The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-02
BY TEN INCHES.

There had been succession Of extsnsivl
freight car robbefies perpetrated along tn
line of the W., Q. and B. railroad, and thu
oompany's officials were at their wits
end.
An accident enabled Freight Engineel
Billy Burton to discover the thieves and
enabled the company to recover q large
quantity Of the stolen goods.
A substantial money reward was ten
dered him for his services, but 1t was only
after being repeatedly urged to accept 1t by
the president Of the road himself that hi
took 1t.
you've earned 1t honestly" urged hia
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 a through fast ex.
press of Pullman cars, and the engine
which whirled ID from one end to the othsi
of the W., G. and B. line was the fastest and
handsomest piece Of mechanism that ever
uGllHnUou bllb uChIb VI u AVCumOuNS CIkf
neer really loving his profession and the
implements Of his calling.
As further evidence Of the trust re,
posed in him, Billy was given two
weeks vacation with full pay.
One of his first acts was to "dress up"
and pay q 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 hea,
Of her lovers good fortune and when he
pressed her she blushingly consented to fl
the wedding day.
1t Yves nothing strange TO them that
Billy should consider himself man very
much to be envied when upon the expira,
ton Of his leave Of absence he laid firm
hand on the throttle and felt the big OK,
press locomotive throb beneath his touch.
For month he continued without I'D.
venture in his new position.
Then, much to bis regret, he was obliged
to clay 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 sentence,
the leader, white faced, snaky eyed man,
turned flercely upon the engineer, and
shaking his fist called down upon the
young mans head the vilest and most hor,
rible curses.
"I'n have your life for this, you hound"
he cried.
Nettie had been sitting beside Billy, and
when tho robber turned upon her lover she
uttered frantic cry and chung to him con-
vulsively.
About week after the trial Billy and
Nettie were married and began housekeep
ing In pretty little cottage at the end OF
the young engineers run, 30 that he could
"lay of" at home.
Nettie had often ridden on the engine
with her father, and as Billy could not
afford to take her upon an extensive wed,
ding tour she had laughingly declared that
she would make honeymoon trip upon
the big express locomotive.
So 1t happened that the morning after
the wedding found her snugly ooiled upon
the engineers "box," looking very fresh
and charming In her pretty, neat fitting
white dress.
And seeing TINT she was comfortably
fixed he kissed her again, and jumping
from the engine walked down the plat.
form to the dispatcher's office to deliver
message to his friend, Tom Stafford, one
of tho taleoranh oneratnra
"By the way, Billy" said Tom when
and he must get back to his engine to be
ready for the signal, "the head Of that
gang Of freight car thieves escaped from
the penitentiary early yesterday morning"
His face was so grave when he returned
to his engine that Nettie inquired an1.
iously II he were Ill.
For the first 80 miles Of the run the I'm.
perial made no stops, and they had nearly
completed that distance when they entered
a considerable forest and approached a
sharp curve just before crossing high
trestle bridge that spanned q rocky gulch,
through which tumbled 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 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 a strange, overpower.
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 reeled with
horror.
Suddenly there was another terrible
flash Of lightning, and great tree in the
valley below was splintered from top to
base and fell with crash.
Simultaneously tho power Of action re.
his 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 Nettie
tumbled from her perch.
Would 1t never stop2
Slower, slower, and not 10 inches from
the obstruction, the great locomotive came
to standstill, and Billy, with cry Of
joy, reeled back upon his bench uncon.
scious. When he recovered his senses,
Eettie was crying and sobbing over him
and men were coming up the bank bring
ing between them dead MANTLE mis-
oreant who had spiked down the ties.
He had been killed as he was running
across the valley by the fash Of lightning
that had seemed to loosen Billy's momen-
tary paralysis.
Nettie took one frightened look at the
face, and cry Of wonder escaped her.
1t was the robber who had threatened
Billy in the courthouse. EXCHANGE,