Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-15

was rushing toward the house, calling
"Bendigot'
A moment later Joe heard an urgent 'Sjck
I'M, I'm boy followed by a rushing, growing.
which told him that Dave had set the dog
on him But Joe wasn't one of the slow
sort who court the daughter of an irascible
old raiiroader, without first getting solid
with the dog. As popular report credited
Bennigo with a collection of samples from
the fair Annie's would-be admirers Joe had
been iorewarned. When Bendigo came
tearing through the gate his wrfnkled muz-
zie. cleaning fangs and erect name. eIO-
quent Of his Intentions he found nobody
there but his very good friend Joe HaYi-
day Joe soothed his disappointment with
scraps from his dinner pail. patted the great
head affectiorate,y and resumed his home
ward course-vOwing to get square with old
Dave. if he had to steal Annie bodily.
IN the meantime. poor Annie went about
heF work with dropping head. her long
lashes daintily brushing her flushed checks.
accepting in silence her fathers caustic
Yltuperauons- so that's what all that
eXtry whistlin's fer. down here at the yard
blcck. hey? Thought twas for his mother
70 have his breakfast ready" grunted
Dave, who knew thing or two himself
II now became impossible for the lovers
TO meet, except when Joe came in on
Dawes day out: but when that combina-
ton occurred, strain was put upon the
gate hinges. and the blue eyes and the
brown ones drank in each others meaning
their feet.
Joe pleaded his cause with the eloquence
OF desperation, there We're no little BROTH
ers or sisters to be cared for: nobody at
ali but old Dave And he pictured in
glowing COlors the contrast between this
and the life she would lead as his wife in
the handsome cottage just being complet-
ed. near the church.
But her unvarying answer delivered in
that monOtonOus tone which sounded to
Joe like the wall of utter hOpelessness,
was: can't; on, Joe, can't! Not
while father lives. Who but me could get
along with him? Please don't ask me-
dear"
And so two fond hearts rnourned
Joe proposed tackiing the old man him
self. boldly demanding his daughter
hand: but Annie begged him not to inperil
what little comfort she had In life. To his
suggestion that She might be able to talk
her father over, she replied that she had
never known him 10 recede from position
he had once taken. So they were obliged
to content themselves with such clandes-
tine meetings as they could get, though
they found them far from satisfactory.
Ola Dave had run one side of the steam
boat express for years. and he tyrannized
over his partner, easy-going Harry Joyce
as he did over everybody else. Dave own
I'd the engine. and everything pertaining
10 her; there no disputing that In
the big blizzard Of IS poor Harry stayed
with her in snowdrift for thirty-siX
hours. and went home and died Of pneu-
Everybody said il was a happy release
Joe Halliday, being the senior freight en-
gireer, was promoted to the vacancy. Here
was combination with vengeance, Joe
would much have preferred that ii had
been somebody elses turn for passenger
train. Annie was thrown into state of
mind, and all hands on the road kept their
ears metaphOrlCauy inclined for the eXplo-
sion. Dave said nothing. and nobody had
the temerity to ask his opinion.
There was one enormous gain, anyway;
Joe and Dave were never at home on the
same day: consequently the proverbially
rocky road of true love Immediately as
stunned a smoothness most delightful. With
Dave 40 miles up the road. The young
couple felt safe in deserving the gate in
favor of the parIor.
The steamboat train was always late.
On this end. the steamers delayed it any
where from ten 10 thirty minutes, and, of
course. lots OF things can happen to lay
out fast eastbouEd train between Chicago
and tidewater Dave had always opposed
tearing the engine TO pieces and burning
coal 10 make up an extra five minutes. So
poor Harry--for the sake of peace-had
always run just as Dave told him to. But
Joe ambitious. old fegy notions had no
charms foe him. He began making changes
at once He keyed her up all round took
up lost motion all over her. started Up the
feed on the oil cups. crawlcd into the front
end and did things 10 the diaphragm and
nozzle. and swedged open the meshes of the
spark netting to let her breathe. He got
the valves reset. by promising to stand be-
tween the roundhouse foreman and cranky
Dave. He familiarized himself with and
mastered her pet vices. spread the light to
the conductors. enthused the fireman and
went for a new record.
Joe said nothing TO Annie Of the new