The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-08-25
"There was a girl somewhere on the

/ "Therc was girl somewhere on the
line, disremember just exactly where,
though, come to think Of it, she must
have lived at Spartansville. No. she
couldn't either. for the accommodation
never stopped the night there. and so
Hank couldn't have spent his evening
with her, which was his general rule.
She must have lived at Tiberius Cen.
ter, where Hank laid mp at night and
where Matt McGinnis lived when he
was at home. Well, anyway, we'll say
she lived there, and 1t isn't of any con-
sequence where she did live SO far as
this here story is concerned.
Both the men were dead in love
with the girl and she didn't seem dis
posed to make up her mind which of
the two she liked best. Hank used to
come to see her pretty near every even
ing at about eight o'clock, and Matt
used to spend most Of the two hours
that he had In Tiberius Center every
day from 2:30 to 4:34 at her house. As
far as / could Judge Matt was making
a little the best Roadway, for he always
had the girl to himself when he called,
while when Hank was there In the
evening her father and mother were
apt to be on hand.
Hank was terrible Jealous of Matt,
and he never lost q chance to make
things unpleasant for him on the road.
He would pull out from the siding
where he had been waiting for the ex-
press, a minute before she was due,
and when he met her he would show
his watch, which he had showed on un-
til it was two or three minutes fast,
and stick to it that she was right
Reasoning with him wouldn't do any
good. There was his train on the track,
and he wouldn't bulge an inch, SO in
the end the express would have to
back down, and Hank would remark
to Matt that If he didn't get new
watch he would come to grief some
day.
"why didn't Matt complain to the
superintendent? So he did, but when
the superintendent called Hank up and
questioned him, Hanks watch was ex-
actly right, and he stuck to his story
until the superintendent believed him,
and he began to think that Matt was
getting little too old and too care
less. This wouldn't have made much
odds to Matt if it hadn't been that he
found himself wondering If possibly
Hanks watch was right, and If he him
self was beginning to show signs Of
failing. This is just what Hank was
working for. for he had sworn that he
would make Matt lose his nerve, pro-
viding Matt got the better of him with
the girl: Then Hank took to hating
his train on a down grade and inform
ing the conductor that his engine was
not working just right and required a
little repairing. He would make big
show of unscrewing a nut here, and
easing valve there, and then he would
oil her and spill a lot Of oil on the rails.
When the express came a-groaning and
a-panting and a-pufing up the hill,
her driving wheels would strike the
oil and slip, and the train would be
stuck long enough to make her come
into the next station ten minutes or so
behind time. Matt knew well enough
that Hank was playing it on him, but
he couldn't prove anything, don't you
see, and all he could do was to swear,
and take the reprimands that he got,
without attempting to defend himself.
"After awhile the girl made mp her
mind, and she took Matt l don't
blame her, for though he was pretty
old for her, he was good man with
considerable cash in the bank and q
big life insurance policy, while Hank
hadn't cent beyond his pay. and was
liable from his reckless ways to be
smashed almost any day. OF course
Matt was in high spirits over his sue
cess, and Hank was correspondingly
nasty. The first time the two met
Matt says: Look here, Hank Stevens!
I've had enough of your games, and
I'm not going to give you the right of
way many more times, when you know
as well as do that you're not entitled
to 1t. Some day you'll pull out of that
siding ahead of time once too often
"'What are You proposing for to do in
the premises? says Hank, who had
fine command of language, and could
be most deadly polite when he wanted
to be.
81 propose says Matt, for to open
my throttle and smash your dirty lit
tie accommodation train into Ave mil
lion splinters, and you with 1t. That's
what intend to do, and what ought
to have done long ago, only had q
weak sort of feeling for your passen-
gers
IAN right says Hank. You come
along with your bullyragging old ex-
press aud try to smash me IL you want
to. Well see who will come out on
the top of the heap. I've generally got
about two car loads of coal just behind
my engine, and caplate you'll have
some little trouble driving through
them
Now, Hank knew well enough that
Matt meant what he said. Matt was,
as l told you. a mighty careful and