The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-02-27


Like most reticent men he knew the
weight and value of words. soon be-
came personally much Interested in him.
He was about forty, his hair streaked
with gray, with grave worn face, which
limited at youth of hardship and much
suffering. However. ..Blakeley had found
his way to the uplands at last. Three
years before he had married O bright,
cheerful woman. 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, hav-
ing Sunday of he took me up to Jersey
Shore, where his wife and child 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 wonder of intellect One
great source of trouble to him was, as /
! 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
totally. Jane was in the habit of COM
ing with Charley down to a 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 thatI could'give Blakeley
great pleasure. How often have 1
cursed my meddling kindness since.
January 25th was the child'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 off. There was to be a
little supper at the Lochiel House.
Charley was to appear in new suit,
etc., etc. OF course the whole affair was
at my expense-a mere trihe, but an af-
fair Of grandeur and distinction which
fairly took James breath. She was a
most innocent, happy creature; one of
those women who are wives and mothers
in the cradle When Blakeley found
her she was thin, pale little tailoress
"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 brought
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, q queer little hill village
rear which they lived. Blakeley ran the
train from Williamsport down to Harris
burg 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
Harrisburgh at seven. / had intended
to go down in the smoking-car as usual,
hut another fancy, suggested suppose
hy the originator of all evil, seized me.
No need to laugh. Satan, believe, has
quite as much to do with accidents and
misery and death, as with sin. Why
not? However, my fancy, diabolical or
not, was to go down on the engine with
Blakeley. HUNTED up the fireman and
talked to him for an hour. Then l went
to the engineer.
"'Blakeley, 1 said, Jones (the fire.
MANI wants tonight off.
"Off o, no doubt He's taking
t. drink, Jones. lie must have been
drinking when he talked of that. It's
impossible.
"I explained to Blakeley that Jones
had sick wife, or a sweetheart or some
thing and finally owned that had an un-
couquerable desire to run down the road
on the engine, aud that knowing my
only chance was to take the fireman g
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 confirmed drunk
ard does liquor.
Blakeley, saw, was angry and ex.
ceedinPly annoYed, He refused at first,
but finally gave way with a grave civili-
ty, which almost made me ashamed OF
my boyish whim. I promised to be the
prince of firemen.
"'Then you'll have to be treated az
one, Mr.. Santley, saidtBlakeley, curtly.
1 can't talk to gentlemen aboard my
engine. It's different here, from on the
platform, you'll remember. I've got tC
{ order and you to obey, in there, an6
( that's all there's of it.
| "'Oh, understand, said I, thinking
{ that it required little moral effort tC
q obey in the matter of shoveling coal. /
4 l could have guessed what that shovel
ing coal was to cost me But all day
q went about thinking of the fiery rid,
through the hills, mounted literally Oh
K the iron horse.
t at was in the middle of the Afternoon
: when the train rushed into the station
= 1 caught a glimpse of Jane on the pas
senger car, with Charley, magnificent il
! his red green plaid, beside her. Sh
/ nodded dozen times and laughed, an
d then hid behind the window, fearing he
L husband should see her. Poor girl
d was the second great holiday of her life
Q she had told me, the first being he
1t wedding day.
l. "The train stopped ten minutes.
g WIS neither an express nor an accommC
h dation train, but one which stopped 6
is the principal stations on the route-Se
ee insgrove, Sunbury, etc.
IS 81 had an old patched suit on, fit, g