The Republican journal., 1876-09-14
Romance or the Rail.
N ENGINEEK'S STORY.

-
erous Wine had warmed Caps blood until
he felt that every man was q brother, OF
he might have been more reserved about
this episode in his checkered life. Fol
Cap seldom spoke OF his wife to the
boys; and when lie did it was with def
ercntlal mir unusual in one of his class.
There was legend current that green
hand' on the road had once hailed him
with, "Well, Cap. hows the old woman
ana her babies !" The story ran that,
without delgnlng an answer in words.
Cap struck straight from the shoulder,
and his would he friend went to grass
with "shanty over his eye" ior his UNI
due familiarity The chivalrous spirit Of
the act appealed to those rude natures
more torcibly than a volume Of sermons
could have done; and all along the line
Cap Lollard's wife was invested with IA
sort Of halo Of romance
"Wal, gentlemen" )" began Gap, in re-
sponse to the solicitations of the crowd.
''if nothin' else'll do ye, l suppose you
must have Yer way; so hyer goes"
"ln the summer Of 60 | was haulin' "A
construction tram, though was put ON
to passenger that fall There want
ordered TO ballast up Il long stretch o.
track, dodgin' out o the grand pit an
back agin between the reg lar trains.
All along the road thar was some
mighty fine farm houses; an one struck
my eye in partic'lar. 1t was the reg lar
old style-low an speadin' out over the
ground SOS to be comfortable an 'oOmy.
a lot O clamberin vines an half dozen
spreadin' oaks made it Il mighty
cool-lookin' place on il hot summer after
noon; and an old-fashoned we'll sweep
to one side made YOU think that water
was a pretty choice article, after all.
WAL hoss, you bet it was mighty slow
work. settin' on the box in the sun, with
that house in sight while the men was
unloadm' the flats; an it didn't take me
long to make up my mind that ! was
powerful thirsty when we got jest oppo-
site that partc'lar place. So down
jumps, leavin' the fireman in charge, an
makes for the house, all legs an no cere-
mony.
was Jest tetchin' up at the well, when
| turned, an'-Jerusha Jane thar in the
doorway stood about the trimmest bit of
female flesh an blood that ever sot eye
on-you near me Lord love We! | al
low thar could not be no tWo-legged man
critter look at her without it's maxim his
mouth water.
''Fellars, | felt lest like a schoolboy
caught in q melon patch. My breeches
was in my boots had only one gallus-
no yest-no coat--no collar, and an old
felt hat with three-quarters Of the rim
torn away, leavin' the rest stickin' out
like the visor Of q cap, An thar she
stood, a-loolin' at me an lartin' little. |
thought, because | was SO all struck in q
heap. had waltzed up thar as brash as
u sky terrier but one blink O. her roguish
eye and you could a knocked me clean
out o. time with feather.
Hem Kin git q drink, ma am if YOU
peaSe?' says |, kind o stammerin',
Yes, slr, says She, as clipper as a
bird Jest wait, an I'll bring YOU dip
per
She skipped into the house and out ag'n
before YOU could toss up for the beet,
bringin' a dipper that you could Il shaved
t,r Il ,tcuced sight better than AIRY three
cornered piece o lookin'-gla lass.
It's hot work ridin' on q locomotive
this weather, amt it p says she, droppin'
her eyes, modest-like but knowed she'd
took me III from top to toe, one gallus an
all.
It's all-tired hot SAYS / an fur the
first time in my lite lost my tongue flat
fact dummcr'n il wooden man with his
mouth shut.
But didn't lose my eyes, hoss, you
bet Lord love YET she looked like as if
she'd Jest stepped out of a tairy-book, with
her sleeves rolled up almost to the shout
ders, an apron circlm' waist that Queen
Nictori' herself couldn't "a matched, As
trim rs Il pin. an rs neat as wax ,--fel-
lars, | lett Us if I'd Jest drop down on my
marrow bones in the grass an worship
her.
But All the time | knowed She must be
a-tliimkin' that looke'! like Il slouch; an
that made me sweat, you bet SO | says,
SAYS |
'Thankce, maam.'
An givin' her back the dipper, | Jest
bumped myself fur that engine. cussin'
my luck ut every breath.
WAL YOU bet yerseli, the next day
was trickeh out like a drill sargent =
boots shiny-bIack pants. with a roll at
the bottom. SOS to show the stiff min
billed shirt, with q rullled tront---red but
tcrlly-an' Il crushed hat that seven dol
lars and ninety cents wouldn't buy.
If fht cut didn't take her eye, then I'll
throw up my hand
She come to the door, Jut whirled
round like Il flash, maxim an excuse O
gon' after the dippcr again. But | seen
the corner Of her mouth 60 up, and
knowed She was a-larln' ut my sudden
blow out. She was a cute one, an know
ed i thing or two. could see I'll It plain
enough
But with my store clos on | kin face
ANYTHING that wears calico; an done
myself proud that time, know Before
| come away, | had a bouncin' bowl O.
milk. 1t was mighty thin drink; but
I'd "a swilled dlsh-water if she'd offered
it,
After that my fireman run the train
mostly while lay in the grass under the
trees an heard her sinsin' about her
work, once in while comm to the door
to give me II pleasant word. OF course
I'd a got the grand bounce if the thing
had got to head quarters; but my fire
man liked to learn, an as long rs he did
Mt find no fault at his double work, it
Want no one eses funeral. So the
thing lasted two weeks-such Il soft job
couldn't run long-an' then the bottom
fell out
But Mary an me had come to be right
smart friends by that time; an when l
was put on the passenger bloWed sig
nal Jest before / come to the house, ar
she'd stand in the door an swing her sun
bonnet at me as we passed.
Or course you all know that most O the
Western roads was built on Il bogus plan.
The farmers, along the proposed line, was
persuaded to give mortgages on their
farms, to be used as collateral to borrow
money on. the railroad companies guar
anteein TO pay the interest on the mort
cages, and pay the farmers handsome
dividends on the stock they took in cN-
change for the mortgages. SOS it u'd be
all in pocket with them, an never cost
'em a cent. All went lovely till the mort
cages fell due Then the companies
bu u'sted; the stock want worth u cuss;
an the farmers had to clear off their
mortgages themselves, or git kicked out