The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-09-23

Jennofn Culver's jump
Copyright, by J. B. Lippincott Co..
By Robert Gilbert Welsh

Smoky SAINT had been drinking that
afternoon. and was, consequently, in
an unusually jovialMmood. Just be-
You'd Culver's Jump, as his big Mogul
engine came p~ufinglsup the steep
grade toward the mountain summit,
the loaded cars of coke clanking be.
hind it, he leaned out of the cab and
waved a salute to the sunbonneted fig
ure beside the track. She might have
been old and ugly-it was nothing
more than the glow impaired by the
whisky which prompted the greeting;
but when the sunbonnet fell back and
a pair Of brown eyes laughed up at
him, while two pretty hands held out
a can of buttermilk, inviting him in
coquettish pantomime to drink, a
deeper emotion impelled him to stop
his engine. He leaped down and
stepped back to the girl. half expect
Ing to see her run. She stood her
ground.
"Thirsty?' she asked. "This here's
nothin' but buttermilk."
He took a long gulp from the drip
ping dipper she held out to him.
Its mighty good" he said as he
wiped his mouth with the back of his
hand, "but I didn't stop my train for
buttermilk. l expected I'd git a pas
senger. Ever been up to the mine?"
She shook her head.
"Come ahead, It's a bully ride!"
She hung back.
Il got a lot o things to do up
home" she said.
Got to cook yer old mans supper,
eh?"
"Ain't got no old man-yet." And
she laughed.
Got somebody in mind?"
mot you, anyway"
"Oh, I amt a candidate"
Lost the nomination too often. I
guess"
He laughed ruefully and was about
to confess that he already had an
"old woman" in New York when she
broke in
Say, will you let me work the
handles an things? I want to make
it go!".
"Sure! Come ahead!''
A moment later, having run the
gauntlet of curious brakemen and
Pete, tho grinning fireman, she clam
bered into the cab of the Streak, and
stood quivering with child-like excite
ment before the confusing multiple
fty of valves and levers.
This was the first Of many delight
full rides for little Jen Barnes. Four
times a day for six days in the week
Smoky SAINT passed Culver's Jump on
his way to and from the mines, and
two train-loads Of coke were brought
by him to the greedy mouths up there
at the summit. Then followed the
risky descent over a track which
wound in and out, down the mountain
side, and in the course of its IL miles
dropped 1000 feet-a trip never dull,
ard now made even more exciting for
Smoky SAINT by the possibility that at
one point of the road he would find
Jen waiting for him.
Meanwhile the silence of SAINTS
"old woman" in New York continued
unbroken-a silence that had been
responsible for Smoky SAINTS taciturn
ity. She had been proud Of her hus
band when she gave up teaching in
the city school and started out In life
with SAINT, then a promising young en-
sineer entrusted with the Big Flyer
They were happy and prosperous
when the baby came, and the proud
father fairly worshiped the little char
who sat growing on his shoulders.
In the curse Of an unusually rig
winter SAINT succumbed to the
grip, and recovered from it a weak
ened nan 1t was then that he be
gan to indulge in an occasional drink
to brace his nerves. The habit. haG
grown and presently he was founc
unreliable; then the company dis
missed him from his post on the Biz
Flyer.
Slow to relinquish a man once 81
trustworthy, they tried him in less
responsible positions. But SAINT was
now too discouraged to pull up, anc
gradually fell lower in the company's
forces until he was finally dismissed
He fell into debt, the little house il
the suburbs slipped away from him
and at last, to escape vagrancy, hi
wife went back to her mother, takins
the boy with her. Their door wa.
closed against SAINT. He would have
gone utterly to the dogs had not The
Brotherhood of Engineers secured fol
him this position on the little noun
tain railroad, which required a Ger
tain desperation for it's successful en-
cheering. SAINT had kept it severa
months without mishap, and the min
ing company was beginning to fee
easier.
One morning. early in November
he found Jen waiting for him on hi
down-trfp, looking like a picture IL
the clear, frosty air, and with a be
lated spray of golden-rod fastened a
her belt.
They had not gone very far befor,
his passion rose and claimed utter
ance. "Jen! Jen!" he cried. LET,
quit. Won't you clear out O. this will
mel y