The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-11-07

L
pron.strings circlin' a waist that
Queen Victori herself couldnt a
matched. fAs trim az pin. nm rs
neat rs wax l--fellArs, I felt As il I d
lust drop down on my marrowbones
in the grass au' worship her.
"But all tho time kuowed sue
must be . thinkin' that | looked like
a slouch, an that made rns sweat,
you bet SO says, says g.
"Thaukee. ma am "a
"An' givin' her back tho dipper,
I jest bumped myself fur that engine
cussin my luck at every BREATH.
"Wal, You bet yerself, the nert
day I was tricked out like o drill
sargent boots shiny--blsck pants,
with a roll at the bottom, sos to
show the iffnin-b'iled shirt, with
a RULED front-red butterAy-an' a
crush hat that seven dollars aud
ninety-nine cents wouldn't buy, II
that cut didn't take her eye then Id
throw up my hand.
"She come to the door, but whirl'
cd round like a fash, maxim an ex.
cuse o goin' after the dipper again.
But seen the corner OF her mouth
go up, an knowed she was a-larfin
at my sudden blow out. She was
n cute one. an knowed thing or
two. ! could sec that plain enough.
"But with my store clos on / kin
face anthing that wers calico an I
done myself proud that time, l
know. Before come away, had a
bouncin' bowl OF milk. 1t was a
mighty thin drink but Id a swill-
cd dishwater il ,she a offered it.
"After that my fireman run the
tyain mostly, while lap in the grass
under the trees an heard her singin,
about her work, ouce in while
comm to the door to give me a
pleasant word. OF course Id a got
the grand bounce il the thing had
got to head quarters ; but my fire.
man liked to learn, an' as long us he
didn't find no fault at his double
work it want no one else's funeral.
SO the thing lasted two weeks-such |
soft job couldn't run long-an
then tho bottom fell out.
But Mary an me had come to be
right smart friends by that time
an when l was put on the passenger
| blowed signal just before I coms
to the house, an she'd stand in the
door an swing her sunbonnet ut mo
as we passed
"Of course you all know that
most o the Western road was built
on bogus plan. Tho farmers along
the line was persuaded to give mort
cages on their farms, to be used as
collateral to borrow money on, the
railroad companies guaranteein' to
pay the interest on the mortgages
and pay the farmer handsome divi-
dends on the stock they took in ex
change for the mortgages SOS it n d
bo all in pocket with them. an' never
cost EN- cent. All went lovely till
the mortgages fell due. Then the
companies busted the stock want
worth cuss an the farmers had
to clear off their mortgages them
selves, or git kicked out O house
an home. 'rwa'n't moron human
natur that they should rile at that
an fur awhile they pulled up tracks
an dumped trains into tho ditch {
kinder promiscuous, you bet. {
Wal, as the fall passed, the even-
in's got shorter. until didn't git to
Mary's house until after dark. Then |
she used to stand in tho open door.
way, with the light behind her, or, ,
when it stormed, at the winder. I,
"One night / pulled out dead ag in I
tearin' north. .wester. It was blak. i
,r'n the inside Of o stone ink bottle, q
,ut an the rain lsshed ag'in the i
'ab winder SOS couldn't see q
through the glass, anyway.
"Just by Mary's house there was c
luite down-grade, an at the end d
} that grade curve round the face I
II q bluff, with thirty foot fall on the c
outside OF it, mighty nasty place to '
get ketched, ole boss, or I'm liar. 6
thought about it before | got thar; Q
,ut says to myself, says / q
"a man that's born to be hung II {
never git drowned ! a
80 I pushed ahead, as usual '
"Just before comm to the Lock- i
arm I blowed my signal an step d
,ed back QUITO the cab, to see the !
ight 10 the winder. The trees was t
ust more'n lashin' an tossin. as | d
'ould see by the flashes O lightnin' g
mt thar want no light. Q
II was a-goiu' to step back into Il
be cab, mighty disappointed, con- ;
iderin' it Was such . leetle thing.
vhen crash came something through o
he cab winder. By fash Of lights 6
lin ] caught q glimpse OF q woman q
tandin beside the track, barehead- p
d, an with her hair an clos blow 6
d wild, an heard a shrill voice '
'Cap! Cap! Cap 7 b
"A glance showed me the, frame Of q
lantern rollin' on the cab Aoor. {
That was enough. I knowsd il q
neant danger. ,'66sfi,lf &. 9
s'To whistle fur brakes like mad II,
o reverse tho lever-to throw the i
hro1tla wide-to sand the track-lp
|idn nke no time at I'll. An then [
ssu1 1t on the step an Looked 70
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