The Penn's Grove record., 1896-08-14
A ~BRAKEMAN'S STORY

IA AIAhAA
II was so quiet outside that "hen
the long freight train would come 10
a stsndstilI with an abrupt, awkward
terk We could almost hear the big,
drifting fakes as they fell. MOI a
breath OF air was stirring and the big
round moon filtered down through me
snowstorm with a white, softened lisht
that revealed nearby objects ~ a
strange, ghostly sort Of a way. Inc
soft-coal ire that spluttered nlfuuy in
the old-fash!oned cast iron upright
stove lacked cheer enough TO break
the spell of the outside air. Wiihont
knowing precisely why, we sat mostly
in silence or muttered an occasional
monOSyllabic observation as to now
soon we might reach Jersey City. We
were -four hours behind time and some
where back Of us we knew was the
West Shore express, likewise behind
time and endeavoring to make up
something of It's lost run,
Sitting in the little red caboose In
the rear of the big freight train, rum
bling along through a blind fog OF
suow with a flying express at our heels
gave an uncanny sensation that l, for
one. did not relish In the least. Tie
drummer who had boarded the train
at Newburg sat m0rosely on a pile
of grips, which afforded him a softer
seat than the hard, wooden benches
strung along the sides of the ear. \
couple Of shippers anxiously discussed
the prospects for getting their stock
to market without having them half
frozen to death.
At the entrance Of Joe, the brake.
man, however, the glum little party
seemed 10 thaw at once. He swung
down off the roof Of the last box ear
and in through the door In a cilrery,
wholesome sort of fashion that warm
ed lis at once.
Joe" said one of the shippers, "be
we going to reach Jersey City afOre
ChriStmas%'
Isn't this good enough for you TO
live in: How'd you like to be out
braking tonight"
""Taint no snap, that's a fact" the
shipper assented.
NO, you bet it amt" said Joe, de
cisively, But this amt a patching to
what 1t is sometimes"
Something in the manner in which
Joe carefully filled his cob pipe. took
a bit of stick from the floor, poked ii
into the hre and lit his pipe slowly
aud thOughtfully, Indicated that a story
was coming.
strange said Joe at last, with a
ruminInt look into the fire and ii long,
steady pull at his pipe, somehow 10
night reminds me OF the day afore
Christmas two years ago. That was
when we brought Johnny HaineS home,
Guess you must "a known Johnny" he
added. turning to the shipper.
Nope. Heard of him. 60 on, Joe
What was the story"
Not much of a one" Joe replied de-
precatIngly. Just a brakeman's yarn,
only it's 4 little u of the common
run. The first day | ever saw Johnny
Haines | thought he was about TIE
haudsoniest lad | ever set eyes on.
He amt up ON No. q IN her first trip.
We used to meet often up and down
the road and got to know each other
pretty well. He WAS one of these lads
with a fresh, pink and white conf
plexion and a Jolly laugh thar male
you warm up to him at once. He was
straight and strong, and when he used
to stand ~iauntily on top Of the car, the
train going forty miles an hour and
he o seeming to think 1t was moving
at all, there wasn't a girl along the
road that hadn't a smile for him as he
went by. The lad was anxious TO stick
and worked hard, and, as he kept his
mouth shut pretty close, it was a long
time before we found out anything
about who he WAS. He had little ways
about him that made us think once in
a while that he hadn't been brought
up TO WORK, and his hands at first were
as soft and white as a girls. One
of the fellows told us a story of how
Johnny belonged to a good family, but
bOt hlShGh Jul IbI sbIut reason OF
other, but we always thought he made
1t up, aud, IN fact, we never did find
out his story until that night, | mean
the night we took him home"
Joe stopped. pulled vigorously at his
pipe for a few minutes. blinked rather
suspiciously several times, and finally
the rather husky voice went on:
''It Gems that the lads name wasn't
Haines at all. He took hat to con
ceal his own. His first name really
was Johnny, though, and, as tina,
was what everybody called him, the
didn't seem TO make SO much diff.
ference. When he first came on the
road he vas a little past 20, and his
open, boyish ways made some of the
fellows guy him and want to play
tricks on him at first But 1t didn't
take them long to find out that he had
plenty of mettle. A gang of US were
laying around the Albany roundhouse
one day, waiting for a train to be made
up, when BIZ Lawson began to nag
him and see if he couldn't get a fight !
out of him, 1t seems they had some
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