Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-10-07
ROMANCE ON THE RAIL.

ROMANCE ON THE RAIL.
1t was at Larnisan's wedding; and
the occasion suggested The story, Jim
had "set 'em up handsome for the
boys" and the generous wine had
warmed Caps blood until he felt that
every man was brother, or he might
have been mo'e reserved about his epi-
sode in bis checkered life. For Can
seldom spoke of bis wife to the bows;
and when he did it was with defelen-
:ial air unusual in one of his class.
There was legend current that q
"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 deigning an
answer in words, Cap struck straight
f.om the shoulder, and his would-be
friend went to grass with a ssshanty owe,
his eye" for his undue Familiarity. The
chivalrous spirit of the act appealed to
those rude natures more forcibly than
a volume of sermons could have done
and all along the line Cap Lollard's
vile was invested with sort OF halo of
romance.
"Wal, gentlemen" began Cap, in
response 10 the solicitations OF the
crowd, elf nothin' else II do ye. sup.
pose you must have yer wav; so hvel
goes.
"In the Summer OF '65 was haulin'
O cons. ruction train, though I was put
on 10 a PASSENGER that Fall. There
want much business on the road; an
we was ordered to ballast up a long
s,,etch O rack, dodgin' out o. the
grand pit an back ag'in between reg
lar trains.
Cali along the load thar was some
mighty fine farm houses; an one struck
my eve in par,ic'lar. 1t was the leg'la1
old s'yle-low en- sp,eadin' out over
the ground SOS 70 be comfortable an
roomv. A lot O. climbe,in' vines an
half-a-dozea wide-spreadin' oaks made
it mighty cool-lookin' place on a hot
Spnmer afternoon; an an old-fashioned
we]l-sweep O ooe side made yer think
that water was pretty choice article
after oil.
oval, boss, yer BET it was mighty
slow work settin' on The box in the sun,
with that house ia sight, while the
men was unloadin' The fats; an il
didn't lake me long 10 make up my
mind that was powerful thirsty when
we got jest opposite that pariic'lar
place. So down I jumps, leavin' the
fireman in charge, an makes for The
house, alt legs au' no ceremony"
81 was jest fetchin' up at The we'll,
when I turned, an'-Jerusha janet
thar in the doorway stood about the
trimmest bit OF female flesh an blood
that ever sot ewes on-you hear me!
Lord love ye! I allow thar couldn't be
no tws-leeged man crit'er look at her
without It's maxim his mouth wa;er.
"Fellars. l felt just like a schoolbov
caught in Melon patch! Ny breech-
es was in my boots; had only one
gallas-no vest-no coat-no collar,
an an old felt hat with three-qua,ters
of the rim torn away, leaving the rest
stickin' out like the visor OF cap. An
thar she stood, lookin' at me and
laffin' a little, thought. because I was
90 all struck in heap. I had waltzed
up thar as brash as sky terrier; but
q biloxi O. her ro;uish eye and
you could a knocked me clean out O
time with feather.
"Hem! Kin get drink ma'am
ii you please says t. kind o STAN
"Yes, sir says she as clipper as q
bird. Jest wait an I will bring you a
dipper."
"She skipped into the house and
out ag'n before you could toss up for
the beer, bringin' a dipper that you
could shaved by duced sight better
than ary three-cornered piece O look
in'-glass.
s9s It's hot work ridin' on locomo-
live this weather, amt it?" says she,
droppin' her eyes modest like; but ]
kuowed she'd took me in from top to
toe, one gallus an all.
"It's alfred hot says I; an fur
the first time in my life I lost my
tongue fat-fact! dummer'n a wooden
man with his mouth shut.
"But I didn't lose my eyes, boss,
you bet! Lord love ye! she looked
like as If she'd jest stepped out of q
fairy-book, with her sleeves rolled up
almost to the shoulders, an apron
strings circlin' waist that Queen Vic
toria herself, couldn't a matched. AS
trim as q pin, an as neat as wax!-fel-
lars, I felt as if I'd just drop down on
my narrow-bones in the grass an wor-
ship herl
"But oil the time I knowsd she
must be a-thinkin' that looked like q
slouch, an that made me sweat, you
bet! So SAYS 1:
Gee Thankee, ma'amp
can aivin' her back the dipper,
jest bumped myself fur that engine
cussin' nv luck at every breath.
"Wal, yer bet yesself, the next day
I was tricked like drill SARGENT
boots shiny-black pants, with q roll al
the bottom SOS to show the stiff Afnin'-
billed shirt, with ruf1ed front-red
butterfy--an' an a crush hat that sever
dollars and ninety-nine cents wouldn't
buy. If that cut didn't take her eye
then I'd throw up my hand.
She came to the door, but whirle6
round like fash, maxim an excuse o
goiu' after the dipper again. But
seen the corner of her mouth 60 up
and kDowed abe was a-laffin' at my sud
den blow out. She was cute one an
knowed q thing or two, I could SCI
that plain enough.