The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1903-11-05
ON THE BITTER
GREEK RUN
By W. BERT FOSTER
Copy right. 1903, BY T. q. Mcclure.

y -
write me the order, Lester" she com
manded. what is the good of being
the daughter of a man who owns ,
railroad and the sister Of boy wh'
thinks he owns the Bitter Greek divi
sion IL can't ride in the cab"
But Jim Lestrange''-
Mr. Lestrange is nothing whatever
to me. Merely because we used t.
know him when we were children
makes no difference. He is only the
engineer"
"Humph! Member when he and YOU
tried to elope together in his goa
wagon and with pound of cracker:
and some cheese that mother had SEN
you to the store for, EVE? Lessee
you were about five then, weren't you 2
Evylyn's glance would have witheret
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 a deepened
color in her cheek.
The fact that Jim Lestrange had beer
a playmate of her extreme youth die
not freeze Miss Evylyn Grantham. She
remembered that her mother had
soundly spanked her for the escapade
Lester had mentioned, and with the
smart of that chastisement her interest
in Jim had expired.
In fact, soon after that fateful 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 LIE
strange, with a pair Of strong hands
and some brains, had, to Evylyn't
mind, scarcely risen at all.
Certainly the sooty faced fellow in 6
greasy cap and overalls who took bel
pass when she reached the platform
beside which Ninety nine and its long
train of vestibule cars stood would
have made a strange figure in the par
lors Of her eastern friends. And to hel
mind his Good morning, Miss EVE,
was 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 Greek division
was becoming popular. Some Of hel
friends had been through the canyon
and seen its marvels from the windows
Of a parlor car, but no girl in her sci
had dared ride from Logger to McMa
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 to his own side Of the cab
But Miss Evelyn thought him ofacious
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 1t a personal affront when
Jim Lestrange swung himself aboard
and stepped up in front Of her, OBJ
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, glancing 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 a
jar as Ninety mine, taking deep breaths,
pulled out Of the Logger station.
There Is little in the Bitter Greek
canyon to please the eye of tourists,
but it 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 tile single track of the division
weaves. its way, crossing and recross.
ing the whitened torrent upon trestle,
work. Around these piles the water
roars when at it's full, seeking to tear
down the Instructions man has placed
in its path.
"You should have chosen q pleasant
er day for your ride, Miss Evie," 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 stiffiy 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 SO
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 glistening rails like a
fiery eyed serpent 1t was dark and the
girl shivered. Suppose the angry creek
should wrench free some portion of the
confidence when the train was upon the
solid lodges of rock, which had been
carved out of the cliffs by the water
ages before.
Suddenly the shovel fell from the
fireman's hands. ringing again upon the
iron running board. He reached over
and shook Jim Lestrange by the arm.
Evelyn 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 lad 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 cloudburstw she heard Jim ex.
claim, and then, before the words had
more than passed his lips, the train
leaped ahead. Twenty miles an hour
through the canyon was considered a
safe speed; the western special darted
away at a pace double that, for the
chance of wreck on q curve ahead; was