The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-09-08

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orders or clearance aud tell the hind
man to give 'cm the sign and sauntev
back to the caboosc before they got TO
rolling But to have seen the nnlma
tion with which he swung himself
ahoari the ppy car would huvc created
the Impression that he was the only
working railroad man on the division
AT his side stalkcd Panhandle Dan,
The engineer. his face actually wreath
ed In smiles. Panhandle Dan had a
chronic Crouch from 1901 a. IN. Jan. l
to II 80 y. m. Dec. 81, except for
three minutes once n month. ON the
way to the pay cnr he always perked
up bit and was even known to crack
n Joke with Old Man Flatwhee After
these two came the hind man talking
necessarily with the fireman. Charles
always was talking that way. He had
an automatic tongue, which never ran
down. Half the time he didn't know
he was talking. Ills was what the
doctors would diagnose ms reflex
conversation. Frank, the fireman. was
the only sober one. He. poor fellow.
was doing sums In arithmetic. trying
to figure out how on earth $500 could
be made to pay all necessary bills for
helpless father and mother. n wife
and four Kids. besides board bills for q
man who was obliged TO be away from
home half the time.
Then there was the operator In
shirt sleeves and carcworn air hoping
he could get back TO his key before
tho dispatcher lost his temper: the
agent. plncidly smiling. and the two
coal hcnvers from the coal shed wish
an expression OF almost human intclli-
gence struggling up through number
less strata of CRIME and wh>hrrs.
After thirty days Of humping over n
scoop shovel in choking smother of
dust they we're now about to he recon-
pcuscd with thirty seconds Of bliss In
which they could fondlc real money
with their own hands. After that the
storckceper would do the fondllug and
feel bad because there wasn't more.
"You had presence Of mind enough
to float into the pay car In the wake
Of others. There were nine In the lit
Tie party. and you knew by experience
That the average time required to pay
nine men was sixty seconds: also that
Morlarity would have 'em rolling be-
fore the last man had scooped his al
lotted coin into his trembling palm
Eut In the presence of death or the
paymastcr one may live an etcrulty
In sixty seconds. How glad you were
that you had not been rude and rushed
In ahead Of anybody. oven the coal
beavers!
Prom the Autographs OF Caroline
Miskel Hoyt on the wall 10 the little
hollows In the hard mahogany counter
worn out 10y the attrition OF the $l2S.-
OOOOO in wages the paymaster had
plunked down on that spot since this
first pay car ever built had been com.
missioned, you kept on absorbing de-
tails until your name was called A
still greater rush OF blood to your head
caused you To gulp violently. Mechan-
ically you lifted your hand to touch
the pen rs the others had done and
turned To go.
"'Here! Come back and get your
money
"When you came out Of your trance
you were standing In the middle Of
the track. your eyes wandering from
some yellow objects In your hand to
nimbus OF smoke and dust which
was Just tipping over the hill TO the
accompaniment OF the dimlnuendo
1utter OF Moriarity's exhaust
But now! oh, well! After you
have washed up on certain day IN
each month you trudge drearily down
to the station all alone, walk In, and
lolling on the counter affect to look
Indifferent md say, Hello, Joint!
And tho agent. after going over n
column Of figures three times. replies.
Hello. Billr and gets up and goes to
the safe and funbles over some papers
and hands you
"a check! No Jokes. no infectious
sprightliness. no uncertainty to put a
wire edge on anticipation, no fieeting
vision Of brass and varnish and opu-
lence wrenthed In a halo OF romance
To leave golden taste In your mouth
for a day. nothing but a measiy old
check handed over commonplace
counter by man who lives next door
| TO you.
why couldn't they have left US the
/ nav CARP