The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-15
The GHOST oF LIE sEuER.

| tuous jouTneyings of a freight train that
| averaged eighteen miles an hour, but
| strained itself at twenty. Once in a great
many days something would happen that
this freight train would be laid off and
then its engine and crew were transferred
| to any special service that might be
| oFen. On those occasions the engine, No.
II, enjoyed increasing its speed TO forty
| and fifty miles an hour, and showing oni-
] Gals of the road who might be behind IL
what really good engine could 90 when
| 1t had a passenger list worthy Of its
metal.
Jenkins-that is what I win call him
liked the special runs. He was hot for
! advancement, and any work that brought
! him directly under the eye of the higher
| officials suited him. His ambition in
! those days was to become a master me
/. ckanic. He probably would have but for
| the ghost of lie Seuer. The appariton
changed the entire course of is career.
| The spoOk was not one that came reg
| Glarly and became a familiar companion.
| So far as jenkins was concerned he
! never saw it but once-as a ghost-and
| that was sufficient.
Forty miles down the valley through
| which his train moved every day there
was bend known as lie Seuer Curve. On
| the south side OF it was a farm and in the
red house on this farm there lived 4
| young girl in whom Jenkins was very
much interested. About every tenth day
! when he secured q twenty-four- hour lay
| of, he would "dead-head" down 10 the
| curve and spend his time on the farm.
The father and mother welcomed him,
and UP and down the valley it was gen
eTal talk that some day he would take
! their daughter to home of his own.
! When on duty and a daylight run Jen-
| kins never passed the curve but the
| girl was there to wave her hand TO him.
| He had habit of whistling a mile away
| from the bend. which gave her ample
| warning that No. Il and he were com
ing, and at night when the sweetheart
could not come Jenkins still footed the
| whistle If he passed as notice 70 her that
he was safe and had her in mind other
engineers in jest tried to initiate the whis-
| tie, but failed. The girls quick ear al
ways picked out the right call.
One day Jenkins and No. II found no
freight to haul Instead they laid idle at
the round-house for three days. and then
came an urgent demand fortheir services
! in taking the general superintendent and
other officials over the line. The start
was made about in the morning but
| they were all day covering a bare twenty
| miles The stops made were intermina-
bly, long. The officials had farmers and
| land owners to meet, many conferences to
| hold, and much TO determine. II was
dark when the general superintendent.
now a Chicago railway president, walked
| down to No. II and said to Jenkins:
! You've got a clear line ahead. I want
you to open her up and make our next
| stop (sOme fifty miles SOUTH just as fast
as you can. We've got to connect there
with some NJ. & w. people and as they
only have a twenty-minute stop we can't
Gfford 10 miss them. Cut her loose"
Jenkins smiled. He desired no freer or
4 = Tl-,
| ceived the signal to start he gave No.
| II every pound OF steam she could carry
| and he shot through the little country
| way station in a manner that astounded
the blinking agents. He hoped to make
the run in an hour. and he would have
but for the ghost-ghosts are always
| troublesome.
The same night that Jenkins started on
| this wild race the girl at lie Seuer
| Curve, much perplexed over his three
days absence from the line, had joined
| party of friends in a hay-rack ride to
town. On their way home and about two
| miles from the town the wagon broke
| down and they all took TO the railroad
/ Il ack TO walk the remainder Of the way.
| The girl of lie Seuer Curve was dressed
| entirely in white-one of those intangible
| summer dresses that some women wear
| exquisitely and others look ike drags IN.
| The girl liked the dress overly well, be
cause jenkins had bought it for her All
| the other girls of the party were dress
| ed in more sober gowns. making the par
| ticular girl look by contrast like night
witch TT for an elm dance
The party had no man with them, their
driver having been compelled to stay
| with the horses of the wrecked wagon.
| They walked along the track laughing
| over their mishap until they came -
| Presleys culvert. and there they acct
| IDENTIFY found Il broken stringer and a
! snapped rail. Just how the damage had
happened was not evident. but its pres
1 cree meant wreck for any train that
! pissed. The girl from lie Seuer Curve
was the first to think and act.
Girls. she cried, we've got to warn
| the trains
! There was hasty and troubled consulta-
! ton as TO how this might be done. One
SRI said they would walk back TO town
| and inform the station agent.
NO. said the girl in white. for while
We are doing that some train might come
from the north and plunge IN here with
out notice.
The girls were silent after this until the
| girl In white spoke.
| II guess she said. with a little break
| If her voice, this dress got on me to-
night for a purpose. If 1 stay on the
/ track ANYBODY can see Il a long way or
even in the dark. You girls go back TO
| town and give the warning j you meet
| a train scream. throw stones. do anything
/ 20 stop it, ] viii stay here and warn any
| train from the north Hurry. oh, hurry.
And the other girls left her alone by the
/ culvert looking back rs long as they
| could see the white figure with eyes fxed
| on the north After she could nc longer
| hear their voices the girl IL white fell to
| thinking OF jenkins. as any girl might
| who missed lover. and there came on
| her tremendous impulse TO walk toward
| the north knowing the south was guard
! Cd by her friends Mastering to town She
struggled against this influence but. as
/ she saws 10 this day. Il grew stronger and
! stronger. II seemed al II Jenkins werc
calling her. and so she moved down the
track slowly and then very fast and when
/ she was near 10 lie Ssuer Curve. almost in
! sight OF her OWE home- the ONLY one bee
1 tween the town and the curve. she heard
/ far up the track the "Oo-wooo-oo" 81
jenkins whistle can. lie was coming nj
I almost a mile minute.
The gil in white threw uq her arms
/ high and waved them and then ran
( straight down the track - who're 30 rIust
shoot out into The open from the curve
with No. T. And Il vas then jenkins
saw his ghost
II was all white. and & waved oueeri-
! and danced up and down on The track u
I die not lock Ike ANYTHING human y
might be mist q the alEht- Jenkins fire.
man sn0rtsd when ne saR i. but Jenkins.
/ every pore ia his body giving ont water.
/ grabbed his whistle cord. sent out
scream for brakes. shut OF AID brought
his train TO a stop IN time q have the
ghost fau EaspinS Oh his pil8r
lie vas thers II = second. and - -r.f
T his arms around TIE thing in Waite. ard
+ before his rrenan he kissed Ct ard cried