The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-16
THE EVENING STORY
An in the Family.
(By Lille Wiedeen. }


line to which 1t was a feeder loaned 1t
another engine. and there we're two
trains day each way for the beneht
of the boarders at summer cottages on
Bay Point and the guests at the big
hotel on the shore.
Fallon was also train master, bag
gage and express agent, and the entire
executive force of the road. most of
the l. & ", the trunk line. Sadie Fail
lon was ticket agent and train dis
patcher, and Martin Roadway was not
only engineer of the one locomotive
but was master mechanic, superintend-
ent of rolling stock and most of the
things that Fallon was not. Almost
every one was more than one officer on
the g. & B. s. with the exception of
at FarrelPs. He was Just station agent
of the little flag stop, the station" be-
ing well mown patch OF grass beside
the track in summer and well shovel
ed place in the snow of the winter sea-
SON. The lawn mower and the snow
shovel were Willie's only tools of trade,
but he bore his dignity as seriously as
Gid those who held a multiplicity or
offices Most of the employees of the
road made up in dignity what they
lacked in importance.
Then came the strike. Roadway
lounged into the little station at the
took the engine down to the one stall
roundhouse. Falloh looked up at his
approach.
whats the news down to Green
ville?" he demanded as he reached out
a gnarled hand for the train messages
Roadway had brought.
Nothing much" said Redway indo-
lently. 81 spose you heard that there
was a big strike out west?''
was informed of that fact" said
Fallon with dignity. ~There will be
no trouble this side of Chicago"
Il was calculating to get out that
way this fall" said Roadway, with an
assumption of carelessness that his
twitching lips beiied ."sadie and I
was talking it over. She wants to see
the Yellowstone Park on her wedding
trip"
"And since when have you and Sadie
had it all fixed to get married? Pears
to me that her pa ought to have
something to say about it,
This is where you say" explained
Redway. 1--WE fixed it up last night,
but didn't have time to talk to you
this morning. The engine needed
some f1xin' up
"Well, 1 say mol" was the decided
ter than an engineer when she wants
to get married"
I'm master mechanic, too" re-
minded Roadway, hopefully.
: "Sadie can do better" repeated Fal-
lon as he rose to put some papers in
of his
Redway sat in silence until the safe
was locked and the lights put out.
Then, he followed Fallon out on the
platform. Better think it over" he
advised "I'll ask you again in the
morning"
Redway turned away down one of
the almost deserted streets and Fallon
Stamped angrily in the opposite d.
rection. Not even Sadie realized how
70 of TnEftfnn
as superintendent even of such an I'M
important road as the G. and B. S.
That the daughter of the superinten-
dent should be asked to wed a COM
mon engineer was a thing not to be
heard of. He had no talk with Sadie
on the matter, but as he lay in bed
thinking 1t over his anger grew, and
he became more firm in his determin-
alton not to give his consent.
He was at the station early in the
morning, affecting not to notice how
red Sadie's eyes were from weeping.
As soon as Roadway stuck his head in
to the general office, Fallon began:
"You needn't come in he rasped
out, my mind amt any different from
what 1t was last night"
Roadway grinned and withdrew,
shutting the door. Fallon f1dgeted at
the desk, making feeble pretense of
working, but when the hands of the
clock drew around to eight and the
to couple to the train, Fallon went out
on the platform.
Redway was sitting on the baggage
truck, putting at his cigar. Several
passengers paced the PLATFORM, ana
both of the day coaches were about
half filed.
where's the engineer demanded Fai-
lon Roadway removed MS cigar that he
might grin the broader.
I'm on a strike" he explained. The
cino's IN tha house
.'Strike," shouted Fallon. What you
strikin' about? You had raise last
spring.
Its not about money" explained the
engineer. st saw Sadie last night and
she says she won't marry me until you
say she can. I'm on strike until you
give the go ahead order"
Fa1lon glared impotently. There was
no one else in town who could run an
engine except Sim Dugan, who fired for
Redway. Sim was sitting on the truck
by his boss and only smiled pleasantly
when Fal1on offered him double and
even triple pay to take the train out.
Some of the passengers crowded about
to watch the fun, and in the end the
superintendent beat retreat to his Of
flee where presently he wired to Green
Vile for help.
But Greenville was unsympathetic.
knew, and Fallon's pompousness had
not made friends for him. Greenville
declared fatty that they could spare
neither engine nor engineer, and when
the division headquarters was appealed
to, Fallon was told to settle the mat
ter himself In theory the @. & B. S.
was an Independent road, with its own
corporate entity, and headquarters was
not Interested in it's affairs. Several |
heavy wrecks had filed the repair |
shops with locomotives and there were |
not enough to properly equip the d. |
vision, to say nothing of loaning one to |
so uflimportant branch line.
/, In desperation Fallon wired the main |
offices of the L. & ", and their reply |
was even more curt. The western |
strike was growing worse, and the |
message suggested that If Fallon could |
not manage without the assistance of