Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-05-20
HOME READING
THE ENGINEERS RIVAL.
BY ALFRED u. COOPER.

very engine old John Wright used 10
drive When l was his stoker. Let me see
I've been drivin' three year-aye, it'll
be ten year come next September lie
was a fine figure of a man, was John. He
stood six foot one an half in his stock
ms. am was broad in the shoulders,
too. In his greasy peaked cap, an oily
blue Jacket, he looked q giant. Hew u
queer 'un. I 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 1 laughed at
him. he'd slap me on the back, an say;
What's good Tor the horse is good for
the rider, Harry He was rare old
sort"
Was he an old man?"
oh. no; he'd be forty-odd, 1 suppose,
hut I was Il young man Of 20, am he
sSemed 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, used
to notice that he whistled three times,
and always looked across a couple o
fields, bit farther on, as if he were
lookin' for somethin'.' 1 asked him once
or twice what it was, but he edged me
of, an changed the subject, so didn't
press it. But kept my eyes open.
1t was early winter when 1 first went
on TO stoke fer John, an, OF course, bein'
agoods train, il was generally gettin' on
for eight o'clock at night when we
passed this particular spot, bound for
Earahaln, 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 /
could make out for some months was
the dim outline OF q cottage, that had
an UPSTAIRS window with red blind.
The cottage lay a couple o fields away.
What made me notice the red blind was
that, as we passed, the'window was al
ways suddenly lighted up.
cave. an so was John Wright's face
soon as ever he saw it, Such a smile!-
an he had kind face, had old john
an then he'd seem lost a bit, as if he
were thinlin' O somethin' as was good
to think about
81 couldn't make it out, for you see
looked on John as a musty, crusty ola
bachelor. for all he were such a 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 4 pink frock, an a sun-bon-
net. an a little hand 1utterin' a bit OF a
hanI,ychief as we passed--evcry night
as true as the clock.
ct chaffed John rarely about it, first
time I saw it, an he blushed-he did,
indeed. sir! Though his face was grimy
on the top. and copper color under that,
III swear he blushed. But he looked
pleased an proud, for, by that time
we'd grown such thick friends, that I'm
sure ne didn't mind me KNOWN.
Then. bit by bit, it all came out
John and her father, who used to be
Dointsman at Cbubb Junction, half a
mile farther up the line than the Get
+aee. had been lads together. John had
gone up for camp every Sunday 1oI
many a year. He'd known Mary Math'
ers since she was born, an when she
vas n little lass he'd nursed her on has
knee. an told her he'd wait for her.
dare say he meant it in fun at the tine
hut, 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 Nathers her father, fell
III. an I learnt afterwards, an l guessed
even then, that John Wright made his
wares keep four instead of one. Mary's
father never worked again. He was CT
his back for IS months, an then he died
can then, you may be sure, John was
q father to the fatherless, an husband
"a the widow-as far as lookin' after
'en went. at any rate-only he wanted
20 be q husband to the daughter, Mary
Of course. I learnt this bit by bit, an
can't help film in things as come tt
my ears years after, for John was never
the man TO blow his own trumpet. Ha
ia! lie was well contentwi' the steam
7xhistle-espccially when passin' Rail
way cottage. Poor John!
"Well. to cut long story short, Mary
semed to make 10 objection. Why
should She? She'd never met anybody
she liked better, an q finer fellow thar
John Wright never walked! He got hel
10 promise to light the lamp in the room
WI the red blind, on dirk nights, as h
uaased on his engine, an to give him
wave OF her hand On light nights, for he
said 1t was somthin' to be goin' on with
Ike; he'd q touch o sentiment in him
Had John, aye, he had THAT!
"Ouo Saturday night ne says: Harry
you'd better walk DER WI me to-mor
row"
"eWalk DER WI you says; where?
"'Why, to Mrs. Mathers', to be sure
I'd like YOU to know my Mary. An Their
you can tell me what YOU think of my
sweetheart An as he said it that sweet
far-of look came in his face, an knew
he loved that lass as few lasses arr
loved.
"WelI. I went; an I wished at The
time I'd stayed away. 1t was love al
first sight Wi me. an I felt shoulf
ncver.ncver be the same again. God for
gf me! but after that Sunday felt a
times I hated John Wright. When sht
stood ut the stile, at the crossing MD
way between the cottage an the signal
boX-as she did every evenin' from TIT
very day I went WI John-an' waves
her hand to him, bashful-like, an h
threw her clumsy kiss, felt coul'
mo- knocked him off the engine.
81 fought again it-ar', you mus
understand, I didn't feel that way al
the time, for we were good friends, an
10 one would have seen a difference
hut when he talked of her, in his qu1e