Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-14
DEVAL'S ESCAPE.

Ii was a red letter day in my life
when I was first put in charge OF a
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 reach
ed the topmost rung Of the ladder soon
er 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 l earned
enough to make me the happiest or
men.
To be sure. I had a rival, Ernest De-
val by name, VINO was sometimes IN
the city" and possessed the SNOWY at
tractiveness and the art Of insidious
fattery which sometimes lure tickle
minded women to forsake the true met
al for the glittering dross. must
own he occasiOned me some snght
cause for jealousy, STILL secure IN the
knowledge of our mutual love ana
knowing Alice to be a sensible little
girl. I was on the whole as happy as
most chaps who see their sWeethearJs
but once or twice a week.
She had told me on more than one
occasion that she wanted nothing to
do with him, but in spite OF her obvious
dislike he insisted in prosecuting her
with his attentions, and only the day
before the incidents happened which
l am about to relate l had FOUND 1t
necessary myself to display the niger
of Alice TO him with my ring upon H.
TO his ill-cOncealed chagrin and eVl-
dent modification.
On the next day I was, as usual, or
dered to take out the sleeping saloon
express to the north. My mate had
secured the couplings, the old engine
was painting and snorting like a thing
of life. as If eager for the coming jour
ney. and the hustle on the platform
had subsidized. The signals were right
and I had nv hand on the throttle
onlv waiting for the right away
when, just as the green light was dls-
PLAYED. a cab ratified into the station,
from which an excited man hastily
jumped. Flinging some money 10 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 fire
man had loosened the brake.
We had hardly begun to move wnen
another man, who had been waiting
on the station. in the shadow OF a pill
lar and | knew as Detective Jobson,
of Scotland Yard. sprang TO the car
rage and calculating, Ihought l
should nab you here, my beauty. en-
deavored TO enter. ! was busy gettlng
under way. but my mate told me that
the man in the carriage struck the de-
tective in the face and forced him on
the footboard His hat flew OF IN the
struggle and fell between the platform
and the moving train, but the officer,
determined not 10 lose his quarry, was
ND again in an instant. and though
the carriages were flying past him, ne
sprang upon the footbOard Of the last
coach. needing not the cries of the eX-
cited porters and terrified onlookers;
and lust as the train cleared the plat
form he 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 q shade
paler.
Great snakesi" exclaimed the 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. Uondef
what he's wanted for. He'll never
reach the landing stage this journey
that's a dead cert
NO" said l, they'll have him at
Crewe right enough. Poor beggar!
I He made a desperate fight for it, any
! how"
The sleeper" as we called it, was
timed straight through to Crewe
without stop, doing the 15S miles in
three hours and five minutes. There
we left it to another engine which was
in waiting to take it up express
later in the morning. / knew that as
soon as we reached Crewe there would
be a crowd of policemen waiting 10
search the train from end to end. Job
son was up TO his work, and the tele-
graph would be clicking its warning
message a moment or two after We had
passed through the first station.
Ii was not the only Captlr by any
means, had witness this astute Of
fcer make, and the Gespairing faces of