bout midnight, and next morn
in took out the express as if nothin had
happened.
"What became of Jim? Why, the
blamed fool actually run right straight
ahead all night till he reached Charlotte
the next mornin. He was the worst sur
prised man in the state when he found we
had given him the slip Then the super
intendent wanted to know what he meant
by takin out his engine without orders,
and tho end of 1t was that Jim not only
lost the girl, but got suspended as we'll"
Exchange.
0ueer Wills.