The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-07-13
sort of man to pick a quarrel there and


ing about Hilsbro', and track raising all
ever, west, and as far down as st. Louis.
| This gave me no chance TO see Belle
Carroll, and l was getting low spirited
TO such an extent that l would have
jumped the job for cent, when, rum
ming into Decatur one December night,
l got orders from Smith to finish off
| deep cutting, a mile and a half below
HarIistown.
crossed the Sangamon River the
next morning 10 high spirits, l tell you.
| The fiat cars were on the switch at Har-
ristown, 30 l left Joe to hook or the Ca
boose and engine, while 1 walked down
with the men to the cutting, looking this
no Belle did see.
There was plenty of work there for
weeks, l saw at glance, and i was
mighty glad of it. The face of the en-
bankment had to come off for half
mile, and good deal of earth had to
come out of the base on each side for a
mile or more.
set the men to work, and walked up
and down the track, to keep myself
warm, until Joe brought the fiat cars
| down.
Joe was very fond of practical jokes,
and some Of the men bore him a grudge
On that score. believe there wasn't a
man out of the twenty-four, indeed, that
didn't dislike him.
They got along well enough with me,
for it was company work, you know;
and besides that, l was thinking of Belle
| Carroll all the time, and i couldn't have
been hard on the biggest loafer that ever
handled pick.
But I'm forgetting cue HandIey and
his practical jokes. Well, sir, he played
| off one on his fireman-a mere slip of a
boy-that made me begin to think he was
crazy.
They were both on the top of the en-
bankmeDt, which was very high and
very steep. l was standing in the ca
boose, looking up at them, wondering
what on earth made Joe laugh so wildly
at nothing, wheE all at once Joe gave the
! fireman a powerful shove down the slope
1t was the madJest thing | ever saw
done as joke, for the chances were fifty
TO one in favor Of broken bones, or death
| outright, as d man with half an eye could
see. Why, my heart was in my mouth.
| Fortunately, the lad, after pitching for
ward, got his legs straight under him
somehow or other, and came down, fright
ened and angry.
He got into the caboose and swore be
wouldn't fire another time for Joe Hand
ley.
Joe set up loud, queer laugh and,
upon my word, l thought his dancing,
glistenIng eyes would shout clean out OF
his head.
"Lord!'' thought 10 myself, "if l
was the company, L wouldn't have such
pair of eyes behind an engine of mine !"
| but, you see, l wanted to ask favor of
Joe, So didn't tell him what l thought
The passenger train from the West
ran into Decatur at half-past eleven in
the morning, and we had 10 back TO the
switch at Harristown, in order to let il
pass.
joe" said I, as he let on the stream,
"rll want you to stay bit for me in
| Hsrristown. l wish to make a visit
The men have plenty of picking to do,
| before they'll want the fat cars"
''An right" said he, readily. ''I'Il
wait as long as you like. Is there pet
ticoat in it, Bill -
Now, l hadn't made confidant of
Joe. l don't think could have brought
myself to do it for money, unless he had
| put a green shade over those dreadful
eyes, and even then, if he had laughed
just one of bis queer laughs, Id have
stopped dead short, and smashed his face
TO pulp, SO help me.
'.Petticoats be banged" said I. give
business of another sort to attend to.
left him at the switch, and set out for
CAROLS house.
Belle was making biscuit in the kitch-
en-, and l caught her in her oldest dress,
up to the elbows in dough. You can
guess how glad she was TO see me, and
| how she welcomed me, when l tell you
that there was -four all over the back of
my coat, and you could pick Jumps of
dough out of my beard, two minutes after
| passed the kitchen window.
Time travelled like lightning, ! tell
you, for / succeeded in making her name
the day, and the old man gave me his
blessing, and the old woman kissed me,
and begged me to be good TO her child !;
and Belle cried, and cried fUc company
| was very happy, till l bethought me Of
the bright eyes that were dancing up and
down the track in quest of me.
took my leave of the old couple, and
Belle went to tue garden gate with me, to
make the parting easier, she said.
was looking down into her dear eyes,
seeing there all sorts of joys in store for
me, when little start of hers made me
look up, and there, leaning over the gate,
was Joe Handleyi
/ nearly jumped out of my boots. l
wasn't afraid of the man, mind you, SO
far as fair stand up fight went but l
never caught the gleam of his eyes on
mine without feeling cold in my spine.