Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-31
THE WRECK OF THE 1919.

BY FRANCIS LYNDE.


and they made instant inquiry Of the sta
ton agent whether Harry was parading the
1913 for the young woman's benefit.
Why yes" said the agent. That's
Miss Cartwrght-Miss Prissie. the kids
call her She's the schoolma'am, from
somewhercs down east, and she boards at
Jepsons. why good gosh! s'posed you
all knew what took Harry over there
He's dead gone on her-in plum up to his
ears"
But Harry was not in" he was only
longing to be, longing to take the plunge
ana dreaded 1t more and more as time and
better acquaintance paced off the terrible
distance between this dainty, low-voiced
eastern product OF good breeding and edu-
cation and a rough young fellow who knew
how TO get the most out of a big ten
wheeler-and knew little else Notwith
standing he had met her every other even
ing all summer, he still found it difricult
20 talk to her, even with the 1919 for a
theme.
Il thought maybe you'd like to see her."
he was saying. That's why / asked you to
ride over Isn't she whale?"
Miss Cartwright laughed appreciatively.
Some Of your railroad figures OF speech
are just too apt for anything" she said
| Il think ! never saw sucn tremendous
big one before; or Is it only that I've never
noticed?"
"Oh, don't know" laughed Harry
They are building them bigger every
year"
Are they?" she said And then: Don't
you feel terribly afraid Of 1t. sometimes?"
Harry laughed again NO. | haven't
come to that yet; not even with the 1919,
though she has scared out a good many OF
the boys"
Scared them out?" said Miss Cartwright,
with an uplifting OF the brows that made
Harry shyer and then turn hot with love
for her. Il don't understand"
He explained, giving the story Of the
lol9's diabolisms, and she shuddered in
sympathy Whereat he loved her the more.
"Of course, there is nothing to the SUI
perstition," she said, but still | should
think you would be afraid"
IT'S my business not to be afraid and,
after all, she's nothing but a biggish bunch
Of iron and steel. Would you-would you
like to see how she rides? I've got to run
out on the ~ and turn around"
! Miss Cartwright caught her breath and
said she wouldn't dare, but she ended by
/ letting Harry help her up into the cab.
The little spin around the "Y" was the
meGest taste OF a locomotive ride. but II
]
school mistress.
1T is simply inspiring" she declared,
with unfeigned enthusiasm. 81 wish | were
going to be here longer I'd come over every
/ little while and ask you to let me do II
again"
Harrys jaw dropped Are you going
away. Miss Prissie?"
Yes, I'm going back home. Didn't |
/ tell you? This is only summer school,
you know and We close next week"
Harry helped her down from the cab and
up into her saddle without a word And
on all the long days run to the Butte
the fireman remarked that he never laughed
once a week later Harry had another in
terview with the superintendent.
'You said awhile back that you'd like to
put the 10 on the mail" he began.
80 would IL didn't have a set OF
superstitous fools for runners" snapped
| old man Bence.
| We'll I've been thinking 1t over and
! I'll try 1t, II you want me to-" said Harry.
Then he made a condition. "I'd like to
put in the rest OF the week on the ac-
| commodation II you don't mind"
The rest OF the week carried him past
the close of the school in the swale beyond
| the Jepson house. and. as good luck would
have it, the closing exercises were on the
! Thursday evening, which was the night OF
his lay-oyer at Lone Pine So he went to
the little shack school house and sat
! through the exercises in dream of bliss
and afterward had the ineffable Joy of
walking back to the Jepson ranch with
! Priscilla
II was a beautiful night, starlit and as
still as II the wind had never blown across
the brown wastes a night of all nights
for the saying Of such things as were clam
oring for speech within him. And yet for
the life OF him he could not say the thing
he had determined to say. Every time he
tried to formulate that unspeakable ques-
| tion the terrible distance between the
schoolmistress with a Wellesley diploma
and an engineer with calloused hands
widened to a chasm impassable--from his
| side, at least. So he took her home and
bade her good night and the thing was left
unsaid. M;erward by way of penance, he
scamped his bed, breakfast and morning
| farewells and went to the station to sleep
what sleep there was for him on the com
fortress cushions OF the day coach.
The mail run was to begin for Spencer and
the 1919 on the following Monday, but on
! Friday the 1905 broke a side rod and was
laid up for repairs. So it came about that
Harry went west on his first mail run
| AudS uouil' pdSSeu Lone IlDe IN the night
and doubled back with the east bound mail
two hours late on Saturday
Lone Pine was not stop for the mail,
but when you try to make up lost time with
five heavy mail cars 1t takes steam-and
steam takes water. Harry knew he would
| have to get water before reaching Arrova,
so he told the fireman they would all the
| tank at Lone Pine. 1t was not because he
| had any further interest in the lonely
prairie station, save for its memories. II
! Miss Cartwrights plans had not miscarried
she was at this moment trundling eastward
on No, ,, which train the faster-hying mail
would pass at siding an hours run be-
yond Lone Pine.
The 1919 was behaving beautifully that
morning, and she slid up to the water tank
at Lone Pine and stopped with nice
precision under the tank spout. Harry was
down in twinkling with his oil can, and
had made half the lubricative circuit when
there was rustic OF starched skirts be-
side him and a sweet voice said'
Good morning Mr. Spencer"
Harry looked up and promptly dropped the
oil can.
'You?' he exclaimed. why. | thought
you were on No >.
Miss Cartwright's laugh was OF chagrin.
II meant to be-" she said, And my
luggage is on No, .. But | insisted on
telling them al goOdby at the house nnd