The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-09-03
PHGBE'S EXPLOIT.

WuoSe run ON inc western DIVISION
began and ended at Orival Junction
The Junction consisted of rount
house, the railway station, few
shanties, a dreary boarding house, ant
choice collection OF possibilities ; btu
Phoebe, being mothcrless, spent mucl
OF her time on her fathers engine, OF
In her uncle's Office at the station, anc
so got a larger view of life than the
junction itself could give.
At fourteen she had two ambitious
One was for her father, reaching ou,
to the time when he should have q
smart "eight-wheeler" and u pas.
senger run. The other dated from 9
trip to Cheyenne with her father when
he was member of the grievar &C
committee.
you'll have to put in your time
around the hotel while | go 10 the
meeting" he had told her; and phoe ou
/. betook herself to the parlor, where a
smartly dressed young wo.nan was
"tinpanny. piano. The music was of
the kind called popular" and the per-
former played as the Irishman blew
the cOrnet-by main strength and
awkwardness-bu Phoebe went back
to Orival Junction that night with q
conviction that life was scarcely worth
living without a piano and the ability
to play it..
She said something of the kind to
her uncle the next day, when she was
helping him on the coal repor., and he
laughed at her.
81 thought you were beyond such
things" he said. GA girl who can
run a locomotive, figure bills of lading.
and telegraph the arm off of half the
operators on the line, to be wanting
such a fine lady's p'aything as u
piano."
"Oh, but, Uncle Tom. you just ought
played until L forgot who was and
where came from. You can't think
how beautiful it was !"
Yes, can; L was night operator
at Cheyenne once, and | actually lived
in the house with that piano for six
months. And hope everybody who
[ kept me awake with it when 1 was
ltrying to catch up my sleep will be
forgiven" he added, taking the
Freight Forwarded" book from the
safe.
Don't you like music, Uncle Tom 2"
she asked, getting bunchrot abstracts
"Oh. music, yes-but tha&'s diff
ferent. We used to have music back
at the old home in Ohio; your amt
Phoebe played the organ in church,
and we all sang in the choir, first aud
last"
Did ma play"
Yes"
"Well, mean to learn and mean
have u piano, too, some time. |
wish pa could get run so we could
live in town; then l might hear
music once in a while, anyway"
"But what would become of me?
couldn't get along without YOU"
You'd come, too. AS II | didn't
know that you keep this JOB just SOS
to be with us -
That was tho fact. Tom Norman
had transferred his love for his favorite
sister to her child, and he had followed
one desOlate division station to another,
for the sole purpose of watching over
and caring for Phoebe.
DO you believe pa ever will get
~c0d cun? ?" asked Phoebe, when the
freight forwarded had all been entered.
ooh, l hope so. Well go on hoping
so to the end of the chapter, too, won't
we? Answer that call, will you,
Phoebe ?'
Phoebe sat down at the telegraph
table, snapped the key, and wrote
"ce'' see "'"ce," signing "oj." Then
she dipped the pen and took the mes
sage.
Large gangs OF tramps are moving
eastward ON freight trains. Denver
reports that more have left there to
meet CALIFORNIA; at Orival. Watch
incoming east-bound freights and re.
port promptly any unusual tramps at
your station"
What's that-more trouble ?" asked
Norman, catching q word here and
there in the message.
Nl~x ctr all n
yes, it's more tcamps; and it'll be just
pas luck to catch them out here on
POI tonight"
Norman read the message and shook
his head obviously. 1--WE been afraid
of that all summer" he said. "There
has been bigger crowd than usual
from California this season. and, now
the Leadville excitment is dying down,
they'll be pouring ont of Denver by
the carload. hope they won't make
trouble here 1t wouldn't take more
than twenty or thirty of them to
take the town and everybody in it," ,,
Phoebe bit the end of her penholder
and thrust out her chin in way that
made her look very much like resolute
John Artley. know one thing they
won't do" she said, with .. defiant
little nod, "They won't make pa pui,
'0l unless he has orderSi like they did
"GaHey laSS spring.
noon wore away without
and there was nothing tC
TIL seven o'clock, when the
us of 201 came in fairly alive
,ps. Twenty minutes later
eight from Denver arrived
an6ther contingent. The
reported that there hat
,ience, but that was because
had been 80 far outnumber
resistance out OF the ques
wired full report of the
the dispatcher, and while
aiting for instructions the
gan to straggle into the
om by twos and threes. IL
orders TO the contrary, trair
had been made up an(
on the main line ready Il
Norman knew this, and a.
'tley nor the conductor hat
or orders, he began to ge
over to the boarding-house
stay with Mrs. Hannah :
This is no place for you to
let me stay" pleaded
They won't hurt me, and
raay over there by myself
Wing what vase happening
pc. Besides I'll be O GOO