Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1907-03-06

tnlnB dDOuI-lt Slrutk IiIn, as IL Su w
me, all in a heap. He couldn't say
word. His eyes went out the window
into the mountains; something in
looked like fate. For my part, ! fel
murder guilty.
What l want you to do, Dave add
eL Bucks evenly, lis to come into tho
of.en here with me and look after thu
train crews. Just at present I've got I'd
lean considerably on a trainmaster|
Do you want the job?"
The silent conductor turned to stone.
1.-THE men who own the road are new
men, Dave. They didn't steal 1t, they
bought 1t and paid for ii. They want
new deal, and they propose to give
new deal to the men. They will PAY
salaries a man cal live on honestly
they will give no excus for knocking
down. they want what's coming I'd
them. and they propose the men shall
have their right share of it in the pay
checks.
But there's more than that in It'd
force. as fast as it can be built. FROM
the men in the ranks. l aim to mako
a start now on this division. If you'rd|
with me hang up your coat here the
1st of the month and take the train
crews
Dave left the Office groggy. The best
Bucks could do he couldn't get a posi-
tive answer out of him. He was over1
come and couldn't focus on the proposal
ton. Bucks saw how he had gone I'd
pieces and managed automatically I'd
leave the matter open, Callahan, whom
Bucks had brought with him as asf
s%istant. filling in meanwhile as train
master.
The matter was noised. 1t was known
most capable of the old guard. had
been singled out, regardless of his past
record. for promotion. I'm not herd
sitting in Judgment on what was dond
last year." Bucks had said plainlyl
Its what is done this year and next
that will count in this Office And the
conductors, thinking there was Al
chance. believing that at last If they
did their work right they would get
their share of the promotions. began td
carry their lanterns as If they had
more important business than holding
up stray fares.
Meantime Dave hung to his rum
Somehow the old run had grown a part
of him, and he couldn't give it upl
When he told Bucks at the end of the
week that he would like another week
to make his decision the superintend1
ent waved it to him. Everybody began
to make great things of Dave. Some of
the boys called him trainmaster and
told him to drop his punch and give
Tommie a show.
He didn't take the humor the way
one would expect. Always silent, hd
grew more than that-somber and del
jected. We never saw a smile on his
face. Dave is off" muttered Henry
Cavanaugh, his old baggageman. n
don't understand it. He's off. You
ought to talk to him, Tommie. You'rd
the only man en- the division can do it,
l vas ordered west tbunu
bring a military special
Akl ifa Logo eh hgRi Sleeper vas Ioaded
light, and when Dave had worked thu
train and walked into the stateroon
to sort his collections | followed him
We sat half an hour alone and undid
turbed, but he wouldn't talk. 1t was
heavy train and the wind was high.
We made Rat River after midnigh
and l was still sitting alone in I'll
open stateroom when l saw Dave
green light coming down the darkend
aisle. He walked in, put his lamp on
the floor, sat down and threw his feet
on the cushions.
Flows Tommie tonight?' he asked,
leaning back as il he hadn't seen me
before, in his old teasing way. He
played light heart sometimes, but 1t
was no more than played; that was
easy seeing.
the window shade and looked out.
There was a moon, and the night was
bright, only windy.
"What are you going to do with
Bucks, Dave?"
do you want my punch, Tommie?"
"You know better than that, don't
your
81 guess So"
you're blue tonight. What's the mat
teri" He shifted, and it wasn't like
him to shift.
"I'm going to quit the West End"
"Quit? What do you mean? You're
not going to throw over this trainmas-
ter offer?"
I'm going to quit. What's the use?"
he went on slowly. "How can l take
charge of conductors, talk to conduct
ors? How can I discharge a conductor
for stealing when he knows I'm a thief
myself? They know it; Bucks knows
it. There's no place among men for a
thief"
"Dave, you take it too hard. Every
thing ran wide open here. You're the
best railroad man on this division; ev-
erybody, old and new, admits that"