The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-04-28
THE RAILROAD
CLERK
By SElEILA ESTHER DUNN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

''Y' can't never tell how a feller's
goin to show up for pluck" said Josh
Eoyne when we was drivin' across
khe plains. It'll he's tried. When the
westward from Omaha. with tempo
rary terminals. SIGH as JulesDurg, Lar
annie and them kind, little fellow
come out from the east to take posi-
ton in the Office. He wasn't moren
eighteen years old and was awful
dandified. He wore one o. them col
lars they called chokers in them days
because. l suppose, the men as wore
'em 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 yere parts SOS he could
be one o. the managers when the road
got to runnin' regular.
Everybody laughed at such a thing
as that, for the boy wasn't more'n
five feet FIVE and not a sign of a
beard. His hair was the color o.
molasses candy. and his eyes was like
two robins eggs-jfst a 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 gal 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 disremember jist where it
was-and they took shine to each
other right off.
i got horse and wagon my dad
sent me from Chicago. said John.
will you go ridin' with me-?
"'You'd come back dead if l did l
got Teller. an if / went ridin' with
you he'd fill you full of holes
"'Maybe | might shoot fust'
"'I 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 if 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 gals
gone off to ride with that measly lit
tie tenderfoot in the railroad office
Johnny Bitternf
"'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 1t was a pity there
was no parson In the town to make q
decent funeral for Johnny.
''The children had gone as far as
they wanted to and 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.
ale 60 said Johnny.
al Won't says Lizzie.
'By this time Ben was purity nigh.
He list tux deliberate aim at Johnny,
and his bullet passed between the two
children's heads.
"That made Johnny mad. He let
drive with Lizzle's 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.
lit 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 he lost SO much
blood that he dropped often his boss
and lay in the road as good as dead.
''Some railroad men in wagon come
along about that time and seen Johnny
down in the road a-kickin' a man lynn
there.
"'what you doin' that fer?' they
asked.
"'He was a-shootin' at a gall said
Johnny. and with that he began kickin'
ag'in.
"'You better git back into yer wagon
and drive the gal home: Wen look out
for the corpse
"JOhnny give last kick. then climb
ed up beside Lizzie. and they driv off.
"Jes' S soon's the story got out in the
town Johnny was elevated from a ten
derfoot that wore chokers to q hero
Everyday was Down ON Ben Hack
staff for shootin' at Johnny SO clost