Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-06-05
JOHNS TRAIN.

John and me together? Just hitch your
chair close up to the fire, for there's
rain falling outside, and this wind from
the sea sounds cold and feels cold. IL
you'll believe it, when John is foolish
he says that fire is like the light in my
black ewes. John talks lot Of nom
sense. But there, | haven't started
that story. | think John and | always
fancisd one another ever since we went
barefooted TO the little yellow school
house at the corners, but then we did
have so many fallings out, hot one day
and cold the next! The makings up,
though, were nice, and fancied some
times that John did it all purposely,
that he would have a falling.out time
that thore might be falling-in one.
There is one thing though that did
make me mad-the way John would
show attentions to Sase Cullis. She
was little snipper-snapper sort OF a
blue-eyed thing. She had pretty,
milky kind Of complexion, lot Of
curls pasted together over night, and
she knew how to put blue, yellow and
red together, and come out some SUM-
day gay as rainbow. But | knew the
girl was hollow as a pumpkin stem.
She had little brains, but heap Of self,
and knew she could not make John
happy. SO unlike him!
There had been GOODNESS between
John and me, but when | saw John
and Sase Cullis walk away from the
harvesting at Uncle Tobias's was not
cool bit; was hot. If any one had
touched me with wet finger | should
have sizzled. "That john" said, "is
a fool. She is not fit for him, and
yet she's a-winding him round her lit
tie finger, as she does one of those
pasted-up curls around q stick" lie
was smart enterprising young fellow,
was my John. Why, he started brake
man on our road only few years ago,
and was at the tail end Of the train.
The next thing people knew he was
handling baggage at the forward end.
Then, well, don't know all the steps,
but one day John had bit Of gold rib
bon tied round his blue cap, and he
looked real foolish under it. asked
him what it meant, and he blushed and
said he was conductor"
81 am real glad" said.
care you?" and he spoke to me in a
quick. surprised way. 81 didn't know
that you cared nowadays"
"why, john" told him, "of course
| do
Then he turned to me like flash, and
looked at me just the very same way
he did when we sat on the old log and
made up after IA quarrel. But then
was not going to have any of that after
he had been cutting up so with Sase
Cullis; and | knew, too, that was
needed at home, and broke out, "Why,
John, | believe | have lost my mind
for / haven't skinned the milk a
home" 1t is real handy to have some
such thought near you in an emergency
and l used it to good effect, and turning
left the conductor to his reflections
About week after that wanted to go
to the Mills and do some shopping.
thought | would take the first afte L
noon train DOWN, and come back on g
train reaching home about seven. II
would be dark then, | well knew, anG
/ could have had an earlier start, but
knew it was Johns train, and / wanted
TO see what kind of conductor he made
did not want him TO see who l was, 81
l borrowed Sister Cynthy's veil. ThiI
and my own would make screen h,
could not see through. Then l wor
some of mothers fixings, and l knew
John could not tell me from Methusa
leh. Well everything passed off just al
l had planned it. My lord, the new
nobby conductor, came up to me an
took my ticket. He suspected nothing
Behind that thick fence Of wells wa
safe as Adam.
"Good mother" he said.
The idea of it, calling me good mother
"Good MOTHER" he remarked, car
you going far?"
| cracked ny voice and pitched