Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05

and steam takes water. Harry knew he
would have to get water before reaching
f Mrr tS SO ne told the fireman they would I
| cause he had any further interest in the
lonely prairie station, save for its memo
ries. II Miss Cartwright's plans had not
ling eastward on No. 2, which train the
faster-fying mail would pass at siding
| an hours run beyond Lone Pine.
The 1913 was behaving beautifully that
| morning, and she slid up to the water tank
| at Lone Pine and stopped with nice preci-
sion under the tank spout. Harry was
down In a 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.
gage is on No. 2. But l insisted on telling
them all goodbye at the house and walk
ing over. So l had the pleasure of seeing
the train run away from us
But what are you going to do?' de-
manded Harry, utterly oblivious to the fact
that the tank was full and that he was los
| ing precious seconds of the hard-earned
time.
Mr.. Mann says l can go .on the way
freight she explained. Il am waiting for
lie way IfelSnt. w ny, II Will take you
all day to get nowhere Then he had
daring f1ash-light of an idea, and in the
dazzle of it promptly broke one of the old
man Bence's ironclad rules. There are
only mail cars on this train Miss Prissfe.
but If you'll trust the cab of the 1913 III
carry you to Arroyo, where you can catcs
No. she comes alon. We pass her this
side of Arroya.'
Miss Priscilla Cartwright was not of
those who dwell in the valley of indectsion.
On the spur of the moment she accepted
his offer. was lifted, first, to the footbcard
and then to a seat on Harry's box, and five
minutes later the Lone Pine station was
mere blot on the brown plain, and the big
hyer was pitching and rolling as only
high framed Comeback can when it is
turned loose under the hand of man
whose nerve is all that it should be.
For the first few heartrending miles of it
Priscilla was frankly terrified. For this
cause she shut her lips tightly, knowing
that if she opened them it must be to
scream. Then by slow degrees the terror
OF it slipped into admiration for the calm
eyed young fellow at her side, the man VINO
was responsible for all this pandemoniac
rush and roar and demon clatter. just here
she had a glimpse of the ideal manhood.
the something which is above all educa-
ton and refinement, and is apart from
either; the thing which is able to stand IN
its own strength and which has called the
woman at ali times and tonges in com
mandings not to be denied.
As for Harry, apart from warm glow
of triumphant satisfaction born of the near
ness of her, it is to be feared that he was
more of the engineer than the lover just
then. The mail schedule was recklessiy
fast, and it was a point of honor among
the men to make its time--to make up the
time when it late. Hence. Harry was
pretty well occupied in getting the last
possible wheel-turn of speed out of the
1919, and when the chattering exhaust
deepened to q steady roar and the endless
line of telegraph poles became Keeling
procession past the cab window he was
still cOaXing the big flyer with added little
jerks of the throttle.
1t was on the great fill on Dump noun |
tain that the end came AT this point the |
c. and G. railroad rounds the western slope
on a level grade. turns the northern Shout |
der on long curve. with slight descent, |
and then pitches sharply down to cross a |
thousand-foot-deep ravine on the huge hill. |
What Harry saw turning the shoulder of |
the mountain aged him ten years in half as |
many seconds. Just beyond the center of |
the fill was the passenger train which he |
had been gradually overtaking-and it was |
still. Three car-lengthS in its rear |
a displaced rail broke the double line of |
shining steel, and a hundred yards nearer
a flagman was racing up the grade, making
frantic signals to the Cnrushing mail.
What there was to be done was done in
stantly and 10 little purpose. In the turn
ing of leaf Harry had the 1919 in the re-
verse motion and had given her the air.
Then he realized that the 10lgs demon was |
once more in possession. Something was |
wrong with the air brake and 1t failed to /
respond. With a quick yell of warning TO |
his fireman, he gave the whistle signal I
which calls for the application of the brake |
by the train crew, and the result of this |
was immediate and logical With the sud |
den checking of the train, brought about |
when every mail clerk in the five cars |
jumped for the cords of the automatic" |
the coupling between the engine and the |
nearest car snapped with a report like a |
pistol. Then, freed of the train drag, the |
demoniac 1919 shot away joyously for the |
plunge al the broken rail. regardless alike |
of reversed steam and Harry's frenzed eff |
forts to make the driver brakes take hold |
He desisted when he saw it was no use
and looked up into Prscillas face with |
smile that for all her icy terror she saw and |
remembered
She's going to kill u.s. he said coolly |
''but if you love me as much as | do YOU
we'll fool her and go together"
She was too terrified to speak, but her an
swer was in her eyes and in a quick out
reaching Of her arms to him. He saw and |
and at the catching of breath
snat ched her from the box, backed out of |
the cramped cab to the running board and
eaped with her out into space at time
the broken rail was no more than a short
car-length away.
1t was the brakeman of No. Q who
the subsequent events
Say, it looked to me like she was hittin'
L mile a minute when she struck the
break. but / guess l was some ratified. She |
h listed up on one side when she found the
rail gone. give grunt, and went rollin' |
Down them there thousand feet O. dump
with her drivers aspnnin' in the back gear
ike Fourth . July fireworks.
No: there wasn't much left o. her worth
pickin' up when she landed mongst the
rocks at the bottom of that gulch, you bet.
And when we'd all swallered once r twice
We looked to see what had come O. Harry
md his girl. Say, they wasn't hurt no
noren I was-n'r half bad scairt. The
lirt train d been workin' on their side O.
he dump, and 1t was all soft and sidey-
ike where they hit it.
Harry helped the schoolma'am up, and
hey stood and looked down at what was
eft O. the 10. The girl sort O. shvered.
)ut Harry he jest laughed and said, 4 told
EN- I'd smash her If she ever tried to kill
ne, and l guess I've done it right. And
she didn't get the mail, mr. she didn't get
IS Old man Bence II give me thirty
Lays for it, on genral principles, 1 s'pose.
put don't care, Prissie, If you don't. I'll |
)ut in the time goin' back home with you
md gettin' acquainted with your folks"
nd bat ia nraciSe1y what he did |