The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-03-15

| n few direct, sharp words. Like most
reticent men, he knew the weight and
ralue of words. soon became person
ally much interested in him. He was
iabout forty, his hair streaked with gray,
with grave, worn face which limited at
a youth Of hardship and much suffering
However, Blakely had found his way to
the uplands at last. Three years before
he had married bright, cheerful wo-
man. They had one child-a boy. he
had work and good wages, and was, /
found, high in the confidence of the
company. On one occasion, having a
Sunday of, he took me up to Jersey
Shore, where his wife and boy lived. He
was an exceptionally silent man, but
when with them was garrulous and light
hearted as boy. In his eyes Jane was
the wisest and fairest of women, and the
boy a wonder of intellect. One great
source Of trouble to him was, as l found,
that he was able to see them but once in
three weeks. 1t was necessary for the
child's health to keep them in the coun-
try air, and, indeed, he could not afford
to have them elsewhere; but this sepa-
rated him from them almost wholly.
Jane was in the habit of coming with
Charley down to certain point of the
road every day, that Blakeley might see
them as he dashed by.
"And when found out this habit it
occurred to me that could give Blake.
ley great pleasure. How often have l
cursed my meddling kindness since
January 25th was the chiId's birthday.
proposed to Mrs Blakeley that she and
Charley should board the train which
her husband drove, unknown to him and
run up to Harrisburg, where he had the
night of. There was to be a little sup
per at the Lochiel House. Charley was
to appear in a new suit, etc. Of course
whole affair was at my EXPENSE mere
trife, but an affair of grandeur and dis
tinction which fairly took James breath.
She was a most innocenthappy creature;
one of those women who are wives and
mothers in their cradles. When Blakeley
found her she was thin, pale, little tai
loress-a machine to grind out badly.
made shoddy clothes. But three years
of marriage and petting of Charley had
made her rosy and plump and pretty.
The little Highland suit was bought
complete, to the tiny dirk and feather,
and very pretty the little fellow looked
in it. wrote down to order stunning
supper, to be ready at eight Jane and
the boy were to go aboard the train at
Jersey Shore, queer little hill village
near which they lived. Blakeley ran the
train from Williamsport down to Har
risburg that day. His wife being in the
passenger car before he took charge of
the engine, of course he would see and
know nothing of her until we landed at
Harrisburg at seven. had intended to
go down in the smoking car as usual but
another fancy, suggested, l suppose, by
the originator of all evil, seized me. No
need to laugh. Satan,I believe, has quite
as much to do with accidents and misery
and death as with sin. Why not? How
ever, my fancy, diabolical or not, was to
60 down on the engine with Blakeley.
L hunted up the fireman and talked to
him for an hour. Then I went to the
engineer.
~.Blakeley,' said, Jones (the fireman)
wants tonight off,
"tOf Oh, no doubt. He's taking to
drink. He must have been drinking
when he talked of that. It's impossible
Il explained to Blakeley tina. Jones
had sick wife, or a sweetheart, or some
thing, and finally owned that | had an
unconquerable desire to run down the
road on the engine, and that, knowing
that my only chance was to take the
firemans place, had bribed him to give
it to me. The fact was that in my idle
ness and the overworked state of my
brain / craved excitement as confirmed
drunkard does liquor.
"Blakeley, 1 saw, was angry and ex-
ceedingly annoyed. He refused at first,
but finally gave way with grave civility
which almost made me ashamed of my
boyish whim. 1 promised to be the
prince Of firemen.
"'Then you'll have 10 be treated as one,
Mr.. Stantley,' said Blakeley, curtly. 1
can't talk to gentlemen aboard my ex
press. It's different from here, on the |
platform, you'll remember. I've got to |
order and you to obey in there and that's |
all there's Of it.
"Oh, understand / said, thinking
that it required little moral effort to obey |
in the matter of shoveling coal. If l
could have guessed what that shoveling |
coal was to cost mel But all day went
about thinking of the fiery ride through
the hills, mounted literally on the iron
horse.
at was in the middle of the afternoon
when the train rushed into the station.
l caught glimpse of Jane in the passen-
ger car, with Charley, magnificent in his
red and green plaid, beside her. She
nodded dozen times and laughed, and
hid behind the window, fearing her hus-
band would see her. Poor girl 1t was
the second great holiday of her life, she
had told me, the first being her wedding
day.
"The train stopped ten minutes. 1t
was neither an express nor an accommo-
dation train, but one which stopped at
the principal stations ON the route-Sel-
insgrove, Sunbury, etc.
Il had an old, patched suit on, fit, as 1
supposed. for the service of coal HEAVIER;
but Blakeley, when l came up, eyed it
and my hands sardonically. He was in
no better temper, evidently, with anna
teur iremen than he had been in the
morning
"'AlI aboard he said, gruffiy. You
take your place there, Mr. Stanley.
You'll put in coal just as l call for it, if
you please, and not trust to your own
'His tone annoyed me. 1t cannot
require much judgment to keep up
fire under boiling pot, and not tomake
it too hot. Any woman can do that in
her own kitchen
4He made no reply, but took his place
in the little square box where the great
er part of his life was passed. noticed
that his face was flushed, and his irrita-
ton at my foolish whim was surely more
than the occasion required. | watched