The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-11-21

try in the accommodation train to De |
Forrest. There were not many trains |
on that branch and such as there were
did not make alarmingly fast time, |
but Weaver's thoughts were running
SO fast that he imagined the flying ex-
press train was only crawling toward |
Clinton.
"On time?" he asked the conductor.
"Ten minutes late" was the short
reioinder.
Il thought so," grunted Weaver.
"Will we make it up before we get to
Clinton?'
81 hope so," said the conductor.
Weaver looked out the window at
the flying landscape and nervously
drummed on the window sill. He
would have almost an hour to wait at
De Forrest went through. He had
made the trip many times and he knew
the time table by heart. But an hour
to an eager bridegroom on his we'd
ding day is almost a week, and he
groaned as he thought of loafing
around the dingy little town of Clin-
ton for an hour. When at last its
spires and red roofs, so familiar to his
eyes, sprang into sight away ahead of
the train, he was the first passenger
to alight and almost before the pant
ing express had hurried on its way
across the continent he was at the
ticket office.
Ticket for De Forrest, one way"
said Weaver.
when are you going?" asked the
agent, reaching for the pasteboard.
"When?" asked Weaver, in surprise.
"Why, to-day, on the 1o:30, of course"
THAT train is gone, SIR" said the
agent.
"Gone?" echoed Weaver, blankly,
locking at his watch. "What do you
mean? It's only 9:45 now"
''Time table was changed, sir. Went
into effect yesterday said the agent.
"No. 4 leaves now at $50 daily, except
Saturday.
"When is the next train?" asked
| Weaver anxiously.
mo more to-day, SIR said the agent,
shortly.
"What?" shrieked the bridegroom,
| mo more?" What are you talking
about? Where's the $3.50? must get
there to-day
"Three-thirty was abandoned in the
new time table. No more trains to De
Forrest to-day"
| -%1 noa q mr. C
stunned. What should he do? 1t was
| imperative that he reach De Forrest
without delay. And it was 60 miles
away. Driving was out of the question
| Suddenly an idea sruck him. Why not
charter a car and engine? True, il
would be expensive, but he was desper
ate. Five minutes later message
clicked into the office of the genera
superintendent asking for permission
to charter car and special engine fol
a run to De Forrest. Two minute:
afterward a message came back say
ing no car could be furnished, but the
passenger might ride in an engine TO,
SIS. And ten minutes after that big
mogul was slowly backed out of thu
roundhouse at Clinton, and Harr,
Weaver, having turned over SIS to tn
ticket agent, climbed aboard. But thu
wheels of the big engine had not mad
dozen revolutions before the sound
er in Tom Kelly's telegraph oftlc
awav off at De Forrest said to him:
Hold down freight on De Fores
siding. Special engine just leaving
here with one passenger for DE For
rest. Has right of way over every
thing"
The ticker ceased a moment, an
then came a private message from tn
operator at Clinton: passenger
your old friend, Harry Weaver" an
} then Tom Kelly knew.
sI'u do the 60 miles inside an hou1
sir" said Engineer Larkins, as h
slowly sent the great machine over tn
switches of the Clinton junction an
gave her more steam as she hit tn
, main track 81 won't say in minutes,
he continued, 'but inside an hour
; Weaver climbed up on the little sea
of the fireman, for that funct1onar
had good job ahead Of him keepin
, the nav of the furnace filled with Goa
E and Larkins began to 'let her out
$ Faster and faster the telegraph pole
j and trees flew by as Larkins opene
e the throttle wider and wider. The e1
y CINE began to fairly hum with u
| pre- ssure of the steam, and the indie
: tor on the steam guage trembled at II
e pounds. The roar of the wheels file
e Weaver's ears and he clung desperate
r to the seat as the engine rocked bae
n and forth, and the whistle shrieked a
r most constantly as the flying monst'
d approached roads and towns.
d "We're making Al miles,, shoutt
e the fireman into Weaver's ear.
o "Oh, are we?" said Weaver. He h;
n an idea that the speed was nearer IA
But his heart was light and happy al
t his thoughts few faster than the
d comotive and were already in De Fo
e rest. The screaming of the whist
h the roaring of the wheels and Il
n pounding of the heavy tender were ;
< most unheard as he thought of Myrt
i =