The Cairo bulletin., 1911-05-11
THE RAILROAD
CLERK
BY SliEILA ESTHER DUNN
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1871.


Coyne when we was drfvin' across
the plains. till he's tried When the
Union Pacific was stretchin' itself
westward from Omaha, with tempo
rary terminals, sich as Julesburg, Lar
annie and them kind. little fellow
come out from the east to take posi-
ton In the office. He wasn't more'n
eighteen years old and was awful
danditied. He wore one O them col
lars they called chokers In them days
because, suppose. the men as wore
'pm always looked as If they was
bein' choked. They said he was the
son O one o the men who was back
In up the road financially and had
come out to learn the railroad bust.
ness In these we're parts SOS he could
be one o the managers when the road
got to runnin' regular.
Everybody laughed at such thing
as that. for the boy wasn't more'n
FIVE feet five and not sign Of a
beard. His hair was the color O.
molasses candy. and his eyes was like
two robins eggs-jist purity boy.
"There was ranch not far from the
terminal where this young Teller
johnny Bittern was his name-was
slingin' ink on high stool. on which
there was the purtiest little gnl you
ever see. She was at the colt age.
mostly legs and arms. but her face
would make yer mouth water to look
at She and Johnny met somehow or
other--I dsremember jist where 1t
was-and they took a shine to each
other right Off. ..
~ got a horse and wagon my dad
sent me from Chicago said John.
VIII you so ridin' with me-?
You'd come back dead If did.
got feller. an If went ridin' with
you he'd fill you full of holes.
, MAYBE | might shoot fust.'
"T don't keer. Eff you want to take
the chances I'll go with you
$50 that afternoon Johnny drove up
to the house where Lizzie lived and
TUX her into his wagon. and the two
went off just as II they was grown
UP man and woman.
"Ben Hackstaff was the Teller that
was courtin' Lizzie. When she and
Johnny started Ben was a-huntin up
some lost cows. but he come home
soon after
Ben said one o his pals, yer gars
gone of to ride with that measly lit
tie tenderfoot in the railroad office
"'Johnny BitternT
"Yaas.'
(which wayr
THAT away
"Ben wheeled his boss about so sud
den that he come nigh THROWN him
and galloped down the dirt road along
the railroad track. Them as seen him
go remarked that II was pity there
was no parson In the town to make q
decent funeral for Johnny.
1.-THE children had gone as far as
they wanted to aud was comm back
when they saw Ben tearin' along to
wards em. furious.
"'There he comes says Lizzie. Git
yer gun out. Johnny
Johnny throwed the reins to her
and took revolver IN each hand LIZ
zie TUX the reins In one hand and put
t'other one around him. She didn't
think that Ben would dare shoot at
Johnny so long as he might hit her In
stead, though she took risk. for Ben
was mad enough to shoot her too.
lie CO. said Johnny.
"'I WON'T says Lizzie.
by this time Ben was purity nigh.
He jist TUX deliberate aim ut Johnny,
and his bullet passed between the two
childrens heads.
THAT nude Johnny mad. He let
drive withS Lizzies arm around his
waist. never mindin' the danger they
was both In. He seemed to think the
best way to protect her agin man
that would shoot as Ben had shot was
to disable him as soon as possible. He
had both arms stretched out for'ard,
firm from both pistols, at the same
time calm on Lizzie to duck.
1T may a been that Ben on second
thoughts was afraid o hittin' the gal
Anyways. none o his shots TUX effect.
while nearly all o. Johnny's made holes
In Ben. There wasn't none o em that
killed him at onct, but be lost so much
blood that he dropped often his boss
and lay in the rond as good as dead.
Some railroad men In a wagon come
along about that time and seen Johnny
down in the road a.klckin' man lynn
there.
What you dom that forT they
| asked.
He was a-shootin' at gall said
Johnny. and with that he began kickin
ag'in.
"'You better git back into yer wagon
and drive the gal home; well look out
| for the corpse
Johnny give last kick. then climb
| ed up beside Lizzie. and they driv of.
"Jes' s soon's the story got out In the
town Johnny was elevated from ten
derfoot that wore chokers to a hero
Everybody was down on Ben Hack
star for shootin' Mt Johnny so clost
beside Lizzie and didn't give him no
sort o. funeral nohow. But they all
thort Johnny was mighty right to GIT
mad about 1t and didn't blame him
for kickin' the man when he was