The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-09-05
PHEBE'S EXPLOIT.

whose run on the western DlViSloii
began and ended at Orivai Junction;
The Junction consisted OF q round
house, tho railway station, few
shanties, u dreary bOarding-house,a and
n choice collection OF possibilities but
Phoebe, being motherless, spcnt much
of her time on her fathers engine, or
in her uncle's Office vt the station, and
go got u larger view Of life than the
Junction itself could give.
At fourteen she had two ambitions
One was for her father, reaching out
to the timo when he should have u
smart "eight7 wheeler" and pas
senger run. Tho other dated from a
trip to Cheyenne with her father when
. he was IL momber of the grievance
committee.
"You'll have to put in your time
around the hotel while go to the
meeting" he had told her: and phubc
betook herself to the parlor, whore q
smartlY dressed young woman was
playing upou an ancient and somewh hat
"tinpanny' piano. The music was of
the kind called "popular," and the per-
former played us the Irishmun blew
the cornet-by main strength and
awkwardness-but Phmbe went back
to Orival Junction that night with u
tt4,nviction that life was scarcely worth
living without piano and the ability
;tolYaay it.
She said something of the kind to
:. her ,H4cle the next day, when she was
helping him on the coal report, and he
laughed 1T her.
II Thought you were beyond such
things" he said. "a girl who can
run u locomotive, figure bills of lading.
and telegraph the arm of of half the
operators on the line. to be wanting
such a fine ladys p'aything us u
piano."
"Oh, but, Uncle Tom, you just ought
ito have heard her. She played and
,played until | forgot who | was and
where | came from. Iou can't think
lhow beautiful it was I"
Yes, can was night operator
att cheyenne once, and actually lived
In the house with that piano for six
months. And | hope everybody who
kept me awake with it when was
trying 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 ?''
she asked, getting IL bunch OF abstracts
to call of to him.
"Oh. music, yes-but that's diff
fercnt We used to have music back
at the old home in Ohio; your aunt
Phoebe played the organ in church,
last"
"Did ma play?"
Yes"
"'EVell, [ mean TO learn and | meun
% .isSve Il piano, too, some time. |
wish .Ea could get run SO we could
five In q town: then | might hear
music, ,rnce in Il while, anyway"
But what would become OF me ?
couldn't got along without you"
YOU'D come, too. AS if | didn't
know that yon keep this JOB just SOS
ITO be with us ~
That was tho fact. Tom Norman
lhad transferred his love for his favorite
sister TO her child, and he had followed
John Artley's shifting fortunes from
one desolate division station to another,
for the sole purpose Of watching over
and caring for Phmbe.
Do you believe pa ever will get a
good run ?" asked Phoebe, when the
freight forwarded had all been entered.
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" "ce "''ce," signing "oj." Then
she dipped the pen and took the mes
sage: w o,,.o - ..,,, > w
SdHSS VI Iiftlil pS dfC moving
eastward on freight trains. Denver
reports that more have left there to
meet CALIFORNIA; at Orival. Watch
incoming cast-bound frcights and re.
port promptly any unusual tramps at
your station"
"What's that--morc trouble ?" asked
Norman, catching word here and
there in the message.
Phoebe sighed wearily, "Oh dear,
yes, it's more t:amps; and it'll be jnst
pas luck to catch them out here on
POI tonight"
Norman read the message and shook
his head obviously. "I've been afraid
of that oil summer" he said "There
has been a bigger crowd than usual
from California this season, aud, now
the Leadvillc cxcitmcnt is dying down,
they'll be pouring out Of Denver by
the carload. hope they won't make
trouble mere; it wouldn't take more
than twenty five or thirty Of them to
rtake the town aud cverybndy in it.
,phmbc bit the end OF her penholdcr
sand thrust out her chin in a way that
glade her look very much like rcsolutc
John .&rtlcy. 81 know one thing they
won't do" she said, with defiant
IIhhle mod, "They won't make pa pull
. W Mnlcss he has orders, like they ana
4, ike M oGahey last spring."
Az" The afternoon wore away without
a@mt, and there was nothing to
. lnU, st N,ptil seven o'clock, when the
topo p, xetiNns of POI came in fairly alive
tWu > '4!a,4.lps Twenty minutes later
w'o' W. tim fEeight from Denver arrived,
tnG Sninmin. '.im .another contingent. The
conducto. c y reported that ,th9ro hnd l
peeil Pc rows mU ,a,d seen 80 far outnumbcr-
sao ea ~ " to put .vesimance out OF the ques
tiOn. .n rr,t ronort of Tho
situation to tie diapstchar' ,i ana nav whiI@ ,h
.nomns ~ "" heran 10 str&ggle into the
vyi w"iting. room Ny twos and threes; II
Snacnee ] OF orders 20 the contrary, trail
nuHnhe numbor 2oi Mad hoen made up an( ,l
pulled out on the %ain anv line ,%is ready anS S ss
go cast. Norfnan kho" , o'|dnc,nr Tn's any ho' !"
neither Artlcy NOR '""''""""''o' '''''