The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1894-09-14


ing for the express minute before
she was due, and when he met her
he would show, his watch, which he
had showed on until she 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 the ex-
press 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 he complain to the
superintendent So he did, but when
the superintendent called Hank up
and questioned him Hanks watch
was exactly right, and he stuck to
his story till the superintendent be-
lieved him, and he began to think
that Matt was getting a little too old
and too careless. This wouldn't have
made much odds to Matt if it ha6n't
been that he found himself wonder
ing if possibly Hanks watch was
right, and if he himself was begin
ming 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, providing Matt
got the better of him with the girl.
Then Hank took to hating his
train on a down grade and informed
the conductor that his engine wasn't
working just right and required a
little repairing. He would make
big show of unscrewing a nut here
and easing a 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-puff-
ing 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
10 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 girlmade up her
mind, and she took Matt. don't
blame her, for though he was pretty
old for her he was good man, with
considerable cash in the bank and a
a 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 success, and Hank was CORE
spondingly nasty. The first time the
two met Mattsays: Look here, Hank
Stevens, I've had about 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 are not entitled to it.
Some day you'll pull out of that siding
ahead of time once too often
What are you proposing for to
do in the premises2' says Hank, who
had fine command of language, and
could be most deadly polite when he
wanted to be.
"Ipropose, says Matt, for to open
my throttle and smash your dirty
little accommodation train into 5,0O0,-
600 splinters and you with it. That's
what I intend TODD, andwhat / ought
to have done long ago, only I had a
weak sort of feeling for your passen-
gers
"'All right says Hank. You
come along with your bullyragging
old express and try to smash me if
you want to. Well see who will
come out on the top of the heap. I've
generally got about two carloads Of
coal just behind my engine, and
cal'late you'll have some little trou.
BILE driving through them
Now, Hank knew well enough
that Matt meant what he said. Matt
was, as have told you, mighty
careful and conscientious man, but
you could drive him too far, and he
had certainly made up his mind to
run into Hanks train if it kept get
ting in his way, and l don't blame
him. However, he never did run
into Hanks train, though he thought
he did, but Hank worked a little
game on him that left him with no
more nerve than a race horse that is
by a bit of paper and
thinks it's going to rise up and tear
him all to pieces.
About week went by, and Hank
never crowded the express off the
track except once, and he did that
when Mats girl was on the train,
and that he naturally wouldn't scare
her by collision. The very fact
that the girl was there at the time
made it all the harder for Matt to
back his train down and give Hank
the right Of way, for she supposed
that Matt had made some sort of
mistake in his calculations and had
endangered her precious life. So the
next time the two men met, which
was the very next day, Matt sings
out: You've done that trick f.
the last time. You do it again, and