Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-02-26
NEW SERIES, vol. xxx, NO. 9.

came the time when ne used 10 SQ0eSLt
little Miss HalIigan,s hand as he walk
ed along the Riverside, with his eyes
closed, on his half days of. trying to
imagine her ae his side He no longer
bumped trucks of the track without
warning, but considerably gave the
alarm, like q rattlesnake before coiling
to strike. Unless he was behind time he
never ran by corners, but always gra-
ciously stopped at the sign of the way
ing umbrella. And so from the most
reckless gripman on the line Andy Nc
Chunk became the most considerate, the
most polite.
Then came his great disappointment.
One Sunday afternoon In tho early fall
when he was of work he fixed himself
mp IN his best, and for the first time ON
day off started ont without the little
Halligans. But he did not go for stroll
in the park. He journeyed down town
instead, intent ON enduring no further
suspense, bus to know both her name
and address and TO talk to her. He had
purchased a ohrysanthemum to give her
as token of his regard. he left tho
train at Rector street all joy and ex-
pectanoy and rushed through the ar
oade. He reached Broadway and looked
up tho pavement Then his heart snnk,
for she was not there The stand, too.
was gone. She did not do business ON
Sunday.
So the relentless cable rolled ON and
carried him by her day by day. Some
times 1t stopped, but it always left
Gripman McChunk at Union square or
at some other spot ON the line in which
| he had no interest. How he used to
long that some day It would break down
when his car was in front of tho church.
yardl Then he would be able to talk to
her, to find out her name, and perhaps
that would be the beginning of an ac-
! quaintance to end-in moments of rev.
erie like these pleasant smile adorned
the face of Andrew MoChunl, q smile
that not all his growth of stubbly red
/ beard could conceal He would strain
his eyes as If to SEQ her from tho post
Office. "Plinkety, plung, pluns, would
go the gong. She would look up and
smile, and he would smile Then the
relentless cable would carry him ON, a
dark look would come into his faoe, and
he would dance viciously on the alarm.
and perhaps If an opportunity offered
would vent his anger ON the unfortunate
wagon that might happen to intercept
his passage.
At last the meeting and the sspara-
| ton. 1t was disagreesbls, rainy day
in early November when his car ratified
along lower Broadway. He made o-t
the great green umbrella from Cedar
street and saw the lower part Of the i'm
itation seal plush cloak beneath It Then
a mail wagon intercepted his view for
a moment.
''Plunkety, plung. pluns, went the
gong. His eyes were riTeted upon tho
stand. She was not there. his astonish-
ment knew no bounds, for never before
had she been absent from her post so
early in the day. 'Plunkety, plung,
geplung, geplung, b-r-rung-b-r-rung, T"
went the gong. Perhaps she was behind
the stand.
Gripman McChunk's s bones were chill
ed to the marrow. Up from under tho
very platform upon which he was stand
ing came a scream. he jumped on the
gong, and it sounded ono single tri-
umphant clnng. Round whirled the
| grip wheel, round whirled the brake
wheel, and tho car came to standstill.
Thoy picked her off the fender and
carried her away in an ambulance. SO
Gripman Andrew McChunk's g heart was
broken.
A big policeman stood beside him on
the platform on the trip up town. The
gong sounded seldom on that mournful
journey. When it did ring, It had lost
all former life, and tho notes came
forth in q mournful toll as they gave
expression to the players feeling.
Next day the police justice decided
that the whole affair was an accident
and discharged Andrew McChunk with
warning. The company discharged
him, too. but without q warning he
got job as a street eleanor, and one
bleak day in the following February, as
he was shoyeling the SNOW out OF the
cutters on Columbus avenue, he CHANGED
to look up, and his eyes fell upon a
blue and gold sign over a small butneat
looking store. Upon it read, Miss
wilkins, Delicatessen. He looked
through the window and saw her stand
ing there behind the counter. Their
eyes met, but she gave him no smile Of
recognition.
AS he bent down over his shovel he
muttered, ''If I'd "a KEEP my eyes down
! tn track, wouldn't be here, and she
wouldn't "a got damages an be there,
but then I'd "a never know'd what ct
was ter have thet queer wishin ter see
her from three blocks up tn street. :"
He leaned on his shovel and gazed
blankly into the brown snow.-New
York Sum.