The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-16
DEVAL'S ESCAPE.


 DEvAL'S ESCAPE.
 It was a red letter day in my life when I was first put in charge of passenger" I'd worked my way up by successive stages from the post of cleaner in the sheds, and being always a steady-going young fellow, had reached the topmost rung of the ladder sooner than most. There was, perhaps, an extra incentive in my case, as was counting little girl who was, she had told me, only waiting till I earned enough, to make me the happiest of men.
 To be sure, had rival, Ernest De- val, by name, who was something in the city," and possessing the showy at tractiveness and the art of insidious flattery which sometimes lure fickle- minded women to forsake the true men, tai for the glittering dross. I must own he occasioned me some slight cause for jealousy; still, secure in the knowledge of our mutual love, and knowing Alice to be a sensible little girl, was on the whole as hayyp as most chaps who see their sweethearts but once or twice a week.
 She had told him on more than one occasion that she wanted nothing to do with him, but in spite of her obvious dislike he persisted in prosecuting her with his attentions, and only the day before the incidents happened which I am about to relate, I had found it ne- cessafy myself to display the finger of Alice to him with my ring upon it, to his ill-concealed ehagrin and evident modification.
 On the next nigth I was, as usual, or dered to take out the sleeping solon ex- press to the north. My mate had se- cured the couplings, the old engine was panting and snorting like thing of life, as if eager for the coming journey, and the hustle on the platform had subsi- ded. The signals were right, and I adh my hand on the throttle only waiting for that fright away?" when, just as the green light was displayed, cab rattled into the station, from which an excited man hastily jumped. Flinging some money to the driver, he rushed along the platform and sprang into the first compartment of the train, the next one to the engine, just as I pressed the lever and my fireman had loosened the brake.
 We had hardly begun to move when another man, who had been waiting on the station, in the shadow of a pillar and whom knew as Detective Jobson of Scotland Yard, sprang to the car- riage and circulating, Thought should nab you here, my beauty!" en- deavored to enter. was busy getting under way, but my mate told me that the man in the carriage struck the de- tective in the face and thrust him off the footboard. His hat flew off In the struggle and fell between the platform and the moving train, but the officer determined not to lose his quarry, was up again in an instant, and though the carriages were flying past him, he sprang upon the footboard of the last coach needing not the cries of the exci- ted porters and terrified onlookers; and just as the train cleared the platform we saw the guard lean forward from the open door, and grasping the man by the arms, assist him into the van.
 The fugitive in the first coach saw the detectives disappearance also, and his bloodless face blanched a shade paler.
 "Great snakes" exclaimed my fire man, drawing in his breath with a sharp hiss, that was a narrow shave. Jobson means to have that chap some- how, and have him he will I wonder what he's wanted for. He'll never reach the landing stage this journey that's dead cert!"
 "No," said I; they'll have him at Crewe right enough. Poor beggar! He made desperate fgth for it, anyhow!" ell Iro timed straight through to Crewe with out a stop, doing the one hundred and fifty-eight miles in three hours and five minutes. There we left it to another engine which would be waiting to take it on, but we should return with the "up" express later in the morning. l knew that as soon as we reached Crewe there would be a crowd of policemen waiting to search the train from end to end. Jobson was up to his work, and the telegraph would be clicking its warning message moment or two af- ter we had passed through the first sta ton.
 It was not the only capture, by any means, I had witnessed this astute off, cer make, and the despairing faces of the men, robbed of the last hope of es- cape the shadow of the criminals cell already upon them, came into my mind as we rushed past Willesden, and look ing backward for moment through the fitful light, I saw the fateful piece of paper futter from the detectives s hand.
 The officials would understand the significance of that scribbled message, and unless Providence miraculousiy in terposed, the man was doomed. To leave the train as it flew through the