The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-12-13
Racing the
Wildcat
By CLAUDINE SISSON


Arvernc trolley line was Il little more
Than Il 'ine days wender in Naudon.
where the keswcks had lived for half
century.
Great promises had been made ON
Rentln keSwick'S behalf when he de
eided 10 take n portion of his fathers
| insurance money and complete his col
lege course and ii was confidently pre-
dicted that he would make name for
himself in the city beyond when his
four years should be up Instead he
had quietly returned TO his old home
and had applied for and obtained Il
place as motorman ON the new line just
completed IL Arverne
Even Horace Gusts had been some
what surprised at Ren's request to be
put ON IL ear. we could use you here
in the office Rem" he suggested as he
swung around in his office chair
No. thank YOU" WAS Renton's quiet
reIoinder. Il want 10 know something
about trollcytng before | sit In front OF
roll top desk, and | guess the front
platform of Il ear is as good II place as
any from which TO study
So Gusts had let him 20. and that
evening when Dorothy GUSTS remon-
stratcd with him for not doing better
by the son Of his old friend he laid II
hand on her shoulder
Dot. he said kindly. for your sake
AZ well us for the sake of poor Tom
keswick would have been glad to put
the boy 10 work IN the office. but col
lege education has not spoiled him. and
gave him the place Tor which he
asked.
Dorothy hluShing To find that her
secret WAS known To her father fled
10 her room. and after that the subject
was dropped 50 far as the Gusts
household MIS- concerned.
Naudon was more Interested, how
ever. aud there We're many who freely
remarked thnt ii Ken kcswick could
hot do better than Il motorman's job
after all TINT schooling it would have
been better had he lost himself in the
city
Meanwhile Rem stuck To the motor
mans box, aad in n short time he was
regarded is the best operator on the
road. lie knew every curve and grade
on The eighteen miles of track, and his
ear was never late, because no matter
what the delay he knew how TO favor
the work and come up to the Naudon
station ON time.
Once WHEN there had been II break
ut the power house which shut off the
power from the line for twenty min
uteS he had raced the accommodation
from the brook crossing to the station
aud had beaten II by three minutes. II
WAS an eight mile run from the cross
ing TO the station by trolley, but the
railroad took Il curve TO avoid cross
Ing Arvcrnc creek twice and had four
miles farther TO go.
Dorothy WIS II frequent passenger on
the ear. and II was natural that she
should avail herself of her privilege as
daughter of the president Of the road
TO ride ON the front seat with the mo-
tOrnan. If she happened to take the
ear ON which Rem was the motorman II
certainly had the appearance OF an ac-
cident, and not even Naudon talked
about il which was surprising
Those rides were precious times to
ltenton us ne stood at the controller
and nursed the heavy eur over the
tracks. once when he had been late
and was hurrying to make up his time
she had looked up with glowing eyes
as he helped her down the step.
ia just love 10 be with you soine
time when you are making real fast
run" she smiled. and he. smiling back
into the eager eyes, had replied;
IF | ever lnvc to make II real fast
run I'll let you know
She was talking OF his promise as
they sped toward the town one evening
In August. There had been u dance out
at Arvcrne lake, and Dorothy had left
early To meet her father A celebration
WAS being held some thirty miles UP
the road, and her father WAS among
the invited guests They We're coming
home on a special train the governor
and his staff and half a hundred 9th
ers. The train was due at Nnudon at
about the same time as the special,
and Dorothy had left the party early in
order to be home to meet her father,
Once or twice Rem had let out the car
ON level stretches to see her eyes fash
with excitement and had crept along
the harder parts TO keep his schedule
even,
They We're taking 1t easy along the
stretch by the creek when, as they ap
preached the railroad. they spled
headlight up the track.
There was plenty of time, and rather
than take chances Ren stopped on the
near side of the crossing and rested on
the seat II moment as the light drew
nearer
As 1t flashed past there was a cry
from Dorothy. In the moonlight she
saw that there was no one ia the cab.
Did you see she demanded excIt-
eddy rs she grasped Ren's arm
Runaway" he assented
The train" she gasped Rens face
grew hard.
There was Il construction camp up
the road, and he recognized this az the
engine OF the work train There had
been threats made against the governor
by some OF the foreign laborers, and
they had probably sent the engine
adrift in the hope OF obstructlng the
track and wrecking the train
II the fires burned down 1t would
come to 4 halt on the track, and II the
engineer OF the special did not see It
there would be a wreck IL the firea
Kept up steam there might be an even
more dangerous collision while the en-
CINE was in motion.
Rem turned 10 the conductor. There
Were but the three Oh the car. Don't
lose the WIRE he shouted as he turned
toward the front. He bent over Dor
othy. Hold tight he cried. Here Is
your fast run And he turned on the
current.
For moment there was whir as
the motor gained speed and then they