Wicked No. 7 [pp. 505-523]

1884.] WICKED No. 7. 507
again. "What a little beauty!" she said as she peeped into its
merry blue eyes.
"It's a boy-called Bob after me; he'll drive a locomotive,
some day," said Shippen, giving his offspring one more kiss.
Then, bidding the woman take good care of it, he mounted up
to his place on the engine, and, leaning out of the cab window,
waved his hand to Miss Elder, who was still admiring the baby.
If I was the superintendent of this road, miss," he said, "I'd
stop this train at Casey just to accommodate you-I really
would." On which the girl smiled and said: "I thank you very
much."
"He isn't joking, miss. He'd do exactly what he says,"
spoke Barnes, the fireman, who had been devouring Lizzie with
all his eyes.
"All aboard!" shouted a voice at the far end of the long
d~pot-" all aboard!" Immediately the engineer drew back
from the window and placed his hand on the throttle; in another
moment the train was moving.
"Good-by," said Dick Barnes, who had the satisfaction of
having the last look at Lizzie Elder-" good-by." For Shippen's
watchful eyes were now fixed intently on the track ahead, while
Dick continued to gaze upon the young woman as he pulled the
bell: "Ding- ng! ding-dong! din g-dong!" And his eyes did
not leave her until she faded' from his vision amid the crowd and
smoke and waving lights. During the run to Council Bluffs the
engineer spoke but very few words to his friend the fireman.
No. 7 was causing Shippen for the first time grave uneasiness,
and he did not wish to excite the other's fears more than they
were already excited by the uncommon heeling of the locomotive every time she went round a curve; and once it really seemed as if she had left the track. But when they were flying past
Casey, Shippen spoke and said: "That was a mighty fine~looking
girl that admired my Bobby. I wish that I could have stopped
at this place to accommodate her." "Yes, she was just the kind
of girl I admire," answered Barnes. "Tall and straight as an
arrow; no silk and satin doll. And I liked, too, the way she carried that rifle." "And she's fond of children," pursued Shippen.
Well, if this devil-possessed locomotive doesn't break my
neck "-No. 7 had begun to bounce and rock frightfully, yet this
was the smoothest part of the track-" I'll see that young woman
again afore long," said the fireman, as he swung open the furnacedoor to shovel in more coal.
And he did see Lizzie Elder again a week later. She had