The Red Cloud chief., 1877-09-06
BEHIND TIME.

In go there wasn't a likelier fellow
on the line than George Kirke. 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
a way that would astOniSh the young
men of to-day.
Somehow, nobody knew exactly how,
George had managed to pick up a good
education, and he had polished it off, SO
to speak, by a two years course at a
commercial college.
Kirke began on Sandy Hill railroad
when he was about twenty-One or two
years old. First he was a brakeman.
This railroad business is a regular sue
cession, and, generally speaking, a man
has to work his way up. 1t amt often
that he gets right up to the dignity Of
a conductor at one step, with a chance
to pocket stray ten cent script, and the
privilege of helping all the good looking
and well dressed ladies out of the cars,
and lettingthe homely ones, with babies
and bandboxes in their arms, stumble
out az best they may, while he is ell
gagged in talking to a man.
George did his duty SO well that he
was soon promoted tOfireman, and after
he had learned the workings of the ma.
Chine he was made engineer and given
an engine. The engine was one Of the
newest and best on the line, and was
called the Flyaway, and George was
very proud of it, you may well believe.
1 tell you now, sir, your true engine r,
one as is Out-and-out for the business,
and feels his responsibility, takes as
much pride in his engine as the jockey
does in his ~favorite race horse, and
would sit up nights, or neglect his
sweetheart, to keep the brasses and A.
agrees of his machine SOS you could see
your face in 'em.
There was another man who wanted
Georges chance There's generally more
than one after a paying job. Jack Hal
iday had been waiting some time to be
engineer of the Flyaway, and when he
lost it he was mad enough to pull his
hair. He was a brakeman, likewise and
had been on the load full two years
longer than KIrke, and it would seem
that the chance really belonged to him
but he was a quarrelsome, disagreeable
fellow, with independence enough to
have set an emperor up in business, aud
still have some left.
When Jack realized that George had
got the inside track of him, his anger
was at a white heat. He cursed Kirke
and cursed the company. and old
Whately, the superintendent, and things
generally, until it seemed to be a pity
that there was not something else 10
curse, he WAS in such Il fine cursing
order.
There was more than one thing which
made Jack Halliday down on George
Kirke. George mad been his rival in
many respects, and particularly where
the fairer part of creation was con-
cerHed. George was a great favOrite
with the girls, for he was handsome and
generous, and good natured, and Jack
was sarcastic, and always on the con-
trary side. and the girls avoided him as
they always should such a man.
Well, all expected that ill would come
oGeorge from Jacks bad blood against
him and We warned him more than once,
but he always laughed and reminded
us of the old saying that barking dogs
never bite which is true in the main.
And, dis the time went on, until two,
three, four months had passed since
kirke's promotion, and nothing had
occurred, We forgot all about our appre-
tensions of evil, and if We thought of
the matter at all, we concluded we had
wronged Halliday by our suspicious.
1t was a dark night in November,
with considerable fog in the air, and
appearance of rain. l was at
Golosha, the northern terminus of our
road, looking after some repairs on a
defective boiler. and 1 was comingdown
10 New York on the 80 train-Kirke's
train.
ABOUT seven there came a telegram
from old Whately, whose summer resi-
1ence was nearly midway between Colo
sha and New York. and the old heather
had not yet forsaken it for the city.
The telegraph operator came into the
house where Kirke was at work
md read it to him. kirke made a note
If it in his pocket book.
Pay train on the line, will meet you
Just west of Leeds, at 1915. Squirt on
he siding at behring's Cut, and well.
WHATELY.'.
J Kirke's watch hung on a nail beside
he clock. 1t was a fancy of his always
o hang it there when he was off a train
that he could make no mistake in the
ime.
He glanced at the clock and from it
0 his watch. Both indicated the same
our. 7:15.
"7:15," said Kirke, meditatively, land
re leave at Z :tO,and the pay train meets
IS at behring's Cut at 1O:l5. Scant
ime to make the run in this thick I
but it must be managed."An