Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-04-09
LOVE In A FREoHET.
a RAILROAD MAN TELLS or HOW HIS
ARDoR WAS COOLED.
A Romance That Couldn't Survive In niue
Jeans and Gum Boots-An Agent Who
Had Qualities That Soon Brought Him
Promotion.

-
. No AAAs eou'un .''a
Jeans and Gum Boots-An Agent Who
Had Qualities That Soon Brought Him
r,r,r,,t,,,v,
Fright here, at this placid spot in the
historic Delaware valley said Colonel J.
p. McCann, travelling passenger agent of
the Missouri Pacific Railway company, as
the Erie train was approaching Callicoon,
II hadaan adventure that for time prom
Used to leave vacancy in the passenger
service of my company. 1t happened when
was somewhat younger than am now
and had right to be moved by the cir
oumstance that led to the adventure.
1.-THE lady In the case was visiting at
the house of friend of mine up the state
when / met her. She was charming girl,
and when she started home week or SO
later got permission from her to call and
see her at her fathers house
1--WE live near Callicoon, she said.
DO you know where Callicoon Isl?
81 knew where Callicoon was and If
hadn't known where Cailicoon was I'd
have soon found out A month passed be-
fore / had an opportunity to make the
call, and then, having business along tho
Erie road, stopped off at Callicoon.
Charley Newman was agent Of the Erie at
Callicoon. | asked Charley, in careless,
offhand, businesslike sort of way, If he
knew where Mr. So-andso lived.
Certainly said Charley. He's one
of the best farmers around here. Amt
going west, is he?'
'''Well, said !, l don't know. He's
been writing about land along our line.
II want to know, said Charley. First
I'd heard of it. Sorry. Why, yes, Joe. He
lives only couple of miles from here.
81 didn't know Charley as well then as
did afterward don't wonder now that
his company jumped him from ticket agent
at that backwoods station to city passen-
ger agent at Jersey City.
"'Where'll l get a rig to drive to the
old mans placer said l.
Charley showed mo where to get rig,
and when it was ready got in the buggy
and started.
Hold on, said Charley. 1t amt that
way. It's over yonder on the Pennsyl-
vania side of the river.
"'Oh, said l. Where's the bridge?'
There amt any bridge, said Charley
You ford the river
81 looked at the river, which WASH t fer
away. Fording rivers wasn't exactly in
my line, but what was a little matter of
fording a river in comparison with the cir
cumstances that had called me thither? |
thought of Leander and what he did once
upon timo and said, 'Geedap.'
1.-THE horse started
Let him pick his own way, the liv-
eryman hollered after me. Don't pull the
lines on him. He knows the path
"tThe rivers up little, Joe, hollered
Charley. But it amt more than an or
binary freshet, / guess.
81 have to confess that for moment l
wished that hadn't stopped over at Calf
coon, but put such a base thought aside
at once and went on. The road led straight
into the river, and tho horse went conf
IDENTIFY forward. We were half way across
and the water wasn't up to the horses
knees. Then it began to rise higher. 1t
kept on rising 1t covered the hubs of the
wagon, The horses legs were Ont of sight
1t came into the wagon. stood up on the
seat. 1t reached nearly to the top of the
horses back.
"The light buggy began to float. /
climbed over the dashboard and got on the
horses back, determined to cling to him
to the last. The water covered the horse
grabbed him round the neck. The water
rose to his ears Then only his nose was
out, and that was out only because bo
raised his head to get it out. And he was
swimming. Tho shore was vet q long way
off. Then it was that momentarily won
dered who would be nv successor in office
and was thankful that there would be no
widow TO mourn my untimely taking off.
Just as | had fully made up nv mind that
the golden shore was the only shore I'd
reach, and that I'd reach that one within
the next minute or SO. the horse struck
bottom, ard we were soon high, but not
dry, on PENNSYLVANIA soil. l tumbled OF
the horse, soaked through and through
from. head to foot l had scarcely GOT IN
the ground when 1 heard, coming from a
distance:
=" Hell loco, JOEL
az turned and looked back across the
river. There stood Charley Newman on
the bank, holding his hands to his mouth
like a speaking trumpet.
"'I forgot to tell YOU he hollered
shat guess she amt home. l think she
went east on No. this morning.
"Then Charley turned and went back
to the station and never looked round at
me once. 1t would take too much time
and require the reproduction of language
out of place in drawing room car to tell
you what my feelings were and how l
gave expression to them for few minutes
on the shore of that flowing river. BY and
by concluded that the best thing l could
do would be to drive on to the farmers,
stay there incognito until | could get my
clothes dry and then return by some other
route if it took me the whole week to do it,
"'I'm glad she ism It home, l said. I'm
a fine looking ohump to visit a lady, 1
ann
81 soon reached the house and was about
to holler for the farmer or the hired man
when from the other side of the road came
this:
"'Why, Mr. McCannl Did you fall INF?
OF course needn't tell you that the
voice was hers. She hadn't gone away
that morning on No G at all. Did / fall
inS No, but felt just that minute as if