The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-16
The EVENING STORY
Main Line to Matrimony.
tBy w. F. Bryan.)

Nettie perched on the baggage truck
and regarded with dumb amazement
the bearded person who sat on the OBJ
servation car side-tracked on the tiny
switch that sufficed for the needs of
Lost Mine station. The half-worn cars
that comprised the rolling stock of this
hundred-mile branch of the G. & S. w:
were shabby in the extreme, and not
even the Pullmans that Nettie saw
when she rode down to the Junction
palace on wheels. More important
was the fact that the bearded person
was the president of the system, the
man whose word was law to the tnou
sands of employees of the road, ana It's
various feeders
1t was the first time that any official
of the main office had ever been over
the line, and Nettie wondered tnaI lLi5
quiet-lookiCg man should be the hea NEG.
OF the great system. She had eApe ss,I-
ed to see a six-footer with SHINY StH
hat and a frock coat such as she nau
seen in pictures. She was little as
appointed in the subdued suit
tweeds and the peaked cap;
But If the clothing was dasappo'nl
Ing the face came up TO an me- ,eca
pectations. A powerfully moioeo AAce
it was, and every line betokenSo s
power and the indo mitable Will ma
had made the G.. & 3. w: oAs "a 49,
most important lines In the couils 80,
For a week the car hao stopa o narty
siding while the men OF the PaLLy
hunted and fished, and John Westnaii
sat on the observation platform snloh
ing and planning fresh trlumphs. any az
Nettfe had fallen into the naoll OF ST.
ting on the station platform ana Waec1-
ing the strong contemplating race. II
reminded her of the engine that pant
ed Iazily at the far end of the car, Dig
and strong and powerful
Westhall had brought MS son anu
WGSL
for hunting trip. He. too, felt the
mead of rest, and he found 1t In the
quiet of this tiny terminal. once
mine had made the branch a neces-
daily train was run over the line TO
save the charter against freshly dls-
covered metal.
Nettie was the daughter of Frank
Nichols, who had been conductor OF
the limited before he lost his arm. Inc
company had made him station master
at Lost Mine, and here Nettie had lived
her brief life, finding her pleasure IN
the woods and in brooks, rather than
in the companionship of people Sam
Hildreth, the engineer Of the rood, LOOK
her down to- the junction sometimes
and had taught her how to run the en-
gina They were to be married some
day when Sam could save up enough
money, but there was small chance TO
save on the meager pay received as en-
transferred to the main line, Things
would be different
So she sat and watched the presi-
dent putting slowly at his cigar; the
president who could, If he wished, give
Sam an engine on the main line and
make their marriage possible. Ever
since the car had come up, she had
been trying to gain the courage to ask
him but she never dared approach
him.
a--, @ro,-o +ba rood orourod than
both. A young man came running to-
ward the station and at sight of him
Mr. WesthaH sprang to the roadbed
and ran to meet him, his face grown
white and drawn.
"Jim is hurt cried the newcomer.
as he came within speaking distance.
His gun accidentally discharged as
he was pushing through the thicket,
and his leg is badly shattered. Have
the train ready to move as soon as they
get him home. If his leg-perhaps
his life-is to be saved, he must have
attendance as soon as possible"
Westhalis face worked.
''I gave Timmons, the engineer, per-
mission to go fishing he said slowly.
He started before you did. There Is
a trout stream about ten miles i'm
"You can never get him. said the
other. Where is the engineer of the
branch ?"
Down at the junction 1t would
grade" answered Westhall. "If the
fireman was here, he could run the
engine, but he has gone with Tim
mons. There is no one here who can
run an engine
ST cam" spoke up Nettie Sam
taught me how to run an engine. It's
down grade for the first forty miles.
We can run by gravity most of the
way and by then steam will be up; the
fires are banked"
westhall turned to her eagerly.
you think you CAM" he asked.
'I have run the old engine" she an
swered confidently. 81 am going to
marry Sam some day when he gets a
main line run, and he said an en-
gineer's wife should know something
about engines. Your porter can fire
for me-"
westhan turned to her eagerly
''Se that the line is clear" he said.
s'The train cannot have left the juno
ton. If it has not, order it to remain
there"
Nichols hurried in to the telegraph
instrument, and presently it's clicks an
nounced that the track was clear. Net
tie climbed into the cab and took her
seat on the engineers side. The negro
porter came after her, and under her
Instructions began to make up the fire
BY the time the rest of the hunting
party arrived with the injured man,
the private car had been backed up to
the station platform. and an old freight
car had been added to give. balance to
the train.
Young WesthaN was scarcely nut
aboard when the signal was given, and
throwing over the throttle, Nettie NOV
ed the train slowly out on the main
track.
For the first five or six miles the
track dropped sharply down the side
of the mountain and she used little
steam in the cylinders. She knew the
road as we'll as the path from her home
to the station. and she swung the light
train about the sharp curves with the
skill of a veteran.
Once the first drop was crossed. the
grade was lighter and Nettie increased