The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-06-03
THE ENGINEERS RIVAL.
ny ALFRED b. COOPER.

wasn't so short o. breath. That's the
very engine old John Wright used to
drive when l was his stol<er Let me see
I've been drivin' three year-aye, it'll
4 be ten year come next September. He
was fine figure of man, was John. He
stood six foot one an a half in his stock
in's, an was broad in the shoulders,
too. In his greasy peaked cap, an oily
blue jacket, he looked giant. Hew
queer 'un. used to tell him he needed
wife to look after him. Ha! Ha! He
always made his tea wi water out o
tn engine boiler, an when l laughed at
him, he'd slap me on the back, an say:
Whats good for the horse is good for
the rider, Harry He was a rare old
Sort"
"Was he an old nan?"
"Oh, no; he'd be forty-odd, suppose,
but 1 was young man of e3, an he
seemed old, like, to me. AS I've said, he
was bachelor, an, as far as l knew,
likely to remain one. There wasn't
much of the ladies' man about John.
But still waters run deep, they say, an
John Wright had his little secret.
about three mile out O. town, l used
to notice that he whistled three times,
I. and always looked across a couple o.
fields, bit farther on, as if he were
fookin' for sonethin'. asked him once
or twice what it was, but he edged me
off, an changed the subject, so didn't
press it. But l kept my eyes open.
st was.early winter when l first went
on to stoke for John, an, of course, bein'
n o1c in, = 11-rr in 'r,r,
for eight o'clock at night when we
passed this partic'lar spot, bound for
Rarnham, so mile away. It's up bank
as I daresay you know, from here to
Longbridge, eight mile up the line, an
we never got any great speed on until
we'd passed that length. especially
when we'd heavy freight. But all l
could make out for some months was
the dim outline of a cottage, that had
an upstairs window with a red blind.
The cottage lay couple O. fields away.
What made me notice the red blind was
that, as we passed, the window was al
ways suddenly lighted up.
save, an so was John Wright's face
soon as ever he saw it. Such a smle!--
an he had kind face, had old John
an then he'd seem lost bit, as if he
were thinkin' O. somethin' as was good
to think about.
II couldn't make it out, for you see
looked on John as musty, crusty old
bachelor, for all he were such good
sort But the light nights let the secret
out 1t were no use of his keepin' his
tongue tied then; for there. in tn little
front garden, across them two little
fields, was a pink frock, an sun-bon-
net, an a little hand flutterin' bit of il
hankychief as we passed-every night,
as true as the clock.
''I chaffed John rarely about it, first
time saw it, an he blushed-he did,
indeed, sir! Though his face was grimy
on the top, and copper color under that,
I'll swear he blushed. But he looked
pleased an proud, for, by that time,
we'd grown such thick friends, that I'm
sure he didn't mind me KNOWN.
''Then. bit by bit, it all came out.
John and her father, who used to be
pointsman at Chubb Junction, half
mile farther up the line than the cot
tage, had been Lads together. John had
Z gone up for camp every Sunday for
many year. He'd known Mary Math-
ers since she was born, an when She
was little lass he'd nursed her on his
: kEee an told her he'd wait for her.
dare say he meant it in fun at the time,
but, as she grew up. he knew he liked to
\ be where she was better than anywhere
else in the world. That's how he put it,
sir. Then Tom Mathers, her father, fell
~ T Too oft lc nm rDS Scpd
even then, that John Wright made his
wages keep four instead of one. Mary's
father never worked again. He was on
! his back for IS months an then he died.
San then, you may be sure, John was
father to the fatherless, an "a husband
to the widow-as far as aookin' after
'em went, at any rate-only he wanted
TO be husband to the daughter, Mary
OF course, I learnt this bit by bit, an
/. can't help film in things as come to
my ears years after, for John was never
the man to blow his own trumpet. Ha,
ha! He was well content Wi the stenm-
whistle-especially when passin' Rail
way cottage. Poor John!
swell. to cut a long story short, Mary
semed to make 10 objection. Why
should she? She'd never met anybody
she liked better an finer fellow than
John Wright never walked! He got her
TO promise to light the lamp in the room
wi the red blind, on dark nights, as he
passed on his engine, an to give him
wave of her hand on light nights, for he
said it was somthin' to be goin' on with,
Eke; he'd touch O. sentiment in him,
had John, aye, he had that!
"One Saturday night he says: Harry,
you'd better walk DER wi me to-mor-
h row"
"'Walk DER wi you > says; where"
a "'Why. to Mrs. Mathers', to be sure.
I'd like you to know my Mary. An then