The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-12
TEN MINUTES LATE.

In - there wasn't a likeGer fellow on
the hne than George hirke.
He was the son Of a poor man, and his
mother was dead. His father was a
confirmed invalid Of the rheumatic
order, and George played the dutiful son
to him in q WAY that would astonish the
Young men az to-day.
Somehow, nobody knew exactly how.
George had managed 10 pick up good
education, and he had polished It of, So
10 speak, V a two years course ut a
commercial college.
kirke began on the Stony Hill rail
road when he was about twentv-oue or
two years old First. he was a brake
man. This railway business Is a regular
succession. and, generally speaking. a
man has 10 work his way up. IL am;
often that he gets n ght mp % the dignity
of q conductor at one step, with the
chance To pocket teu-ceut scrlps and with
the privilege II helping al the cood-look-
ing and well-dressel ladies ont Of the
ears, and letting the homely ones, with
babies and bauGboxes IN their arms.
stumble ont as best they may.
George did his duty 50 well that he
was soon promoted 10 fireman. and, after
be had learned the workings uf the ma
chine. he was made engineer and given
AZ engine.
This engine was one ~ the newest and
best on the line, and Was called the Fly
away, and George WAS mighty proud Of
her, you may well believe.
l tell you, sir, vour true engineer
one rs is ont and ont for the business.
and feels his responsibility takes as
much pride IN his engine as the jockey
does IN MS favorite acehorse. and would
sit up nights. or neglect sweetheart. TO
keep the brasses and tilagrees Of his
msch:ae SOS yon could see your face ia
EN-.
There was another man wanted
Georges chance. There's generally more
than one after every paving JOB.
Jack Halliday had been waiting for
some time to be engineer Of the Flvawav.
and when he lost it be was mad enough
70 pail HAIR. He was a brakesman, like
wise, and had h"eu on the road iull two
years longer than kir..e. and il would seem
that the chance really belonged To him.
vet he was q quarrelsome, disagreeable
fellow, with independence enough to
have set an emperor mp in business and
st.ll have had some left.
When Jack realized that George had
got the inside track of him. his anger was
at white heat. He cursed kirke. and
cursed the company and old Whately, the
superintendent, and things generally.
until 1t seemed pity that there Was not
something else to curse, he was in such
fine cursing order.
There was more than one thing which
made John Halliday down on George
Kirke. George had been his rival in many
respects, and particularly whore the fairer
creation was concerned. George was a
great fayorite with the girls, for he was
handsome, and generous. and good-na-
tured, and Jack was sarcastic. and always
on the contrary side, and the girls avoid
ed him, as they always should such a
man.
We always expected that Ill would come
to George, from Jacks bad blood against
him, and we warned him more than once.
but he always laughed, and reminded us
OF the old saw that barking dogs seldom
bite, which is true in the main.
And, as the time went on. until two,
three, four months had passed since
klrke's promotion, and nothing occurred.
we forgot all about our apprehensions Of
evil, and if we thought Of the matter at
all, we thought we had wronged Halh-
day by our suspicious.
1t was a dark night in November, with
considerable fog in the air, and strong
appearances Of rain.
l was at Golosha, the northern ter
minus Of our road, looking after some
repairs on defective boiler, and ! was
going down to New York on the 1850
train Kirke's train.
About seven there came telegram from
old Whately, whose summer residence
was nearly midway between Golosha and
New York, and the old heather had not
graph operator came into the engine
house where Kirke was at work-for he
was always at work-and read it to him.
Kirke made a note of it in his pocket
book.
Pay train on the line. Will meet you
just west of Leeds at 1915. Shunt on
to the siding at behring's Cut, and wait.
WHATELY.
Kirke's', watch hung on a nail beside the
clock. 1t was fancy of his always to
hang it there when he was off the train,
80 that he could make no mistake in the
time.
ne glanced at the clock, and from it to
his watch Both indicated the same
hour-715.
"7:15, said Kirke, meditatiyely, "and
We leave at 7:50, and the pay train meets
us at Deering's Cut at 1915 Scant time
to make the run in this thick weather,
but it must be managed"
And he turned away to give some
brief oyl@rs to the fireman,
Jack Halliday was there--he had been
Rtrolling in and out Of the room for the