Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-05-24


little Miss Halligan's hand as he walk
ed along the Riverside. with his eyes
closed, on his half days of, trying to
imagine her at his side. Ho no longer
bumped trucks oil the track without
warning, but considerably gave the
alarm. like a rattlesnake before oOiling
to strike. Unless no 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 gripmnn on the limo 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 of work no fixed himself
up in his best, and for the first time on
q day of started out without tho little
Halligans But no did not 60 for stroll
in the park. TIo iourneyed down town
instead, intent on enduring no further
suspense, but to know both her name
and address and to talk to her. He had
purchased a chrysanthemum to give her
as q token of his regard. Ho left the
train at Rector street all joy and ex-
NNNNAANl uAu LuoAiNAA tAAANNEu An0 All
cade. He reached Broadway and looked
up tho pavement. Then his heart sank,
for she was not there. The stand, too,
was gone. She did not do business on
Sunday.
So tho relentless cablo rolled on and
carried him by hor day by day. Some
times it 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 the church.
yardl Then he would be able to talk to
her, to find out her name, and perhaps
that would be tho beginning of an nc
%quaintanco to end-in moments of rev.
erie like these q pleasant smilc adorned
the face Of Andrew McChunk, q smile
that not all his growth of stubbly red
beard could conceal. He would strain
his eyes as If to see her from tho post
Office. "Plinkety, plung, plung, would
go the gong. She would look up and
smile, and he would smile. Then tho
relentless cable would carry him on, n
dark look would como into his face, 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 tho meeting and the separa-
ton. 1t was a disagreeable, rainy day
in early November when his car ratified
along lower Broadway. lie made ont
tho great green umbrella from Cedar
street and saw the lower part of tho i'm
itation seal plush cloak beneath it. Then
q mail wagon Intercepted his view for
q moment.
"Plunkety, pllng, plung. " went the
gong. His eyes were riyeted upon tho
stand. She was not there. His astonish-
ment know no bounds, for never before
had she been absent from her post SO
early in the day. ''Plunkety, plung,
goplung, geplung, b-r-rung-b-r-rung,"
went the gong. Perhaps she was behind
tho stand.
Gripman McChunk's bones were chill
ed to the marrow. Up from under tho
very platform upon which he was stand
ing came a scream. Ho jumped on the
gong, and it sounded one single tri-
umphant clang. Round whirled the
grip wheel, round whirlod tho brake
wheel, and tho car came TO a %standstill.
They picked her off the fender and
carried her away in al ambulance. SO
Gripman Andrew McChunk's heart was
broken.
A big policeman stood beside him ON
the platform OF the trip up town. The
gong sounded seldom OH that mournful
journey. When it did ring, il had lost
all former life, and tho notos came
forth in a mournful toll as they gavo
expression to the players feeling.
Next day tho police Justice decided
that the whole affair was an accident
and discharged Andrew McChunk with
n warning. The company discharged
him, too, but without a warning. He
got q job as a street cleaner, and one
bleak day in the following February, Us
ho was shovoling the snow out of tho
cutters on Columbus avenue, he CHANGED
TO look up, and his eyes fell upon a
blue and gold sign over a small but neat
looking store. Upon it read, miss
wilkins, Delicatossen." Ho looked
through tho window and saw her stand
ing there behind the counter. Their
eyes met, but she gave him no smilo of
recognition.
As no bent down over his shovel he
muttered, IF I'd "a KEEP my eyes down
tn track, I wouldn't DO here. and sho
wouldn't "a got damages an DO there,
but then I'd "a move know'd what ct
was ter have tibet queer wishin ter SEQ
her from three blocks up tn street
He leaned ON his shovel and gazed
blankly into the brown snow. New
York Sun.