Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-14


when he few by forlorn females as ON
rainy days they stood on the corners
frantically waving their umbrellas. No
look Of compassion ever passed across
his stolid face when he left behfhd him
truckman helplessly dancing about
broken wheels and axles.
Then the change came-slowly, sure
ly. One day as his car was spinning by
Trinity churohyHrd his eye fell upon
the form Of her. She had taken the
place of the old woman who for years
had kept the stand there and was sit
ting beneath the shade Of a green um-
brella. With one eye she kept watch
upon her glass covered case, in which
glistened the surfaces Of numberless
blocks of chocolate Of various sizes;
with the other upon her customers, to
whom she was dispensing and 2 cent
glasses of lemonade. She was short
woman, not over 35 perhaps and had
wavy red hair, complexion not unlike
that of the apples in the basket before
her and broad countenance beaming
with good nature.
The very next day on his down trip
Andy McChunk looked her way again,
and the next day, and the next day, until
at length he acquired the habit or
straining his eyes to see her from several
blocks up the street. But she never no.
ticed him until one day when passing
he petulently jumped on the gong pin.
Then she looked up, and their eyes met
She smiled, and he smiled, and the car
banged into truck. A moment later
as he spun by Andy McChunk smiled
his unooncern at profane and injured
driver. It was for the first time in his
career on the road.
After that as he olattered along to-
ward the churohyard he used to pound
the alarm. Then she would look up and
smilo, and his Joy was complete. And
thus his love grew mp on him Then
came the time when he used to squeeze
little Miss Halligan's hand as he walk
ed along the Riverside with his eyes
closed, on his half days off, trying to
imagine her at his side. He no longer
bumped trucks off the track without
warning, but CONSIDERABLY gave the
alarm, like a 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 wav-
ing umbrella. And so from the most
. reckless gripman ON the line Andy Nc
Chunk became the most considerable, the
most polite.
Then came his great disappointment.
One Sunday afternoon in the early fall
!, when he was off work he fixed himself
up in his best and for the first time or
= day off started out without the little
Halligans But he did not go fora stroll
in the park. He journeyed down 'towr
o instead, intent on enduring no further
suspense, but to know both her nam'
and address and to talk to her. Hehat
purchased chrysanthemum to give he
as token Of his regard. He left th
train at Rector street all joy and ex
pectancy and rushed through the ar
cade. He reached Broadway and looke'
p ND the pavement. Then his heart sank
for she was not there The stand, too
II was gone She did not do business Of
Sunday.
= So the relentless cable rolled on an
y y carried him by her day by day. Some
% times it stopped, but it always LEI
Gripman McChunk at Union square G
10 at some other spot on the line in whic
he had no interest. How he used {
: long that some day it would break dow
70 when his car was in front of the church
~ yardl Then he would be able to talk
. her, to find out her name, and perhaI
y that would be the beginning Of an az
;. quaintance to end-in moments of re'
- erie like these pleasant smile adorne
10 the face of Andrew MoChunk, smil
that not all his growth of stubbly re
~ beard could conceal. He would strai
% " his eyes as if to see her from the pos
~ Office. "Plinkety, plung, plung, woul
% 60 the gong. She would look up an
- - smile, and he would smile. Then IL
~ y relentless cable would carry hmm on,
y dark look would come into his face, an
~ he would dance viciously on the alarm
y " and perhaps If an opportunity offere
. = would vent his anger on the unfortuna
. wagon that might happen to intarcel
~ ~ his passage.
90 Az last the meeting and the separ
~ ~oo tion. 1t was disagreeable, rainy d;
-, in early November when his car rattle
- - along lower Broadway. He made o
% the great green umbrella from Ced
90 street and saw the lower part Of the IL
itation seal plush cloak beneath it, Th'
!; a mail wagon intercepted his view 4
40 moment
Nv "Plunkety, plung. plung. p" went &
- gong. His eyes were riveted upon e
49, stand. She was not there. His astonis
% ment knew no bounds, for never befo
~ had she been absent from her post
:. early in the day. "Plunkety, plum
~ geplung, geplung, b-r-rung-b-r-rung
W y" went the gong. Perhaps she was behil
+h the stand.
Gripman MoChunk h bones were Chi
~ ~ ed to the marrow. Up from under t
% very platform upon which he was stan
,oI I ing came scream. He jumped on t
~ gong, and it sounded one single t.
n ~ umphant clang. Round whirled t
, -. grip wheel, round whirled the bra
"a wheel, and the car came to standsti
~ ~ They picked her off the fender a
% - carried her away in an ambulance.
-, =. Gripman Andrew McChunk' 8 heart "
10 broken.
"a. A big policeman stood beside him
,re the platform on the trip up town. 7
,es gong sounded seldom on that mourni
dc journey. When it did ring, it had Il
.rn all former life, and the notes cal
Ian forth in mournful toll as they ga
10 expression to the players feeling.
he Next day the police justice decid
mt that the whole affair was an accide
ere ana dischargea Ahore" McChunh W.
a xuarnino Tho nnmnaOv diSCharQ