The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-03
\ CAREER AND
ny cu.RI.Es A. BURDICK.

(Copyright 1soo, py baHy ''oAs
 fishing company.)
 Tn to the time he fell in love- asathews was a coming man on ths great e, T. & L. system. All the men racoanize the fact and generally ap- nroved. Railroading nearly encom- nassed the sum of Mathews life. by . flicker of fate when an orphan Tau ha had carried a chain for party or railroad surveyors one season. Hap pening to be born with Wlde-awaNe interest in things near him, and ten, dency to thoroughness, he dld 50 "eh and displayed so much hdeiity anu ih tellirence in his work that he was given a permanent position In the sur yeyors' department. He applied him- self with almost ludicrous industry not only to accomplishing his tasks' hut to studying the science or engl- neering. He became invaluable was repeatedly promoted until while stili . youth he occupied responsible po- sition on the corps of engineers.
 Suddenly he surprised and shocked the department by resigning and talk ing a job firing an engine. All they could get out of him was:
 I'm going to learn the railroad business"
 At first the locomotive engineers ! looked askance at him, but his entire subordination and his unfaillng gooo nature together with his unf1agging industry soon made him a favorite and he soon got his engine. When he got 1t he was ready for it, and he knew it from lever to pilot. Before long the most responsible runs fell to his share and he was forever in demand to make special runs for the directors or to make records.
 Then as suddenly as before he re- as operator in the train despatcher's of ice. He secured a position eventually and here it was that now element came into his life and upset his plans. A train despatchers office seems a strange place for Cupid to choose for a gambol, but the little god did just that thing, and played havoc with the well-ordered plans of MT. Eugene Mathews. It was after he became a full-f1edged despatcher. and was due partly to the fact that Watson, the general superintendent, under whose notice Mathews had come frequently during his gyrations among the differ ent departments of the road, and who appreciated his thorough familiarity with all the branches of the art of railroading. acquired the habit of call ing him in to assist in disentangling those knotty problems which frequent ly arise in the affairs of the best or dered roads. Now, Watsons office was just across the hall from that of Old Atchley, first vice-president and gen. eral manager, and the great man came in frequent contact with the young dispatcher, whose fund of information and clear ideas concerning railroad matters in general, and the c. T. & L. in particular, made most happy i'm pression. It happened also that the new Yellow Hill branch was just be- ing completed and there were many problems in construction and equip ment as well as operation, and Old Atchley found the young man of great use and frequently drafted him for his own service for days at a time.
 Here Is was that Mathews met Miss Grace. only daughter and Ruler of Old Atchley. This young woman had habit of driving down for her father afternoons and bringing him away to dinner in triumph. Frequently when he was busy she was compelled to wait some little time, and 1t was natural that she should find a fine. handsome whiskered young giant in his early thirties more interesting than railroad maps, locomotive catalogues, depot plans and typewritten reports or yes terdays newspaper. So the young wo- man may well be excused for her little friendly talks with the young man. Even if she. exercised some of the arts and blandishments of her sex, is she to be denied the right to sharpen hel weapons and practice her aim when opportunity offers? Not at all. But what excuse can be found for this humble and penniless young train de- spatcher in raising his eyes so high and in losing his heart to one so faI above him in station? Only this-that ne mad seen but few women and had been too busy to learn their ways and their Embellishments. Certainly he never had seen one like this because there was none other such.
 Forsooth the young 1ooI was nor, than half in love with her the rirs time she spoke to him. and a certain trip which he took over the new di vision with the general manager ant general superintendent to look int, criticisms on certain curves and sid tngs. and the construction of a certain brtdges finished him up. For Mis- Grace accompanied her father, as sh frequently did on his trips in his prt Vate car, and this one lasted nearly week, during most of which Mathew really didn't know the difference be tween siding and an abutment, ant his advice regarding mere materIa things was Of no value whatever.
 Before the trip was over the younJ A0O4 poured out ms soul 10 his dlVinit, and, although it quite shocked the lit tie aristocrat, yet so manly and s passionate a declaration from so come ly and so brave young Hercule could not wholly offend any tru daughter of Eve-and if truth be toIt suspect the denoument was not whol ly unexpected by the demure Mis- Grace. Nor was 1t received with tha scorn which was due to the presump tion of mere clerk for daring to as pire to the hand of the Princess. Tn fact Is the Princess had experience several bad half-hours regarding thi same anticipated proposal, and it an open secret that she did not kno- whether she feared most that h would propose or that he would no For youth and courage and passio thrill the malden's heart whether tn suitor wears a claw hammer coat or
 tweed hand
 Alas. this maiden hesitated-an evaded. She ohided his presumption but not in a final way, and he wa left to grope in the dark and wea out his heart in longing and in specl lation after the manner of his kind an condition. This he stood for O fe weeks and then resolved to cast u die. and asked Old Atchley for h daughters hand. Believe 1t or not,
 is true. He walked right into u lions den and gave the lions tail u most severe twist it ever had exper enced. It is a part of the office hi