The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-09-02
J ON THE BITTER |
CREEK RUN
s"vvvvvvVvNVvvVvVvvNvs
By W. BERT FOSTER
Copy right, 1905, by T. {. Mcclure.

himself cigarette with an air of final
lty. you will get your hands and face
all smut, and think of your clothes,
Evier'
But Evylyn was not 10 be dissuaded.
Write me the order, Lester" she com
manded What is the good of being
the daughter of II man who owns Il
railroad and the sister of u boy Who
thinks he owns the Bitter Greek diVi-
sion If can't ride In the cubW
but Jim Lestrangea
MIR. Lestrunge is nothing whatever
TO me. Merely because we used TO
know him when we We're children
makes no difference. He is only the
engineer"
"Humph. Member when he and you
tried to elope together in his goat
and some cheese that mother had sent
you to the store for, Evle? Les see;
you were about five then, weren't your
Evylyns glance would have withered
anybody but an older brother. She
marched away with the order address
ed TO the engineer of the western spe-
cial, her head In the air and decpened
color IN her cheek.
The fact that Jim Lestrunge had been
playmate of her extreme youth did
not freeze Miss EVylyn Grantham. She
remembered that her mother had
soundly spanked her for the cSeapade
Lester had mentioned. and with Tire
In Jim had expired.
In fact, soon after that futeful day
the Granthams had gone east. Only
during visits to the town of her birth
did EVylyn hear of jim The Gran
thams went up the social and financial
scale by leaps and bounds Jim Le-
strange, with II pair of strong hands
and some brains, had To Evylyns
mind, scarcely risen at all.
Certainly the sooty faced fellow In II
greasy cap and oyeralls who took her
pass when she reached the platform
beside which Ninety nine and its long
train of vcstibule ears stood would
have made IL strange figure In the par
lors of her eastern friends. And to her
mind his Good morning, Miss EVE,
MIS- extensively familiar. She stepped
aboard the painting locomotive without
answering and heartily wishing she
had not come
But what an adventure to tell the
girls OF when she went back! The
crack flier Of the Bitter Creek division
was becoming popular Some of her
friends had been through the canyon
and seen It's mHrVes from the windows
of parlor car, but no girl In her set
had dared ride from Logger to McNiaz
hon Station, the towns guarding the
entrance and exit of the canyon In the
cab of big Ninety nine.
You better sit over on this side,
miss" the fireman said respectfully,
motioning Ia his own side of the cab.
But Miss Evylyn thought him oficious
and crept In behind the lever and
squeezed into the engineers seat She
did not know much about the huge ma
chine on which she was to ride and
considered II IL personal uffront when
Jim Iestrange swung himself aboard
and stepped up In front of her, oh
structing her view of the landscape
from the front window of the cab.
Under his tight fitting Jersey she
saw the muscles of his shoulders and
arms slip back and forth like the con
tracing of the tigers tendons under
its tawny hide when he stretched his
left hand back to seize the lever. He
waited, CHANGING ahead. for the CON
ductor's signal. There was something
fascinating In his tense though easy
pose. The compressed air signal spit
overhead. Instantly the hand on the
lever frightened. There was scarcely Il
jar as Ninety nine, taking deep breaths,
pulled out of the Logger station.
There IL little In the Bitter Creek
canyon to PLEASE the eye of tourists
but 1t certainly awes them. Sheer
walls rise SO high that only for an
hour at midday is the bottom OF the
gorge flooded with sunlight. Through
this the single track of the division
weayes Its way, crossing and recross
ing the whltened torrent upon trestle
work. Around these piles the water
roars when at its full, seeking to tear
down the Instructions man has placed
In Its path.
you should have chosen Il pleasant
er day for your ride, Miss Evic," Jim
said casually. Its been raining this
morning and the creek Will be high.
And shouldn't be surprised If we got
more OF 1t before long. The canyon
Will be dark"
She sat stlfiiy upright In her corner
OF the narrow seat and made no reply.
But the rain came ere the western
special plunged into the gloom OF the
gorge. Jim reached behind her and
shut the sliding pane to shield her
from any chance gust. In doing 10
the sleeve of his jersey touched her
shoulder and she shrank aside, but he
seemed utterly unconscious.
The train swept into the canyon and
sped over the glistenlng rails like a
fiery eyed serpent. 1t was dark and the
girl shlvered. Suppose the angry creek
should wrench free some portion of the
trestework? She only breathed with
confidence when the train was upon the
bOIlu leuPeS OF rock, winch nhu btefl
carved out OF the cliffs by the water
ages before.
Suddenly the shovel fell from the
flreman's hands, ringing again upon the
iron running board. He reached over
and shook Jim Lestrange by the arm.
Evylyn turned also, for the mans
face was white under the CRIME Of the
coal dust He pointed behind them.
where the daylight was fast fading at
the entrance of the canyon. But she,
too, saw what had startled the fire
man.
A wall of white water curled above
the tracks. 1t swept the canyon from
wall to wall bearing down upon the
rear of the long train so swiftly that
1t seemed as though the cars must be
almost instantly swallowed by the
food.
"A cIoudburstw she heard Jim ex-
flaim, and then, before the words had
more than passed his lips, the train
ieaped ahead. Twenty miles an hour