The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-06-09
THE RRAKEMAN 5 STORY.

up Win many advantages, anu I'm only
a brakeman on the Rensselaer, and Sara
toga line. Old Jones was telling you
about me was he, sir? He'd better hold
his tongue. There's more profitable
subjects of conversation than l am
But Old Jones means well enough, and
if he told you to ask me how that stripe
of white hair came on my black name,
amt the man to go back on him. Oh,
you needn't beg my pardon, SIT! l don't
mind talking about il now, though the
time was when couldn't speak of it
without big lump coming in my
throat.
We hadn't been married long, Polly
and me, when it happened. Polly was
as trim and bright-eyed as any girl as
ever you'd wish to see. She was one of
the mattresses in the Albany lunch
room; and the first time / ever set eyes
upon her l made up my mind to make
that girl my wife. So, when they raised
my wages, took heart and asked her
if she would have them with me, with
q wedding ring thrown into the bargain.
"Do you really mean it, Jake?" said
she, looking me fully in the face, with
those dark blue eyes of hers, that are
like skies in the night.
az do really mean it, Polly" said l.
"Then," said she, putting both her
hands in mine, III trust you. I've no
living relative to advise me, SO l can
only take counsel with my heart"
So We were married. l rented little
one story house, under the hill on the
height that overlooked the Hudson-a
cosy place with good sized wood-pile
ct the rear, for winter meant winter in
those parts, and the snow used to be
driftcd up even with our door yard fence
many and many cold grey morning.
And everything went smooth until Pol
" began TO object to my mates at the
White Blackbird, and the Saturday
evenings / spent with the boys after my
train was safely run on the side track at
the junction.
sWhy, Polly, GIRL" said /, where's
the harm? A man can't live by himself,
like an oyster in its shell, and a social
glass never yet harmed any one"
NO." said Polly, mot a social glass,
Jake, but the habit And if you would
only put every five cent piece that you
spent for liquor into little Berries tiny
savings bank
"Pshawr' said I. "I'm not a drunk
ard, and 1 never mean to become one.
And no one likes to be preached to by
his wife, Polly. Remember that, my
girl, and you'll save yourself deal of
trouble"
81 kissed her and went away. But that
was the beginning of the little, grave
shadows, that grew on my Polly's face,
like creeping fog over the hills, and
that she has never got rid of since.
at was q sore point between us-what
the politicians call vexed question. l
felt that Polly was always watching me /;
and didn't wish to be put in leading
strings by woman. SOL shame TO
say It'll went to the White Blackbird
oftener than ever, and l didn't often
count the glasses of beer that drank,
and once or twice, of particularly cold
night, ] let myself be persuaded into
drinking something stronger than beer
and my brain wasn't the kind that
could stand liquid fire with impunity.
And Polly cried, and lost my temper,
and-well l don't like to think of all
these things now. THANK goodness,
they're over and gone"
That afternoon, as l stood on the
back platform of my car, with arms
folded and my eyes fixed on the snowy
waste of fiat fields through which the
iron tract, seemed 10 extend itself like
an endless black serpent, | looked my
life in The face. | made up my mind
that l had been behaving like u brute"
"What are those Senseless fellows at
the White Blackbird to me-" muttered
1, las compared with one of Polly's
sweet, bright looks? 1 will give the
whole thing up. I'll draw the line just
here now. We shall be off duty early
tonight I'll go home and astonisll
Pollyl"
But as night fell, the binding drift of d
great storm came with it. We were be
| lated by the snow which collected on the
rails. and when we reached Earldale
there was little girl, who had been Sent
on in the care of the conductor who
must wait either three OF four hours for
| a way train in the cold and cherries
station, or be taken home across n snowy
field by some one who knew the way"
| Il thought of my own little children,
I'll take her." said l, land lifting heI
up gathered my coarse, warm Goa
about her and started for the long, colo
walk under the whispering pines, along
the edge of the river. ] honestly believe
She would have frozen to death if sh,
had been lett in the cold STATEN unit
the way train could call for her. AnC
when had left her safe in charge of he
aunt, saw by the old kitchen time
piece that it was ten o'clock"
"Polly will think have Slipped bacl
into the Slough of Despond," said t.
myself, with half a smile; "but I'll Civ
her an agreeable surprisep
= "Plowing down amid the snowdrifI
through grove of pine trees that edge,
l -ravIne at the back of my house,
sprang lightly on thedoOr-step; the doc
was shut and locked. L went around 4
the front. Here effected an entrance
but the fire was dying ON the heartf
and little Berthe, tucked up in his Grill
called out:
| GPana Is that Won ~
"Where is mamma, my son ?" said
looking eagerly around at the desolat
q room.
) "GOne out with the baby in her arm
10 look for you," he said. didn't 20
b meet her, papa?''
, 1 stood minute in silence.
"Lie still, Berthe" said 1, in vOiC
that sounded strange and husky even
t myself II will go and bring her back
} And I thought, with dismay, of Il
: binding snow storm outside, the treacl
|, erous gorges which lay between the
and the White Blackbird, the trackle
woods, through which it was difficu
enough 20 find ones way even in the su
shine of MONDAY, and-worst of all
!, the lonely track, across which an e
!. 4 press shot like a meteor q few minut
: before midnight. Oh, heaven! VIII
. / possible doom might not have broug
upon myself by the wretched passion
,. which 1 had gone away that morning.
II 1.-THE town clock, sounding dim al
= mufied through the storm, struck IL as
" hurried down the hill. Eleven-al
4 | Who knew what length of time mig
4 elapse before could ind her? Al
like fiery phantasmagoria before n
minds eye, beheld the wild rush oft
Ie midnight express, and dreaded kne
4. not what. For all that I could reaIi
was, that the storm was growing fierC
with every moment, and Polly and q
lie baby were out in its fury :"
D, cas- steadily as could, worked L
n way down toward the track, but me-
than once became bewildered, and b
70 stop and reflect before could resuI
ne my quest. And when, at length, cal
u out close 10 ruined wood and wa
Il. station on the edge OF the track, / KIN,
q III was full half mile from the VII
- Blackbipd" iii! 30 -
N 'lAnd in the distance l heard the lol
be shrill shrek of the midnight train''
Il ''Some one..else hadtheard it, too flor
stood thus l saw, family Visi
CT through the binding snow, a shade
&C. figure issue from the ruined shed q
to come ont upon the track, looking W
= bewildsred nneertain, air up and dcwI
the form of Polly, my wife, with I
little baby in her armsI''
ri hurried down to her as fast as
by rapidly increasing snow drifts would
d. me, but was only just in time TO d.
Is her from the place of peril and sta