Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05

things that sped it along the rails. IN this
hope thu dog had made his energetic. If re-
suItIess race every day for three months,
and that he was encouraged, if not abet-
ted by Mrs. OHearn herself. was county
gossip.
\ year after Mrs OHearn's husband had
beer snatched from the field of toll, she
lost the companions hip and nOurishing
daily gift of her only cow. That the dou-
hle calamity distressed her was not phe-
I0menal. but the departure of Michael
- Hearn was within the number OF things
recOuCilahle since the movements of ProVi-
drrce are to be accepted without question
and are. indeed, but instances of the ex-
pected Mrs O'Hearn, faithfully and no.
toriously religious person. resigned herself
L. the simple hope that Michael was to be
met in another country The taking of OF
the cow left no such solace, since its spir-
icual future did not concern her.
From the day the engine of the Sunrise
Limited swept the animal in all literalness
from the face of the earth-it had been ra-
Their foolishly Investigating the nutritious
qualities of cinders-Mrs. OHearn faced a
world that appeared to be Singularly I'M
svmpathetfc Where it had condoled with
her in her first bereavement, it merely
smiled over her second. Obviously, IN the
eyes OF the community, the least fitting
place for a cow 10 browse was in the line
OF lightning express. The station agent
a. Exeter intimated as much when Mrs.
O'Hearn called upon him and depicted.
with admirable detail, the circumstances of
Law the matter before the proper officials,
but this concession came only after her
angry insistence had shown him the folly
OF attempting to pass lightly over her loss,
and after she had somewhat freely given
voice TO her opinions of himself and the
company he modestly represented. When
the conversation prolonged to the point or
tedum TO the station agent, he closed the
ticket window and retreated to the bag
gage room. she withdrew. reiterating her
sentiments throughout the town
week later she came again, and her
visit left memories of life. color and &C
ton. She demanded to know whether the
equivalent had been sent. The equivalent.
She had somewhat exactly figured. was
S=tIIrthis itemization including $i9 Tor
COW and Il cents for the purchase of milk
Thrice weekly from neighbor. Her fol-
lowing visit disclosed fully close calcu-
Iat!oE. for the equivalent had mounted TO
Sl.,;n and Il was plain to the agent that
her arithmetic carried with II rules OF In
ter - and equity that would never be &C
cepted By the company even II II deigned
10 recogr iZe her claim for the cow itself.
On this occasion. and on many occasions
thereafter. he. mentally convinced that his
prevarication would not outlive his tenure
OF office. asserted that only the president
of the road had authority in the matter of
destroyed cows and having made 1t clear
10 her that her claim had been duly for
ward-d. besought her TO follow methods
less spectacular and to exercise some pa
thence AT the same time he expressed his
grief that she should select a mere minien
OF the great corpOrdtion-who had III him
SELF no power OF reStitution-tO make the
object Of her expressions OF disapprOval
For 10y this time the agent was annoyed
over sundry sallies OF village wit that eX-
pended itself in soIicitous inquiries regard
ing the visits of Mrs. O'Hearn.
Having so frankly thrown himself on heI
mercy. he made a personal truce with the
lady, but each week a new bill was pre-
scented with its accumulation of figures, to-
gether with verbal expressions of disregard
Tor the president Of the company and his
lax methods OF business. During the in
term and while on her own acres. Mrs
OHearn had melted her watch dog to man.
ifestations Of violence as. In dumb show
She shook one very red fist In the direction
OF each passing train Quick to observe
and with the rare wisdom Of the dog Me
odsmus conceived that loyalty TO his mis-
treSs demanded some outward expression
his own part. and that these noisy and
disturbing monsters. hitherto unnotieed
were by some process of reasoning con-
sdered enemies to the house. And he too
missed the COW. for her absence left moth
ing in particular To be barked at
A first the efforts of Nicodemus amused
the freight crews, who threw Jumps of coal
at him. This was to the advantage of Mrs.
OHearn. since coal was a luxury. and the
daily performance resulted In a small meas
ure of the precious fuel to add to her store
OF wood. She began to wish, indeed, that
the attention of the passenger engineers
might be equally attracted, and that their
resentment might take the same form.
After a time. however. and from long IA
niiiarity, the sport ceased to interest the
passing trainmen. and but for occa-
sional missile the dog barked without pur-
pose. although he never relaxed his en-
deavors. The flight Of time brought no
spirit OF charity to overcast the bitterness
o. Mrs. O'Hearn- and It was quite BY way