The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-27
And that Is all.
THE BRAKENIAN'S STORY.

IhE bNAlAENlAN'S SIONf.
A rough-looking man? Yes, perhaps
] nm. We amt all of us responsible
for our outside husk, no moro than q
horse chestnut or hazel-nut is. The
kind of life I lead can't be lived in
white kid gloves and dress coats. T.
wasn't brought up with many advan-
tages, and I'm only brakeman on the
Rensselaer, and Saratoga line. Old
Jones was telling you about me, was
he, sir? He'd better hold his tongue.
There's more profitable subjects of con-
versation than I an. But old Jones
means well enough, and if he told you
to ask mo how that stripe of white hair
came Oh my black name, I ain't the
man to go back OH him. Oh, you
needn't beg my pardon, sir L don't
mind talking about it now, though the
time was when I couldn't speak of it
without n big lump coming in my
throat.
We hadn't been married long, Polly
and me, when it happened. Polly was as
trim, bright-eyed slip cf girl rs ever
you'd wish to see She was one of the
mattresses i'll the Albany lunch room :;
and the first time ever set eyes upon
her I 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 a
weddingring thrown into the bargain.
"Do you really mean it, Jake ?" said
she, looking me full in the face, with
those dark blue eyes of hers, that are
like the skies at night.
81 do really mean it, Polly" said T.
'"Ehen," said she, putting both her
hands in mine, "I'll trust you. I've no
living relation to advise me, so I can
only take counsel with my own heart. {"
So We wore married. rented little
one-story house, under the hill on tho
height, that overlooked the Hudson-a
coy place with a good-sized wood-lGle
ut the rear, for winter meant winter in
those parts, and the snow used to be
drifted up even with our door-yard
fence many and many a cold gray
morning. And everything went smooth
until Polly began to object to my mates
Mt the White Blackbird, and the Satur-
day evenings [ spent with the boys,
after my train was safely run onto the
side track at the junction.
"Why, Polly. girl" said T, where's
the harm9 man can't live by himself,
like al oyster in its shell, and a social
glass never yet harmed any one."
"No," said Polly, "not social glass,
Jake, but the habit. And if you would
only put every fve~cent piece that you
spend for liquor into little Bertie's tiny
savings bank"
"Pshaw |" said I. "T'm not adrlmk-
ard, and r 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"
1 kissed her, and went away. But
that was tho beginning of the little,
grave shadow that grew on my Polly's
face, like creeping fog over the hills,
and that she has never got rid of since.
It was n sore point between us-whnt
tho politicians called q vexed question.
L felt that Polly was always watching
me and I didn't choose to bo PIT in
leading-s strings by q woman. Sol
shame to say it went to tho White
Blackbird oftoner than ever, and didn't
always count the glasses of beer That I
drank, and once or twice, of particu-
II oD1I ,,sol,t nt ,,,Noo1f 1>a
suaded into drinking something stronger
than beer; and my brain wasn't the kind
that could stand liquid fire with inn
punity. And Polly cried, and LOST my
temper, nnd-well I don't like to think
of nll these things now. Thank good
ness they're over and gone
That afternoon, rs I stood on tho back
plntfor1n of my CIR, with my arms fold
cd and my eyes fixed on the snowy
waste of flat fields through which tho
iron track seemed to extend itself like
IN endless black serpent, I looked my
own life in the face. L made up my
mind that I had been behaving like u
brute.
"Whnt nre those scnscless fellows at
tho White Blackbird to me- muttcred
I, "ns compared with one of Polly's
sweet bright looks? will give the
whole thing up. I'll draw the line just
here now. We shall be off duty early
tonight. I'll 60 home and astonish
Pollyr
But, ns night fell, the binding drift of
a great storm came with it, We were
belated by the snow which collected on
the rails, and when We reached Earldale
there was q little girl, who had been
sent on In care Of the conductor wbQ: