Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-05-22
NUMBER q.

It was different. Two extra Offices
were now assigned to HALEY, and be
took his place with those who sported
windows and cuspid0rs-in word, had
departments In the service. Old Denis
HALEY went very near crazy. He re-
signed rs section boss and took place
at smaller wages In the bridge carpen-
ter's gang SO he could work on the
boys bridge, and Ed Peeto, savage
with responsibility. strutted around the
Wickiup like cyclops.
For a wOAder the bridge material
came in fast. the Spider stuff first. aud
early in the summer HALEY, very quiet,
and Peeto. very profane, with all and
several their traps and slaves and be-
longngs, moved into construction head.
quarters at the Spider, and the first
air lock ever sunk west Of the Missouri
closed over the heads of tall HALEY and
big Ed Peeto. Like swarm OF ants
the bridgeworkers cast the refuse up
out Of the Spider bed. The blowpipes
never slept; night and day the sand
streamed from below, and Hailcy's
caissons. like armed cruisers, sunk foot
by foot toward the rock. BY the midi
die Of September the masonry was
crOwding high water mark and the fol-
lowing Saturday HALEY and Peeto ran
back to Medicine Bend to rest up bit
and get acquainted with their families.
Pecto was so deaf he couldn't hear
himself swear, and HALEY looked rag
ged and thin. like the old depot. but
immensely happy.
Sunday morning counted little even
then in the mountains. 1t was ut least
a day to get your feet on the tables Up
In Bucks office ana smoke Cal!ahan's
tobacco, which was enough to make
q man bless Callahan IL he did forget
his Maker. Sunday mornings Bucks
would get out the dainty. pearl handled
WostenhoIm that Lillienfeld. the big
San Francisco spirit shipper. left an
nually for him at the Bend. and open
the X. X. B. mail and read tie news
aloud for the benefit Of Callahan and
HALEY and such hangers on rs Pecto
and an occasional stray dispatcher.
"Hcllo" exclaimed Bucks. chucking
a nine inch official manila under the
table. Here's general Order-No.
~
The boys drew their briers like one.
Bucks read out lot Of stuff that
didn't touch our end, and then lie read
this paragraph:
"rhe mountain and the intermoun.
tain divisions are hereby consolidated
under the name Of tho mountain di-
vision, with J. +. Bucks rs superin-
fcndent. headquarters ut Medicine
BEND. c. T. Callahan Is appointed as
s!stant superintendent Of the new Gi-
vision"
Good boy~ roared Ell Pecto, strain
ing his ears.
well. well. well" said HALEY. open
hg his eyes, there's promotions right
and left"
H. p. Agnew is appointed superin'
tendent of bridges Of the new division
with headquarters at Omaha. vice l.. c.
Haley" Bucks read on. with some 1T
tie surprise growing into shock. Then
he read fast. looking for some further
mention Of lIaiiey-lIailey promoted.
transferred. assigned-but there was
no further mention Of HALEY in gen.
eral order No. II. Bucks threw down
the order In silence. Ed Peeto broke
out first.
"Who's II. =. Cancer
"Agnew."
when the deuce Is he:" rOared Ed.
Nobody answered: nobody knew. Bucks
attempted to talk: Callahan lit his pipe,
but Ed Peet0 stared ut HALEY like a
drunken man.
did you hear thatT he snorted at
his superior.
HALEY nodded.
"You're ortw stOrmed Peeto
HALEY nodded. The bridge foreman
took his pipe from his mouth and dash.
ed It into the stove. He got up and
stamped across to the window and was
like to have sworn the glass out before
HALEY spoke.
TN CAD we're up to high water at
the Spider. Bucks" said he ut last.
when they get In the Peace river
work the division will run itself for
year"
"Iailey," Bucks spoke slowly. Il
doa't need to tell you what | think, do
T? It's shame. But it's what I've
said for a ycar-nObody ever knows
what Omaha will do next"
HALEY rose to his feet. where you
going, Phil?' asked Bucks.
"Going back to tie Spider on No. 2"
Not going back this morning. Why
don't you wait for No. 4 tonight:" sug'
gcsted Bucks.
ed" HALEY raised his voice at the
foreman, will you get those stay
bolts and chuck them into the baggage
car for me on No. .? I'm going
over to The house for IL minute he
forgot to answer Bucks. They knew
what It meant. lie was bracing him.
self to tell the folks before he left
them. Preparing to explain why lie
wouldn't have the Sunday ut home
with the children. Preparing to tell
the wife-:md tie old man-that lie
was out. Out of the railroad system he
had given hi; life to help build up ana
make what it was. Out Of the position
he had climbed to by studying like q
hermit and working like Il hobo. Out
without criticism or allegation or rea-
son-simply. like dog. out.
Nobody at the Wickiup wanted to
hear the telling over Mt the cottage;
nobody wanted to imagine the scene.
As No. 2's mellow chime whistle
rolled down the gorge they saw
Haley coming out OF his house. his
wife looking after him and two little
girls tugging ut his arms as he hurried
along; old Denis behind. his head
down, carrying the boys shabby valise,
trying to understand why the blow had
fallen.
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