, 1876-08-04
Gusldsn'S Last Drink.
~ xSanuR's CONFESSION.

AN ENGINEERS CoHfEsslON'
have travelled this road every day OF
;ts life ever Ahoe it was laid, in charge
of tbe a San Francisco" the pretnest
and hast engine on the line. 1t was 2
sonthwestern road, running, as we viii
saw. from A to 2. I had the sTeetess
Little wife in the world, and q BABY tne
yery image of its pa. I had always q
dollar or two to put by for q rainy day;
and the boys spoke of me as an odd
lind Of man. To be shut up with an
engine. watching with all your eyes and
besrt and soul, doesn't make con-
ocientious man talkative, and never
souandered my time spinning yarns and
Tsteninr to railroad jokes in the round
house. Ny wife's name was Josephine
and I called her Joe"
never had belonged to any OF the
railway clubs or organizations, and
never should Il it hadn't been for
Cranky. CRANKY was nephew OF our
Division Superintendent, and it's fail
inc of we men Of the road that we like
n he noticed at headquarters, If only to
touch the hem Of their garments.
CRANKY was q showy fellow, and often
roda with me from A to y. He had
good opinion Of me, and, as far as l
know, we were good friends. Once ne
said to me:
"You ought to belong to the Railway
Scientific Club, Guelden."
Never heard Of it, said I.
eve meet once fortnight" he re-
nl;ad % and have q Jolly good time.
We want practical, thinking men OF
your sort, and I'll propose you II you
Ike" :,
I was fond Of such things, and ! had
ideas that I fancied might be worth
something. But the engineer doesn't
have many days or nights to himself,
and the club would have one evening a
fortnight from Joe. said:
at will ask her. II she likes it, yes. !"
ssAsk whom ?" he said. Joe, |"
said /.
"H every man had asked his wife,
every mans wife would have said,
Can't spare you, my dear, +" said
CRANKY.
But 1 made no answer. At home 1
told Joe. She said:
"I shall miss you, Ned. But you do
love such things, and if CRANKY belongs
70 Il they must be superior men,"
So I said yes, and Gnnby proposed
me. Thursday fortnight / went with
him to the rooms. The real business OF
the evening was the supper.
I had always been temperate man.
I aid not know what effect wine would
have on me. But coming to drink
more Of it than ] had ever done before
AZ the club table, I found it put steam
on. After so many glasses, l wanted to
talk; and, after 50 many more, did.
I seemed like somebody else, the
words were 30 ready. My ideas came
out. and they were listened to. I made
sharp hits, and indulged in repartee;
told stories, and even came to puns. L
heard somebody say, CRANKY by
George. that's man worth having. 1
thought him dull at first" Yet I knew
it was better to keep quiet Ned Guel-
den, with his ten words an hour, than
the vine-made wit / was.
Twas sure of it when, three months
later, I stumbled upstairs TO find Joe
waiting for me, with her baby on her
breast.
"You have been deceiving me" said
Joe. 81 suspected it, but wasn't sure.
A scientific club couldn't smell like q
bar-room."
(which means that do, said 1.
"And look like one, said Joe, as she
locked herself AND baby in a spare bed
room.
One night I was dressed in my Sun
day suit, ready TO go TO the club, when
10 TODD before me.