The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-13
The EVENING STORY
On the Coaster Special.
(By Taylor White.)

pace al the way to town" askedJoyce.
| Dick Torrington's chin squared itself
as he looked at the sturdy black flying
over the hard packed snow
N King doesn't keep going" he said
with an uneasy laugh. you'll keep on
| peing Joyce Waring and not Joyce Tor
rlngton. I've timed it so as to Just
make the train. If we miss that your
ALL"
Joyce shivered at the suggestion. For
years she had lived in dread of the
stern old man who, since his wife's
death. had looked on life with hatred.
when Joyce had come her gentle
mother had slowly faded away, and
Hiram Waring, blaming the innocent
child for the death of the woman he
| loved SO passionately,, had never shown
her the affection that was her herit-.
| age.
| AS child her innocent transgressions
We're punished with an unjust severity
and when Dick Torrington had asked
her father for her hand he had been
driven from the house for no other APP
parent reason than Mr.. Warnings hatred
of Joyce. The father would not give
his consent to marriage because 1t
would make her happy and thereafter
he watched. her more closely than ever.
But Dick Torrington was not of the.
| sort to take his unjust dismissal with
out an effort to win the woman he
loved, and the elopement was the re-.
suit. IS f's7 - sssa- p E55-- - - . :
Busby was the terminal station of a
branch line on which the single train
made two trips daily each way. Hank
Carew took pride in the punctuality
with which the road was run, and 1t
was certain that the morning train
would leave exactly at half-past nine
By planning the elopement so as to
| reach the station just as the train
started, Dick was assured that there
could be no successful pursuit. King
no nd ,1%A hon
Warnings double team, even should the
latter be already hitched
The start of the elopement had been
successfully accomplished, and now
King was flying over the road toward
the town, while Hiram Warning still
puttered about the barn in blissful
ignorance. Presently, however, he
would come into the house and then,
perhaps, he would realize what was
leup. Meanwhile they would have made
the train and presently they would be
across the state line where licenses
were not necessary. The laws of their
own state required residence before
license could be issued. and as town
clerk, Joyce's father was charged with
the issuance of licenses.
ALI would have gone we'll If small
boy had not thrown SNOWFALL at
Dick. The we'll packed ball of snow
smart blow in the ribs. The high
spirited horse was unused to such
treatment and bolted down the road
with Dick franucally swaying at the
reins.
cts all right" he shouted, cit will
help us make time. 1t will be easy
if I can stop him before we reach the
HILL
Joyce's face blanched. The Hill
(always spelled with capitaD was
steep descent of nearly a mile,
the one ugly turn. If King should
bolt down the hill there was little
chance that Dick would be able to
guide him around the curve and they
would be thrown down the side.
you will stop him before then"
she said confidently. but the corners
Of her mouth were drawn and her lips
were white. She knew King and
even while she sought to comfort
Dick with her confidence.
It was a little more than mile to
the top Of the Hill and Dick fought the
horse every inch Of the way. He
had called to Joyce to kneel in the
bottom Of the cutter, and just as they
reached the descent, he pulled Kings
head to one side and guided the
crazed animal into tree.
Dick shot over the side of the cut
ter as they struck, but he was on his
feet in an instant to hold the horse.
There was no need for that. King
lay still on the sparkling snow with
his head twisted oddly to one side and
6oHS0
his favorite.
Joyce, he had seen, was unframed.
Her position and the thick robes had
saved her from worse than a shaking
up and she had regained the seat.
Poor old King" she cried as she |
saw with relief that Dick was unhurt |
''I could kill that little Edwards boy"
Never mind the, Edwards boy"
think about is the train. We never |
can walk that hill in time to make the |
train. Have you nerve enough to |
coast it in the cutter?"
"I'd risk anything rather than re-
turn home" cried Joyce. ct never will |
let father catch u.s."
"Then here goes,'' cried Dick gayly /
as he pulled the cutter back into the /
shafts. Its been a long time since
1 went bobbing, but I think can
make it."
He gave Joyce the shaft to hold and
pushed the cutter over the brow of the |;
hill elm bling in over the back when
he had 1t started.
Once back in the cutter, he took the
shaft and improvised steering rud-
der. The bodywork afforded him lev
erage and Dick laughed as the sleigh
began to gain speed.
For the first half mile the road was
straight and little steering was, neces-
sary. Then ahead doomed the turn
and Dicks face turned grave as he
dug the shaft into the road.
Slowly the sleigh responded to the
pressure and in another instant they
had swung around the curve as neat
ly as a champion coaster on his low
pointer, and they were again on the
straight and headed for the station.
Hank Carew had Just backed his
engine down from the house and a
white plume of steam rose from the
dome as the engineer waited for the
minute hand of the clock to touch the
bottom of the dial.
The runaways were still quarter