Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-02-13

On one occasion, having Sunday OIL,
he took me up to Jersey Shore, where
his wife and boy lived He was an ex-
ceptionally silent man, but when with
them was garrulous and light hearted
as a 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
country air, and, indeed. he could not
afford to have them elsewhere; but this
separated him from them almost wholly.
Jane was in the habit of coming with
Charley down to certain point of the
road every day, that Blakely might see
them as he dashed by.
"And when found out this habit, it
occurred to me that could give Blake
ly great pleasure. How often have l
cursed my meddling kindness since.
January 25th was the child's birth day.
l proposed to Mrs. Blakely 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 off, There was to be
little supper at the Lochiel House.
Charley was to appear in new suit, etc.
Of course the whole affair was at my
expense-a mere trifle, but an affair of
grandeur and distinction which fairly
took James breath. She was most in
nocent, happy creature; one Of those
women who are wives and mothers in
the cradle. When Blakely found her
she was thin, pale little tailoress-a
machine to grind out badly made shod
dy clothes. But three years of marriage
and petting of Charley had made her
rosy and plump and pretty.
1.-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 60 aboard the train at
Jersey Shore, queer little hill village
near which they lived. Blakeley ran
the train from Williamsport down to
Harrisburg 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.
l had intended to go down in the
smoking car as usual, but another
fancy, suggested suppose by the orig
inator of all evil, seized me. No need
to laugh. Satan, belive, has quite rs
much to do with accidents and misery
and death as with sin. Why not? How
ever my fancy, diabolic or not. was to
60 down on the engine with Blakeley.
| hunted up the fireman, and talked to
him for an hour. Then went to the
engineer.
SO Blakeley,' l said, Jones (the fire.
many wants tonight off.
"'Off? O, no doubt He's taking to
drink. He must have been drinking
when he talked of that. It's impos-
sible.'
81 explained to Blakeley that Jones
had a sick wife, or sweetheart or
something, and finally owned that l
had an unconquerab.e desire to run
down the road on the engine, and that
knowing my only chance was to take
the fireman's place, had bribed him to
give it to me. The fact was that in my
idleness and the overworked state of
my brain / craved excitement as a con-
tirmed drunkard does liquor.
"Blakeley, l saw, was angry and ex-
ceedingly annoyed. He refused at first,
but finally gave way with great civility,
which almost made me ashamed of my
boyish whim. l promised to he the
prince of firemen.
"Then you'll have to be treated as
one, Mr.. Santley,' said Blakeley, CURLY.
can't talk to gentlemen aboard my
express. 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,
$50, l 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
me But all day l went about thinking
Of the fiery ride through the hills,
mounted literally on the iron horse.
1t was in the middle of the after
noon when the train rushed into the
station. l caught glimpse of Jane on
the passenger car, with Charley, mag
nificent in his red ana green plaid, be-
side her. She nodded dozen times
and laughed, and hid behind the win
dow, fearing her husband should see
her. Poor girl! 1t was the second
great holiday of her life, she had told
me, the first being her wedding day.
1.-The train stopped ten minutes. 1t
was neither an express nor an accomo-
dation train, but one which stopped at
the principal stations on the route
Selinsgrove, Sunbury, etc.
" / had an old patched suit on, fit, as
| suppose, for the service of coal