Marshall County Republican., 1876-08-10
Seirrf Story
Romance on the Rail.

1t was at Jim Larnigan's wedding
and the occasion suggested the sto
ny. Jim had "set 'em up for the
boys" and the generous wine hat
warmed the Caps blood until he fell
that every man was brother, or he
might have been more reserved
about this episode in his checkered
life. For Cap seldom spoke Of his
wife to the boys; and when he did il
was with d deferential air unusual in
one of his class.
There was a legend current that g
~green hand" on the road had once
hailed him with:
well, Cap. how's the old woman
and the babies?"
The story ran that, without deign-
ing an answer in words, Cap struck
straight from the shoulder, and his
wouId-be friend went to grass with a
shanty over his eye, for his undue
familiarity. The chivalrous spirit OF
the act appealed to those rude ma
lures more forcibly than a volume OF
sermons could have done: and all
along the line Cap Lollard's wife was
invested with a sort OF halo of ro-
nance.
~Wal, gentlemen" began Cap. in
response to the solicitations Of the
crowd, "if nothin' elseIl do We, sup
pose ye must have yer way. so hyer
goes.
~In the summer OF '65 L was haul
ing a construction train. though /
was put on a passenger that fall
There want much business on the
road; and we were ordered to ballast
up long stretch o. track, dodgin' out
o. the gravel pit an back ag'in be-
tween the reg'lar trains.
@All along the road there were
mighty fine farm houses; an one
struck my eye in particular. 1t was
the reglar old style-low and spread
ing out over the ground, SOS to be
comfortable and roomy. A lot o
clamberin' vines an half dozen
wide-spreadin' oaks made it a mighty
cool lookin' place on hot summer
day; to one side made you think that
water was a pretty choice article af-
ter ALL
well, hoss, you bet it was mighty
slow work settin' on the box in the
sun, with that house in sight, while
the men was unloadin' the flats: an
it didn't take me long to make up my
mind tha. 1 was powerful thirsty
when we got just opposite that par
tic'lar place. SO down l jumps, leav-
in the fireman in charge, an makes
fur the house. all legs, an no cere-
mony.
Il was jest fetchin' up at the well
when turned an'-Jerusha Jane
there in the doorway stood about the
trimmest bit OF female flesh an blood
that had ever sot my eyes on-you
hear me! Lord love ye! / allow
thar couldn't no twolegged mar
critter look at her without its maxim
his mouth waterl
@Fellars. felt jest like a school.
boy caught in a melon patehl My
bIeeches was in my boots; had on.
ly one gallus-no vest-no coat, and
an old felt hat with three corners ol
the rim torn away, leavin' the res
stickin' out like the visor OF cap
An thar she stood, lookin at me an
larfi' little, thought, because was
so all struck in heapl 1 had waltz
ed up thar as brash as sky terrier
but one blink o. her roguish eye, an
you could knocked me clean out o
time with feather.
"Heml Kin / git drink, ma'am, i
you please? says l, kind o. stammer
in.
"'Yes, SIR says she, as clipper al
bird. Jest wait, and I'll bring yor
a dipper.'
~She skipped into the house ant
out again before you could toss W
fur the beer, bringin' a dipper tina
you could "a shaved by a deucet
sight better than airy three-corneret
piece o. looking glass.
It's hot work ridin' on a locomo
tive this weather, amt it?' says she
droppin' her eyes. modest-like; but
knowed she'd took me in from top Il
toe, one gallus and all.
@'It's ALFRED hot says 1; an fu
the first time in my life 1 lost m.
tongue fiat!-fact! dummer'n a wood
en- man with his mouth shutl
"But didn't lose my eyes, hoss
you betl Lord love yel she looked
like as if she'd jest stepped out OF
fairy book, with her sleeves rolled ul
almost to her shoulders, an apron
strings circlin' a waist that Queer
Victori herself conldn't a matched
As trim as a pin, an as neat as wax
-tellars, 1 felt as il I'd jest drol
down On my marrow-bones in tn
grass an worship herl
"But all the time knowed sh
must be a-thinkin' that looked lik'
n aIo,,ob. an, that made me sweat vo,