The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-09-02

did | do? Burnt out 4 fuse; that's
all. That might happen to any man
on this up hill, down dale. But that's
the way it's been ever since this man
Harker came up from New York, with
his lockstep ideas Of gon' just so fast
an slow, an devil take the man who
don keep dead on the schedule. Over
the hills TO the
"Of course it comes just at time
when a fellow can't afford the money.
Old woman worse than ever an the
little gal down to York learnin' to be
steenographer, so she kin help out a
little. Got a letter yesterday sayin'
winter cloak would come in mighty
handy, as she feels the weather down
there wuss'n she did up here in the
country. Wonder how Harker would
like it if his gal had to face the winter
in summer duds just because there
is doctor in the house every day an
some days twice, an doctors bill as
long as your arm an CROWN like a
green bay tres? Dash him!
II wish | al Harker on this ere
car tonight. I'd put this old car
down the grade in a way to make his
hair turn white, an I'd lay it to the
ice on the rails
The idea tickled Jim. He put on
the full power just as the car struck
level stretch of track. The great
car bounded forward, and for half a
mile it rocked along the sleety track
at a furious pace, shaking the drowsy
Beemis out of his slumber. But Bee.
mis- was a cautious man. He did not
venture to expostulate with the wild
spirit at the motor.
The rapid motion and the fierce
sweep of the snow laden air seemed to
tighten Jim's spirits greatly.
He was queer combination, daring
to fault, soft hearted as woman. He
liked danger for dangers sake. When
boy, he was leader in those peri.
lous adventures so dear to the boyish
nature.
When he was eighteen there came
great temptation. A young officer
in the army was visiting in Chapel
field jim made his acquaintance.
They went hunting and fishing TO-
cether. The lieutenant told stories
of the wild life in the west, of buffalo
hunts and brushes with Indians. 1t
set tue boys blood aflame and he de-
cided to be a soldier. He would have
gone, too, but his mother was old and
feeble and all alone in the " )rld. She
begged him not to leave her. And
jim, who lavished on her wealth of
rough affection, buried his ambition
and became a railroad man instead
and did his trough riding'-and pref
ty rough riding it was, too, at times
on the tops of freight trains.
Then can; the wife, who was an in
valid faom the time there little girl
was born. This steadied Jim more
than anything which had gone before.
When his daughter was lass Of
twelve, he got % as m >torm IN on
the new trolley line. because it en-
abled him to live at home, and for five
years he had faced the elements on
the front platform: rongh work, this,
but to his taste. His recreation was
the little hose company of volunteer
fireman, of which he was the captain.
This was his safety valve, the outlet
for those reckless qualities which had
given him the sobriquet of "Devil
jim" He drilled his company like
marine and made it one Of the most
efficient in the State.
Give good, hot fire to fight, AMI
Jim was in the seventh heaven of
ecstasy. The little manufacturing
town did not have many of these adj
vertisements, but occasionally there
was a lively blaz'. The population
was rough and careless one, the art
of kinding fires and improving them
with kerosene was not unknown mong
the housewives, the saloons were many
and the liqnor was bad, end as logi-
cal sequence Excelsir Hose got called
out often enough to give its members
a right to call themselve real firemen.
AS for jim, he had "record.' There
was a handsome gold medal among
the treasures OF his little home. 1t
had been given to him for entering a
burning building and saving three
lives at the imminent risk of his
own.
So, you see, Jim Hapgood, "Devil
Jim," was a person of some conse.
quence in Chapelfield. And here was
a stranger Of six months residence