The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-05
BY TEN INCHES.

line of the W., G. and B. railroad, and the
company's officials were at their wits
end.
An accident enabled Freight Engineer
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 it was only
after being repeatedly urged to accept it by
the president of the road himself that he
took it,
'sYou've earned it 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 q 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 that ever
delighted the heart of a 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 a two
weeks vacation with full pay.
One OF his first acts was to ''dress up
and pay visit to his sweetheart, pretty
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 when he
pressed her she blushingly consented to fix
the wedding day.
1t was 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 a firm
hand on the throttle and felt the big ex-
press locomotive throb beneath his touch.
For a month he continued without ad-
venture in his new position.
Then, much to his 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 f1ercely upon the engineer, and
shaking his fist called down upon the
young mans head the vilest and most hor-
rib1e curses.
''I'n have Jour life for this, you houndI"
he cried.
Nettie had been sitting beside Billy, and
when Inc TODD0E turned upon nGT lover Sn6
uttered frantic cry and chung to him con-
vulsively.
About week after the trial Billy and
Nettie were married and began housekeep-
ing in a pretty little cottage at the end of
the young engineers run, SO that he could
clay off, 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 a honeymoon trip upon
the big express locomotive.
So it happened that the morning after
the wedding found her snugly coiled upon
the engineers box looking very fresh
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's Office to deliver a
message to his friend, Tom Stafford, ono
of the telegraph operators
''By the way, BLY, said Tom when
the engineer declared that time was up
and he must get back to his engine to be
ready for the signal, 1.-The head of that
gang of freight car thieves escaped from
the peni5entiary early yesterday morning
His face was grave when he returned
to his engine that Nettie inquired anx-
iously if he were i'll.
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 a high
trestle bridge that spanned a rocky gulch,
through which tumbled a shallow, bravTl-
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 fash they rounded the curve.
As they did so Billy's trained eyes saw
terrible sight.
Four heavy ties, one on top of the other,
had been spiked across the rail in the CEN
ter of the bridge.
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 BiTly's brain reeled with
horror.
flash of lightning, and great tree in the
valley below was splintered from top to
base and fell with a crash
simultaneously the power of action re-
turned to Billy paralyzed body, and with
his teeth firmly set he threw his weight
upon both throttle and brake lever.
So sudden was the check that the shock
ODreW MIN from MS 1eSb, ana N0bI16
tumbled from her perch.
Would it never stop?
Slower, slower, and not 10 inches from
the obstruction, the great locomotive came
to a standstiH, and Billy, with a cry of
joy, reeled back upon his bench uncon-
scious When he recovered his senses,
Nettie was crying and sobbing over him
and men were coming up the bank bring
ing between them a dead rnan-the mis-
creant who had spiked down the ties
He had been killed as he was running
across the valley by the flash of lightning
that had seemed to loosen Bi1ly's momen-
tary paralysis.
Nettie took one frightened look at the