Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-09-16
A NApROy, =. ARGIN


railroad, and the coulpany's officials
were at their wits end.
An accident enabled Freight Engi-
ncer Billy Burton to discover the
thieves and helped the company to
recover a large quantity of the stolen
goods.
a substantial money reward was
rendered him for his services, but 1t
was only after being repeatedly urged
to accept it by the president Of the
road himself that he took it..
you've earned it honestly" urged
his superior, "for our offer extended
to everybody. Now | am going to put
you on the Imperial"
For year past Billy and Nettie
Byrnes had been engaged, and there
was no reason, Billy thought, why the
marriage day should not be fixed upon.
or course Nettie was delighted to
hear of her lovers good fortune, and
when he pressed her she blushingly
consented to fix the wedding day.
For Il month he continued without
adventure in his new position.
Then, much to his regret, he was
obliged to LAY 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 SEN
tence the leader, n white faced, snaky
eyed man, turned fiercely upon the en-
gineer and, shaking his fist, called
down upon the young mans head the
vilest and most horrible curses.
"lll have your life for this, you
houndw he cried.
Nettie had been sitting beside Billy,
and when the robber turned upon her
lover she uttered frantic cry and
chung to him convulsively.
: About a week after the trial Billy
and Nottie We're married and began
housekeeping in a pretty little cottage
at the end of the young engineers run,
so that he could ''lay off" at home.
Nettie had often ridden Oh the en-
CINE with her father, and, as Billy
extensive wedding tour, she had laugh
ingly declared that she would make a
honeymoon trip upon the big express
locomotive.
So it happened that the morning aft
err 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 comforta-
bly, fixed, he kissed her again and,
jumping from the engine, walked down
the platform to the dispatcher's Office
to deliver a message to his friend, Tom
Stafford, one of the telegraph opera
tors.
"By the way, Billy" said Tom when
the engineer declared that time was
up" and he must get back to his en-
CINE to be ready for the signal. "the
head of that gang Of freight car thieves
escaped from the penitentiary early
yesterday morning"
His face was so grave when he re-
turned to his engine that. Nettie in
quired anxiously If he were i'll.
For the first thirty miles of the run
the Imperial made no stops, and they
had nearly completed that distance
when they entered considerable for
est and approached sharp curve just
before crossing high trestle bridge
that spanned rocky gulch, through
which tumbled a shallow, brawling
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 a flash they rounded the curve.
AS they did SO, Billy's trained eyes
saw a terrible sight.
Four heavy ties, one on top of the
other, had been spiked across the rail
in the center of the bridge.
At the same time strange, over
towering influence seized Billy, and
he stood rigid, helplessly clinging to
the throttle and the brake lever.
On dashed the engine toward certain
destruction, and Billy's brain reeled
with horror.
Suddenly there arrived terrible
flash Of lightning, and great tree in
the valley below was splintered from
top to base and fell with a crash.
Simr ltaneously the power of action
returned to Billy's 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 nearly threw him from his feet,
and Nettie tumbled from her perch.
Would it never stop.
Slower. slower, and not ten inches
from the obstruction. the great lOconlo-
tive came to Il standStill. and Billy.
with a cry of joy. recled lack ul,cn
his bench unconscious When he L.
covered his senses, Npttir was cry ~
and sobbing over him. and N"n were
coming up the bank bringing hetw '2n
them dead mnn--thr mi%rr'"Y! WHO
had spiked down tn" ties
He had been killed rs he was r''H.
ming across the vi iitv EillDu l., IN.