The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-09-30
RACING On RAILS.

"Old man smith, limits Mplllr'H fnih1r,
didn't liko mo near NJ we'll M hu did jim.
but svu'n that Molliu preferred me whan {
oArin mitch about her dads opinion.
1T wasn't no use fur uH tn Try ~ Rrt
ppllcrd IN Columbia, for everybody knew
thnt her father had ordered her not "a lv
seen with me 80 the only thing for uH o.
do was 80 watch Our chance and ~ nff ou
tho quiet 10 anne place along tho line
~ thought IL over fnf several days hud
gut thr whole thing IN shape. ipld Mnillr
a. como down o. the rnundhpuHr nhou
o'clock -" hpht mud would take her O
llitlu ride ON my engine She nfrnlG'
Wrll. surss you don't know hrr Why
shu had run tho machine herself many @
time
II had giycn thr hint to Jack my Ilrr
man and ho wns ON hand when ! hauhrd
out on the main track, lcAyln Jlm'HruRlu'
IN tho rpuudhnuur Mulllo was walsh,
aud she luinprd on the tank like nn rnRl
ncrrs sweetheart ought to do. Just M We
wuru pulin out Jim ontnr around tho cor
nor illn ryrs upvnod. toll yuu.
"'Whrro you guin. nilli' he shouted.
.Iust out for n little ride, rulnhrLrH
coolly. putin Mullio on tho box Ia IRON.
Of mo NJ | had tu put my arms nrourd
her Ia rvnoh tho levers Hnw jim RHsi
and start on run toward Mulliu'H hoLsc,
whvro hc know hor father was.
"tn two minutes wo wurc Hplnnin. iu
thro hummin. and IN flyu minutes We
wrrr tanrn through the ynllry like - oy
clone. Il was a pitch dark night and not
n thing could 10 Bs,-ii ahead
'Ihvru thr- come, yull"l jack bcforu
W. had gone ten miles,
"l,oukin hack. wo saw shower nf
sparks Just visible above tho trru tops, We
concluded At urcu that was Jim aud Mol
los dad, aud that wr would ha,o to dn
some rrvtty tall trr,rlin "a avoid capture.
Mind you. lin carried gun. be-
engines wrru prrty we'll matched, but II
course was somewhat nervous JJst
ahead was heavy grade nNo miles lu.i,
and know !, would lo - O.. 90 rull 90
get over IL. lui utrr IN tho ush,r SID {
tho hill our chances frr fcttin away wou'i
b. good
"'Do your test. Intl, to keep up steam
called across 20 ;h' LsgMnn.
"Muiile Wa. r,i,ia 3. my arms ~ qni.'-
iy Aa n wr hHd l,vi 't.in,n the h1irrl,'h
sofa IN hrr iLrlor ~ llps half oprn ord
thr wind BLOWN i.t hair oil u,rr nay 'r,r.
Mighty sweet 10 zurllc,l tnn. but hndn
much time in think nhuut such things
then
"An u sudden SO L,ari O Whistle.
and % sounded ~ 20 hculud Us Juml Il
with d'sr.y aLd i0UEvi l1tL lacr' ".s
jim. less thfr inlt u uilr away. cnt..n
like house AFR, Nlllr looked iuu.
Then her ryes f,ll on lack. whose wo.d d
was p,t'ln !,,y, and who had rolled n har
ri uut from trv lack par. ~ the tank aud
was tryin tu bust tho bead In,
"Shu slid uut ~ my Wriux. md holdn
ON a. thc l,,,rs gu' down hrido the iliu.
mnu The itsi layw ~ it WINS whom
saw her lshin uu' lis lat hams from The
barrul aud pns,in th,n 10 Jack, who was
frcdin the furnace with en-. didn't stop
o. ask any Qu-.iuuH iiglly for you,
Jack yelled ~ the steam gauge Jumr, 4
up again
"Wrii. that did the huincss We wrrrnclcd
tho top OF the grade without Jim pnlnn
another inch aud then ~ bugun tn slide
downward Great Jupiter how wo I'D
drop down thnt hill The noise was ter
rifle, and the old machine rocked like n
cradle Lookin back snw Molllo standin
on tho tank holdin on by tho brake, her
drrss fluttcrin. her hair hlowin and hur
eyes shnih like stars. I'll never forget
that sight
~ know that IA soon M Jim reached
the top OF tho hill he'd ho after us llukuty
split and | begun to fear we couldn't
mako tho riillo this time, hut all At once
~. ~. 4 a, ~ -. nj
yelled to Jack 10 put on the hand brakes
IIo jumped 10 tho wheel. Molllc holpln
him, mud In fuw minutes We had nearly
stopped.
Jump down quick, Jack, and open the
switch, said I'm goln 10 run up the
sidin.
"In less time thnn II takes to toll Il We
were on the sidin, tho switch rrsot for the
main track, and then | run up In the
woods and stopped. We shut off all lights
and waited.
"In minute or two wo heard u mint
fhint rumhlinR, which changed into a.
ronr Then We could distinguish the click
oty click of whocls passin over tho ends Of
rnils, tho rattle Of machinery and the hiss
In uf steam, while the puilln NJ tho exhaust
was 80 rnpid ns Co blend into hollow thun
dor
"a whirlwind Of sparks became visible,
and thon with n hop, skip and jump
Jim's engine passed us like II streak Of
runaway lightnin, tho occupants never
drcamln we were on the sidin.
eve hunted ur the nearest preacher and
got married, mo with my fuco all black
and Rrimy and Mollio without any hat, for
tho wind had blowod IL away. Jack was
Witness, and Let him kiss the BRIDE for |
thought ho deserved IL. We got baoL to
Columbia about midnight, and noxt morn.
in took out tho express as II nothin had
happened.
"What booamo Of .Timy Why, tho
bl0mcd fool Rqtually run rlaht strnlrhl