The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-30


Well She didn't 90 anywhere with him, for
watched to see; maybe she had the sense to
make out his condition; maybe her father
wouldn't let her-for knew her father was to
home and would look after her-and so come
away.
/ come away and home / come acrost the
ferry, and I looked up at the stars. for it was
such pleasant night, and I'd been so happy
coming Overland ! went from hurt to mad, and
then | went from mad to mad, and then |
went from mad to terror-lest he should
get her after ALL And cursed him. for l could
have killed him. cursed him on that ferry all
the way. l seemed to say to him:
Charley Scattergood, you've got my girl
She amt your girl She's mine. You amt it
to have her. Let her be! I'll fling you over
board Let us bel"
For it seemed as if he was on deck beside me,
and felt about III the dark as if I'd got him.
And flung my arms across the railing as if it
was flung him over. And looked down as if
l see him going under And watched the pad
die wheel as if it draw-awed him in. But l
cursed him. for hated him.
/ think had sort of fever in my brain, for
never wanted to kill a creature before in all my
days. If it was kitten or yellow pup, or if it
was old hen, / didn't like to do it. But,
maam, could have wrung his neck, or / could
have stomped on him, or if I'd seen him under a
locomotive mime wouldn't have cared. l hat
ed Charley Scattergood. ] wanted him to die.
| went from mad to murder in my heart upon
the ferry-boat, so help me God
MA am, Wn0r0 40 you tnlnk JD0m LnlnSS come
from. plumb! into mans souls If he was
steady man and tried to do his dooty and liked
his felow-creatures and had gentle thoughts
like other folks and never wished harm to
no man. Seems as If it was a brain fever-when
you love girl. Seems as if you was mailman
If it is girl. Seems as if it amt you that
love her; it's devil or an angel loves her; and he
angels you or devils you, and there you be-
Well. He wasn't on the ferry boat He was
setting there beside of her in her fathers sitting
lrs1nk And oil IF han Nan
So didn't murder him, for it wasn't handy;
and went home, for my sister that was a wilder
lady made me some catnip tea. and gave it to
the cat and 80 went to bed and went to sleep.
But l give the theaytre tickets to horsecar
driver that I was acquainted with that had
girl that squinted. 1t seemed pity to waste 'ern.
Now that night there come a storm. 1t was
sleet-storm. I'll tell you about it. 1t sleeted
like the evil all that night, and come morning,
If you was to look out it was like looking on a
world of ice that made you think of creature
frozen dead; like it was the corpse of a world 1t
was the worst sleet-storm we had that winter,
for had reason to remember
l said I'd tell You what trouble man is. He's
one of them detailed to pick out trouble-that's
the way the name comes to be given to us. The
telephone business is a mighty accidental bust
ness; something happens all the time. First you
know your lines won't work Maybe you sent a
message and it sticks somewheres It's the
trouble men that have to find out where's.
They keep us for that purpose.
That's our job It amt an easy job
lines out of kilter. from Boston to California,
that's our business to find out. Maybe it's broke
by wind; maybe 1t give way under the ice; or it's
beaten down by snow or it's struck by lightning;
or it's crossed somewheres by somebody else's
accident-some telegraph company's had bad
luck and tied You up; or it's got catched beneath
bridge, for we have to work under water
well over air; and you wouldn't believe it of
telephone wire how IL can snarl if it sets out.
l. . ~-1so - -
a telephone wire as I know Of unless it's
woman with the neurology. Seems as if them
wires were many men-folks trying to crochet;
they don't take the regular stitch, but they use
mp lot of yarn in making of the most extra
ordinary pattern. They're pretty stiff and they
slash about good deal in wind and water.
Did you ever happen to think, ma'am, of a
slippery winter morning, what it would be like
il you was in our business? There's more bust
ness goes on over your heads these days than
there is upon the ground below. don't think
folks do think much about it. There's sight of
pity goes to sailors and such-like, and fremen
and those. and I'm not denying they deserve it.
But our business amt so we'll understood in
folks mind to feel sympathy for linemen.
Sometimes seems to me we have a call for it our
selves. for it Amt very safe business. II amt
so much pluck-though it does take pluck-but
pluck amt anything to complain of.
this l speak about There's ice everywhere.
Your steps are slippery. All the sidewalks are
covered by ashes for peril of your bones. Horses
20 down in the street The tops of the fences.
and the doork knobs. and all sorts of little things
are sleeted over. The trees have crusted up like
the'd got into bathing suit of ice from toe to
top. The ROCKWELL, folks don't think about
roofs They all of glare. That's the kind
of weather folks stay indoors, If 80 be they can.
Women huddle round the register and say: IF
guess l won't go out too day." Men go to their
business in the horse cars, and talk about how
slippery it is In the evening paper there's the
accidental column-full of how such one
slipped the pavement and how his leg was
broken or his back was hurt.
Way down below US, whilst we are at work,
we see folks putting sawdust on level places and
holding on to something whilst they go by.
They look kind of small as we look down. like
creatures that grow something. May be we're
out on the caves crawling along toward the
trough to get wire that got down acrost
water-spout; or maybe we're droppin' from one
roof to tother. or we're holding on to chimney,
or there's q pole to climb beyond 'em ala roof
pole you must climb, and you put your spurs in
and go up, clinging to that pole, to guy wire
over or to untwst some trouble, and slippery
by gracious! Slippery don't tell it. It's all
glared over-roof. pole, caves. wires, pins and
insulators the skylights you go out Of the states
you crawl acrost, the ireescape you hang on to
and you feel the ice melting underneath your
fingers for your hands get numb. Then the
wind-Hord how the wind blows from the
nor ard after sleet storm on q seven-story roof
That's the weather when a lineman has to
work. Come day when it amt safe to put foot
acrost your doorsill the solid earth, that's the
very day the linemen have to crawl like kids and
cats hundreds of feet above you in the air, bal
ancing and holding of themselves for lifes sake
and the sake of your telephone message against
they slip and go. If he was to make one mis-
step he'd be to pieces on the pavement before
you could say "There's a lineman!" There's
hope for you If once you SLIP. If you amt dead
man, you're worse Your backs broke. or It's
laid you up for life. Lucky for you if you
knocked your brains out and done with. Your
widderll get on better than if she got cripple
to support, her and him and the children, too.
Now this day tell you Of this sleety day.
woke, for was miserable in my mind, and re-
ported to headquarters for any orders for
the day 1t was terrible slippery day.
But / thought maybe it didn't mat
A IL. l.I Il