The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-06-25
THE ENGINEERS RIVAL.
BY ALFRED Ii. COOPER.

very engine old John Wright used to
drive when | was his stoller. Let me see
I've been drivin' three year-aye, it'll
he ten year come next September. He
was fine figure of a man, was John. He
stood six foot one an half in his stock
ms, an was broad in the shoulders,
too. In his greasy peaked cap, an oily
blue jacket, he looked Il giant. He was a
queer 'un. ! used to tell him he needed
IA wife to look after him. Ha! ua, He
always made his tea, wi water out q
tn engine boiler, an when L laughed at
him, he'd slap me on the back, an say:
What's good for the horse is good for
the rider, Harry He was a rare old
Sort
WAS he an old man?"
''Oh. no; he'd be forty-odd, ] suppose,
but | was a young man of e3, an he
seemed Old, like, to me. AS Eve said, he
was a bachelor, an, as far as | 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
Iookin' for somethin'. l asked him once
or twice what il WAS, but he edged me
off. an changed the subject, so didn't
press it. But | kept my eyes open
1t was early winte er when l first went
on to stoke for John, an, of course, helm
goods train, il was generally gettin' on
for eight o'clock at night when we
PASSED this partic'lar spot, bound for
I2., n l. L
as | 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 n heavy freight. But all
could make out for some months was
the dim outline of cottage, that had
an upstairs window with red blind
The cottage kay couple O fields away
What made me notice the red blind was
that. as we passed, the window was al
ways suddenly lighted up
AYE. an 50 was John Wright's face
soon as ever he saw it. Such smile.-
an he had a kind face, had old John
an then he'd seem lost bit, as if he
were thinkin' % somethin' as was good
To think about.
Il couldn't make il out, for YOU see l
Looked on John as a mUksty, cruSty old
bachelor. for all he were such a good
sort. But the light nights let the secret
cut. 1t were no use OF his keepan' his
tongue tied then; for there. in tn little
front garden, across them two little
fields, was a pink frOck, an a sun-bon-
net. an a Iittle hand flutterin' bit of a
hankychief as we passed-eyeTy night,
as true as the clock.
Il chaffesi John rarely about it, first
time L saw it, an he blushesi-he did,
Indeed, siri Though his face was grimy
on the top, and coppercolo under thai,
I'll swear he blushed. But he looked
pleased an proud, for, by that time,
wed grown such thick friends, that I'm
sure he didn't mind me KNOWN
Then, bit 10y bit. il. all came out.
John and her father. who used to be
pointsman at Chubb Junction, half a
mile farther up the line than the cot
IaSe had been kBls together. John had
gone up for a camp every Sunday for
many Il year. He'd known Mary. Mash-
erS since she was born. an when she
was "A little lass he'd nur~ed her on his
knee an told her he'd wait for her. |
dare say he meant it in fun at the time,
hut. as she grew up. he knew he liked to
bC where she wsls better than anywhere
else in the world. That's how he put il,
sir. Then Tom MatherS. her father, fell
i'll. an learnt afterwards. an | guessed
even then. that John Wright made his
wares keep four inst cad of one. Mary's
father never worked again He was on
his back for ! ; months. an then he died
AN then. YOU may be sure, John wsis
a father to the fatherless. an "a husband
To the widow-sfs far as lookin' after
'cm went. at any r1te-only he wanted
;u he husband to the daughter, Mary.
OF course. | learnt this bit by bit. an /
can't help film in things rs come tO
my ears years after, for John was never
the man TO blow his own trumpet. Ha,
Ia, He was we'll content WI the steam
whistle-especially when passin' Rail
way cottage. Poor John!
We'll to cut a long story short. Mary
seemed 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 ni;Nhts. as he
passed on his engine. an to give him a
wave of her hand on light nights, for he
said it was somthin' to be coin' on with.
Ike: he'd a touch % sentiment in him.
had John. aye, he had that,
''One Saturday night ne says: Harry.
you'd better walk DER wi me to-mor-
row"
walk DER wi you I says; where ~
WHY, to Mrs. Mathers'. to he sure.
I'd like you to know my Mary. An then
you can tell me what you think of my
sweetheart An as he said IL hat sweet.
far-ofr look came in his face, an / knew
ne loved that lass as few ksses are
loved.
''WelI. / went: an / wished at the
time I'd stayed away. II WAS love ut
first sight wi me, an / felt | should
never never be the same again God for
g. me, but after that Sunday l felt at
times hated John Wright. When she
stood at the Stile. at the crossing mid
way between the cottage an the signal
box-as she did every evenin' from the
very day / went wi John-an' waved
her hand To him. bashfuI-like. an he
threw her a clumsy kiss. I felt | could
hn' knocked him off the engine
Il fought again it-an', You must
understand. l didn't feel fha1 way all
the time, for we were good friends, an
no one would have seen 4 difference;
but when he talked of her, in his quiet
yNsay-of bein' wed. an suchlike-it
WAS like knives in me.
Then he pressed me to go again an
spend a Sunday at the cottage. i pat
him off, but he wouldn't take no for an
answer. So. whether for fear of hurtin'
his feelinis. or because | couldn't keep
away, | can't say. but | Welded an