Wicked No. 7 [pp. 505-523]

5o8 WICKED No. 7. [Jan.,
come to Des Moines in order to go to confession; for she was a
Catholic, and Chnstmas was approaching. Shippen and Barnes
were leaving the engine-yard after their usual night trip, tired
and longing to get a good sleep, when they met the girl, accompanied by her brother. The dawn was breaking in the east, and
Lizzie and Jim were about to take the early train for home.
Lizzie nudged Jim's arm and said: "Here comes the engineer of
the night express-the man who has the pretty child I told you
about." Shippen saw her smile, and as they were passing one
another Jim Elder wished him "Good-morning." Whereupon
Shippen paused and informed him that in spring the express
trains were going ~o stop at Casey.
"Indeed! That's good news," exclaimed Lizzie.
"And then I hope I may have the pleasure of taking you
home now and then," continued the engineer, looking at her with
a pleasant smile.
"I'm his fireman," put in Barnes, "and I can recommend his
train." "We neither of us see much of the sunlight," continued
Shippen.` We sleep in the daytime. But Casey is a thriving
village; I can tell that when the moon shines bright, although
we generally pass it going forty miles an hour." " Well, come
and make us a visit," spoke Jim Elder, who liked the engineer's
honest face. "`Tisn't easy for us to get a holiday," said the
latter.
"Well, you'll see me there afore a great while," spoke Barnes.
"I'm thinking of throwing up my situation as fireman afore I get
killed, and I think farming would suit me. How's land about
Casey?"
"No better corn-land in Iowa," answered Jim. "You ought
to taste our corn-cakes," said his sister. "Corn-cakes, did you
say?" ejaculated Barnes. Then, after smacking his lips, "Truly," he added, "they must be uncommon good when-when
you make`em." At this frank speech they all laughed. "Well,
how is Master Bob?" inquired Lizzie, addressing Shippen
while the radiant blush was still upon her cheek.
"Never better," answered Shippen. "And he roots his little
fingers so deep into my beard and clutches it so tight that I came
deuced near being late for my train yesterday; I couldn't get
Bobby to let me go."
"His father's pride and his mother's joy," said Lizzie musingly. "Alas! he has no mother. She died when he was only a
month old," sighed the engineer. "But then my pay is twelve
hundred a year, and, God be thanked, while I live Bobby shall