The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-04


for ride" he laUghingly told me. but 1
knew better; the sly rascal had been tell
ing her about me and the little mink had
taken this means to get a peep at the old
man and make his acquaintance. l heard
'em a'cOming up the track. Joe was blow
ing for the switch. so went out and threw
her over and was just getting my flag ready
to let him know it was all right when he
blew again, and he kept on blow
ing all the way down. l didn't
know what to make of it at first,
and thought the boy must have gone
crazy, for there was my signal right
there in plain sight; however, the mystery
me onto the siding l saw a girls face
at the window. She was running the en-
gine and had one hand resting on the lever.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement
and she was laughing in great glee over my
discontinue. Joe was standing close be-
hind, watching her with proud, glad light
in his eyes, while his imp of fireman with
SCOT beg. .inled face was leering and grim
ming at me over the side of the tender. As
soon as they stopped she jumped down
from the cab and walked back with Joe to
where L was standing. l recognized her at
once from his many descriptions, and we
were soon the best of friends, laughing and
talking together as if we had known each
other for years.
every time he glanced at me it was with a
self-conhdent air, as much as to say that
be was not far from wrong in praising her.
She was a handsome lass and no mistake.
She had the most wonderful hair have ever
seen. ItwaS black and glossy and fastened
in a coil at the back of her shapely head,
while in front the stray locks hung in care
less profusion over her broad, white fore
head and above pair of black, laughing
eyes that were never still.
"There lay her power, you could look
right down into them, they were deep,
deep and fascinating. They were eyes that
unless handled with care would play the
deuce with any mans heart; but she was
a good girl, bright as she was pretty, and
possessed of charming disposition. My
old heart went out to her at once, and
could not help loving her just little for
Joe's sake, and he, poor boy, why bless
you, lad, he loved every hair other head.
swell, things ran along smoothly until
the end of summer when l began to Sus-
pect that all was not right with Joe. There
was evidently something on his mind that
was weighing down his usual buoyant
spirits. He went about like one in a dream;
he talked little aud wOulI sit here for hours
at time with his head resting on his
hand, brooding over some secret trouble;
while as for her, he never so much as even
mentioned her name now. | tried in vain
to reason with him; | cOaXed and threat
ened, but all to no purpose, could do
nothing with him one way or the other;
true, he would occasionally make an effort,
for my sake, l thought, To brighten up
little AMI look as if nothing had happened;
but, Lord, the contrast was 50 great be-
tween that ami his usual lignt-heartedneSS
that it only made it all the more painful
to me.
'The other lads had told me all the par
ticulars, and my poor heart ached for the
boy. | knew what 1t meant 20 man who
loved with his whole soul, the way Joe did,
and | feared the consequences. 1t was no
child's play with him, 1t was matter of
either life or death. Ii seems that fellow
up there had been paying the girl consid
cradle attention. He was the son OF
prosperous merchant, handsome, smart
and fascinating but with bad reputation.
l had heard of his doingS and knew that no
good would ever come of his going with
her. Flattery and fine manners, backed by
wealth and social standing, are powerful
levers in the hands of unprincipled men,
and many poor girl has been deceived
and her life darkened by just such means.
"Well, this scoundrel poisoned her mind
in some way with his lying tongue, against
Joe, until she finally dropped him alto
gether. Joe was always little sensitive,
and being naturally quick-tempered and
head-strong may possibly have said more
than he ought; but anyway, that's where the
trouble began. You couldn't blame the
girl, poor thing. 1t turned out afterward
that she loved him all the time, but those
women are queer creatures; l never could
understand one of them yet. A man never
could understand a woman anyway. AS
for him." and the old mans eyes glowed
with fierce anger, ~ swore that if ever he
crossed my path, old man as l was, l'd
make him wish he'd never seen the day on
which he was born. Joe never went to tho
village now. asked him why he didn't
go up and see the girl and have a talk with
her. st would never do, Tom; it would
never do. l might meet him, he answered,
and the words came slow and distinct
while his fingers tightened cOnvulsively,
'aud it were best that he and | should
never meet Well, things went on from
bad to worse; the boy was actually broken
hearted. can't say that he neglected his
work i'll any way, but it was all done me-
chanically, abSent.mindeiiy; he had no
heart in it. | don't believe he knew what
he was doing half the time, and twas dan
gerous, very dangerous, not only for him
but for others. Ordinarily he had the cool
est head and the steadieSs nerve of any
man on the road, but he wasn't him self
now, and l feared for his safety every time
he hauled Hut. The boys all noticed it, too.
They HkeG Zoe and favored him all they
could, but Such things soon get TO the ears
os the bosses, and one day the rumor came
thai he was to ne laid off and new man
put in his place. To tell the truth l was
glad of it. l had tried in vain to get him
to give up and go away somewhere for a
change, but he wouldn't listen to me at all.
Now, he would be obliged 20 90, and knew
it would be the best thing for him, as the
rest would do him good. This was pretty
close onto the end of the month, and one
day he got orders from the Superinten lent
te come down below and shove some freightS
up the track. The grade is pretty steep
from here to R, ten miles above, and
whenever they get heavy load on it takes
an extra engine to help them over. Joe
was sitting here when the word came.
Suddenly he turned toward me with a
strange light in his eyes. light | did not
like, and after gazing earnestly at me for
for moment said: Tom, do you believe
in dreams? Do you think there is any
such thing as preSentiment OF coming
danger" Now, Pm willing to acknowledge
that, in common with most railroad men,
am little bit tsuperstitious, but seeing that
Joe had something ofthe kind on his mind
now, thought it my duty to tIy and laugh
it out of him, so said as boldly as l could:
why, nonsense, boy no person in his right
senses ever believes in such stuff; anyhow.
it's all foolisbness, utter foolishness, and
don't know what you mean by such talk
Il mean just this he continued without
once taking his eyes off mine: Il
had a strange dream last night. My
engine had jumped the track and
caught me under it, under mass
of iron and steel, with escaping steam
on one side and blazing fire-box on the
other. o. God! it was terribly real.
cried out in bitter agony and awoke,
trembling in every limb. 1t makes me
shudder even now to think of it, and it will
all come true, Tom, it will all come true.
feel that it only foreshadows the ap-
proach of some great danger which l can
neither prevent nor escape; but Pm ready
for it, ready and waiting. I've courted
death thousand times and after what I've
suffered, Tom, it's welcome now in anY