The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-04-08

I!Sl ll9ll his mother was dead. HIS
father was confirmed invalid oi tne
rheumatic order, and George played
The dutiful son 10 him in way that
would astonish the young men OF 10
day.
Somehow. nobody knew exactly how,
George had managed TO pick up
good education. and he had polished IL
of. 80 TO speak, by two years course
at commercial college.
Kirke began on the Sandy IlilI rail
road when he was about twenty y-one
or two years old First he was brake
man. This railroad business is regu-
lar succession, and, generally speak
ing. a man has 10 work his way up.
II isn't often that he gets right up TO
the dignity OF "A conductor at one step
with the privileges OF helping all the
good looking and well dressed ladies
out OF the cars, and letting the homely
ones with the babies and bandbOEcs
in their arms struggle out, az they
may. while he is engaged in talking
10 a man"
George did his duty so well that he
WAS soon promoted to fireman, aitef
ne had learned the working OF the ma
chine, he was made engineer and given
an engine.
This engine was one Of the newest
and the best on the line, and was
called the Flyaway, and George was
proud of il you may well believe.
The true engineer, who is Out-and-out
for the business, and feels his rcspon-
sibiity, takes as much pride in his
engine as the jockey does in his IA
yorite race. horse, and would sit up
nights or neglect his sweetheart to
keep the brasses and tlagrcc Of his
machine so you can see your face ia
'em.
There was another man wanted
Georges chance There's generally
more than one after paying job.
Jack Halliday had been waiting for
come time TO be engineer of the Fly
away. and when he lost ii ne was mad
enough to pull his hair lie was n
brakeman. likewise, and had been on
the road full two years longer than
chance really belonged TO him, but he
was a quarrelsome, disagrecable fel-
low. with independence enough to set
an emperor up in business and still
have some of the original stock left.
When Jack realized that George had
got the inside track Of him, his anger
was at a white heat. He cursed Kirke
the company old Whately Uhe super
intendent and things generally.
There was more than one thing
which made Jack Halliday down on
George Kirkc. George had been bis
rival in many respects and particular
ly where the farer parts Of creation
was concerned. George was n great
fayorite with the ladies. for he was
handsome, generous and gOod.natured,
and Jack was sarcastic, always on the
contrary side, and the girls avoided
him as they always should such a
man.
Wen. all expected that i'll would
come TO George from Jacks bad blood
against him. and we warned him more
than once; but he always laughed
and reminded us Of the old saying
that barking dogs never bite which
il true in the main.
And as the time went on, until two
three. four months had passed since
Kirke's promotion. and nothing had OC
cured. we forgot all about our appre
tensions of evil and il we thought o'
the matter at all. we concluded w
had wronged Halliday 10y our suspic
ions.
1t was dark night in November
with considerable fog in the air, an'
strong appearance Of rain.
was at Golosha. the northern ter
minus OF our road. looking after SOM
repairs on defective boiler, and
was going down TO New York on III
seven-thrty train-Kirke's train.
About seven there came a TELEGRAM
from Whately. whose summer res
dence was nearly midway betwee
Golosha and New York, and the old fe
low had not yet forsakcn il for IN
city. The telegraph operator was q
work, and read il TO him. Krke mad
note of it, and put it in his pock,
book:
PAY train on the linc-will me,
you just west of Leeds-at ten-iiftcel
Squirt on the siding at Decring's Gu
and wait Whately."
Kirke's watch hung on nail besi,
the clock. IL was a fancy of his 9
ways to hang IL there when he was q
a train. so that he could make no mi
take in the time
He glanced at the clock. and from
10 his watch. Both indicated the sar
hour. SEVENTEEN.
"Seven-flfteen," said Kirke. medit
lively. "and we leave at SEVENTH
and the pay train meets us at De,
ing's Cut, az ten-ffteen. Scant tiI
10 make the run in this thick wealth
but il must be managed"
And he turned away 10 give sol
orders 10 the fireman.
Jack Halliday was there! he had be
strolling i'm and out of the room
the past half hour. smoking n Gig
and swearing at the bad wealth
The train did not leave until near m
night, so he had plenty of time TO I
fault.
We all went 10 the door and tool
look at the weather. and unanimou
voted il bad. and then walked up {
down the platform 'ands smoked
after-supper cigars. and when we W
through il was time for the n