Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-01-25

and strutted down the car like trust
official. Thoughts of the trained nurse
in Chicago came to me thick and fast.
could tell her now how much loved
her. Aye-I could ask her to be. my
wifeI And the words wouldn't clog
up my throat, either. was mani
could go right up to her, and while
looking into her soft brown eyes pour
out the very tenderest thoughts of my
soul. o, could do it! could do It'll
Say, fellows, have you ever been there
i'm love, mean? Well, it's the al
firedest funniest feeling you ever had.
Little love bells, or something like
that, tingle all through every fiber of
world looks bigger and brighter and
happier, and even the fellow that
stole your overcoat appears like an
angel.
"Any way, shortly after leaving the
conductor, I coiled myself on one of
the seats and went to sleep. About
half-past three I awoke with start.
The car was flooded with the awfulest
sound that was ever turned loose
among passengers. Men and women
had their heads poked through the
curtains, and, talk about e1oquence,
phosphorescence, yellow and red at
mosphere! Dog my buttons, the car
was full of it! And pretty soon that
car was full of something else, too
flying window screens, shoes, pillows
and handbags. And what do you think
was the cause of the trouble? A deep
chested Shanghai rooster was perched
on top of the curtain rod, right over
my head, believing like bull.
Glow did he get in the car, you ask?
Woman, of course; lady struggled him
in under her shawl. But that's moth
ing; woman would take anything
into a sleeping car from poll parrot
to horse and wagon.
"Our next stop was Winston; and,
thanks to the rooster, my robber was
up and dressed. How to get him by the
station was now a problem. The train
was on time, and no subterfuge about
being late or things like that would
do, for the fellow was remarka bly, well
acquainted with the country. And
dog my buttons! no train ever
climbed mountain so fast.
"And my heart got heavy as lead
as thoughts of the girl in Chicago came
back to me. Every revolution of the
wheels, instead of bringing me nearer,
was taking me farther away from her.
Two thousand five hundred dollars,
and the girl of my choice, slipping out
of my grasp like creased lightning!
grabbed that rooster by the neck
and fired him through a window, glass
and ALL
''Just then three sharp blasts from
the engine told me that we were near
ing the station; the engineer applied
the air and the train slowed down.
I caught up whisk broom and was
brushing the robber to beat the band
when the train conductor came ON the
scene. He said:
well not stop here, porter. Well
simply slow down so the engineer can
catch his orders. Well send this man
back from the next stop on No. g.
''But little did he dream at that mo-
ment how the next stop was to be
made.
"From Winston to the next station,
in the direction we are going, are
IS miles right straight down. And the
road is so crooked that a blacksnake
could hardly follow it. About mile
down from Winston the engineer lost
control of the automatic air, and-dog
my buttons-talk about wild rides,
broncho Dustin and strenuous life
there was never anything in all this
world half so strenuous as the ride of
that night! The train stopped run
ming altogether and went to bug Jump
ing. The engine screamed and snort
ed and tore round those sharp curves
like demon. No person in my car
could stay any place! Everybody was
everywhere, hurtling and jumping over
each other like so many kids playing
leap-frog. But, of course, the end soon
came. The engine left the track and
tumbled down hundred-foot embank-
ment, feet up, into the river. The rest
of the train followed, and some of the
cars jumped over the river to the OPP
posite bank. My car was knocked into
kindling-wood against a big bowlder
right at the rivers edge. Talk about
scenes! Heavens! It was the most
awful sight I ever witnessed! Ugh!
see it now!-headless men and wom-
en- scattered all fbout-the wreck on
fire and the flames licking up the dead
and dying. Say! pour me out drink!
That's it'll it up!
''Well, when found the robber he
was deader'n er door nail, with the
grip locked tight in his right hand. !
had to cut the handle to get it loose.
"But now, fellows, I must be going
home. See this paclage?- contains
pair of shoes for my little boy. And
dog my buttons, that trained nurse
is his mother; and she's looking for
me, right now"