Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-04-09

rheumatic order, and George played
the dutiful son to him in way that
would astonish the young men or TO-
day.
Somehow, nobody knew exactly how,
George had managed to pick up a
good education, and he had polished 1t
off, so to speak, by a two years course
at a commercial college.
Kirke began on the Sandy Hill rail
road when he was about twenty-one
or two years old. First, he was brake
man. This railroad business is regu
lar succession, and, generally speak
ing, a man has to work his way up
1t isn't often that he pats "'c"@ "r ~
tho disnity OF Il 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 bandboxes
in their arms, struggle out, as they
may, while he is engaged in talking
to q man."
George did his duty so well that he
was soon promoted to fireman, after
he 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 1t you may well believe.
The true engineer. who is out-and.out
for the business, and feels his respon
sibility, takes as much pride in his
engine as the jockey does in his ia
yorite race-hOrse, and would sit uT
nights, or neglect his sweetheart, tc
keep the brasses and tilagree Of his
machine so you can see your face II
'em.
There was another man wanted
Georges chance. There's generally
more than one after paying job.
Jack Halliday had been waiting fol
some time to be engineer Of the Fly
away, and when he lost it he was mad
enough to pull his hair. He was g
brakeman, likewise, and had been OF
the road full two years longer thar
Kirke, and it would seem that the
chance really belonged to him, but hi
was quarrelsome, disagreeable fel
low, with independence enough to SCI
an emperor up in business and still
have some Of the original stock left.
When Jack realized that George hat
got the inside track of him, his anger
was at white heat. He cursed Kirke
intendenD and things generally.
There was more than one thing
which made Jack Halliday clown on
George Kirke. George had been his
rival in many respects, and particular
ly where the fairer parts of creation
was concerned George was grent
favorite 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 G
man.
Well, 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
is 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 if we thought OF
the matter at ALL We concluded we
had wronged Halliday by our suspic
ions.
1t was dark night in November
with considerable fog in the air, and
strong appearance of rain.
I was at Golosha, the northern ter
minus of our road, looking after some
repairs on a defective boiler, and ]
was going down to New York on the
seven-thirty train-Kirke's train.
About seven there came a telegram
from Whately, whose summer resi-
dence was nearly midway between
Golosha and New York, and the old fel
low had not yet forsaken it for the
city. The telegraph operator was at
work, and read it to him. Kirke made
note of it, and put it in his pocket
book:
PAY train on the line-will meet
you just west of Leeds-at ten-ffteen
Squirt on the siding at behring's Cut
and wait. Whately."
Kirke's watch hung on nail beside
the clock. 1t was fancy of his al
ways to hang it there when he was of
train, so that he could make no mis-.
take in the time.
He glanced at the clock, and from il
to his watch. Both indicated the same
hour, SEVENTEEN.
"Seven-tifteen," said Kirke, medita.
lively, land we leave at seven-fifty
and the pay train meets us at Deer.
ing's Cut, at ten-fifteen. Scant time
to make the run in this thick weather
but it must be managed"
And he turned away to give some
orders to the fireman.
Jack Halliday was there! he had been
strolling in and out of the room for
the past half hour, smoking a cigar,
and swearing at the bad weather.
The train did not leave until near mid
night, so he had plenty of time to find
fault.
We all went to the door and took a
look at the weather, and unanimously
voted it bad. and then walked up and
down the platform and smoked our
after-supper cigars, and when we were
through it was time for the train
hands to be getting into their places.
Both the clocks in the engine.room and
Kirke's watch indicated seven-forty.
Kirke was putting his watch in his
pocket as he said:
Garth, are you going With me on
the Flyaway?'
mo, thank ye," said l; 81 get enough
OF that sort of thing in every day
life. ] am to do a little swell bust.
ness tonight, and take passage in a
palace car. Want to rest my back.
Goodnight to you. and hold her well