Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-07-27


haired fellow. brakeman though he was.
I'm afraid it is with me, Billy he
replied, his eyes gazing steadfastly at
the lantern between his feet. But,
goodnight; l must 60; will see you
again as 1 come in And the heavy
door closed behind him.
AS l sat there alone in the Office after
he had gone, thought of all these
things-thought them over again and
again. had known Tom for two years,
and liked the boy. knew, or thought
1 knew, Kate Carr, up in the big white
house on the hill. A proud girl enough
in her way-prOud of her fathers riches,
her own beauty, and the dozen suitors
who had knelt at her feet. Ever since
Tom first sought her society l wonder
ed at his welcome. 1t seemed so strange
thing to me that one so proud of her
position, so thoroughly a slave of society
as Kate Carr appeared to be, should so
openly encourage the attentions OF a
mere freight brakeman-a man OF
whose faIaily connections we knew moth
ing, and whose only wealth was
his monthly pay. Still Tom was a
young and good-looking fellow enough,
and perhaps, after all, she was a little
vain at having so handsome a sutton.
even though so poor, to add to her
lengthy string of victims. / never
could believe that she had the heart to
return his great, honest love, and be
willing, in exchange, to sacrifice all her
/ hAt Hxa frr n 10 thQn
besides, rumor had it that George Bal
lou, the son of rich banker of neigh
boring town had already gained her
promise, and, from many little things
which had fallen under my notice. L
began to believe that rumOr for once
was right. And Tom loved her, and 1
thought it over all night when l was
not busy, and wondered in nay own
heart how it would end.
| Tom never came back to the depot
that night, though looked for him,
and his train left eastward while / was
taking my breakfast at the only hotel
the place afforded, and | caught but a
glimpse of him as they swung round the
curve. 1 afterwards heard the whole
story from his lips, but l can tell it best
for myself. From his car he PASSED up
the long hill to where the lights of the
Carr mansion were twinkling among
the trees, determined to learn his fate
from Kate's own lips that very night.
The parlor windows were dark when he
assembled the stone steps and rang the
bell, and the servant who answered it,
recognizing his face, told him he would
find Miss Kate in the garden. In the
moonlight, dreaming the ever new
dream of love, he passed with quick
step down the graveled path by the well
trimmed fiower-beds to where the sum-
mer-house, thickly shaded by clinging
vines, stood at the further end. This
was his favOrite resting place,
and many a pleasant hour was
passed there with her--his idol,
his queen. AS he approached now, he
was surprised to hear, borne on the still
night air, the tone of voices in earnest
conversation. In all Toms nature
there was nothing cowardly, nothing
base but his own name, spoken in a
mans deep voice, caused him to halt
almost without knowing he did so.
Il naturally supposed from all 1 saw
and heard that you cared for Tom Mar
shall
1t was almost question, and the ST.
lent listener outside in the moonlight
bent forward to catch the low tones of
the reply.
oh, George, how could your Why,
he's nothing but a freight brakeman !
What would papa say If he heard that p
1t was the soft tender voice of Kate.
And you truly only cared for me.
darlingP
Il only loved you, George
That was all i; and the strong man
that listened, whose only crime was
poverty, turned back quietly in the
darkness-turned back through the low
hedge and out into the moonlit roaG,
with pale face and heavy heart. He
had loved her with all the giant strength
of his strong manly nature-he never
knew how much before, as he did now,
alone in bis misery, his suffering, and
those heartless, singing words, He is
only freight-brakeman, ringing in his
ears with every step he took. He was
poor, was nothing but brakeman, had
neither wealth nor lineage of which to
boast; but, after all, he was a man,
and like one he suffered his loss-suffer-
ed through the long still night, patient
ly and silently.
AS the long Summer days faded into
the shorter ones of early Fall, and his
train passed back and forth by the sta
ton on its daily trips, watched Tom,
and, knowing so much as did, could
read his sufferings, though he tried so
bravely to hide it all and appear out
wardly as cheerful and light-hearted
as ever. Poor Toni the blow was a
hard one struck by her little hand, and
the strongman bent beneath it, whether
he would or no.
1t was nearly Winter when the end
finally came, and that ending was in
deed terrible. For several weeks heavy
storms had been raging along the entire
line of the road, and many fears were
expressed by railway officials about the
| aafafv of tho road bod hot naan 10 In