Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-09-23
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Spelling A
ROMANCE
And Turning It Into a Com
monplace Affair.
BY CLAUDE PAMAREs.

up In establishment as the gray haired
old broker, who was frigidity itself.
hailed the visitor with:
"well, well, Tom, but where did you
spring from this morningT
And Tom, who appeared to be fully
as old and frigid and gray haired as
the other, replied:
-'Say, Jim, it's good for sore eyes to
see you. The G.. and 8. road wants
thousand new freight cars, and I'm in
the east to raise n loan. How are you
anyhow? Feeling pretty gay. old boy?"
And then the broker and the general
manager sat down for chat over old
days at college and talked of this and
that for an hour before the broker said:
"By the way, Tom, I've got boy out
on your road"
"You don't sayi He hasn't been near
me with letter."
"But he's there. You remember my
boy Dave2 Always fussing around
with machinery since he was kid.
wanted to make broker of him, but a
couple of years ago, after going through
the Polytechnic against my wishes, he
threw me over. He wanted to go rail-
reading, and wanted him here and so
we had falling out"
"You don't sayT
"I didn't drive him from the house,
but he left just the same. Said he was
going to make his own fortune and all
that bosh. Hasn't had cent OF his
income from me in over year. He
writes to his mother, but never hear
direct from him. Got brains, think,
but he's self willed and inclined to be
an ass"
Don't be too hard on him. If 1t
isn't his way to skin the lambs let him
try some other. believe you used to
be known as old Obstinacy' once upon
a time"
Eyes, remember. If you happen to
come across the boy and he deserves
lift give 1t to him. No petting or
pampering, though. Let him have all
the roughing 1t he wants."
Away out west on the g. and s.
railroad there was a young man of
twenty-five working as fireman on an
engine drawing a local. Two years
before, when he had applied to the su
perintendent of motive power for
something to do, the "super" had
looked him over in contempt on ac-
count of his white hands and patent
leather shoes and replied:
want work, eh? Well, III give 1t
to you. Go up to the roundhouse and
tell Sam to set you to work as n wiper.
The pay will be $26 per month, and If
you get grease spots on that dandy
suit OF yours the company won't pay
for the cleaning"
The official turned away with n
grin, thinking that that was the last
of the young man, but he was mis-
taken. When three days had passed
the boss of the roundhouse reported:
Jay, you sent me a Jim dandy Of a
wiper. Hanged If he don't seem to
know something about machinery"
What! Did the young fellow show
upT asked the super" In surprise.
"Been working right along, and he's
the handiest chap I've had since my
time here. You'll be promoting him
out OF the house In a month"
The young man was watched close
ly and kept track of. He had been put
at the very dirtiest work and given the
poorest pay, but he made no COM
plants. His time came when an en-
CINE was telephoned for In a hurry and
there was nobody to run her out OF the
house and up the yard. He stepped
into the cab and had the table turned
for him and turned the engine over
without comment. He was going back
to his work when the superintendent
asked:
did you ever fire an engineer
mo, SIR"
think you could"
"I'm ready to give It trial."
Two weeks later he was put on
yard engine The engineer meant to
md fault with him because he was
a dandy" but no opportunity occur
red. He was kept In his place for six
months. as there were many to be pro-
NOTED in advance Of him. but he was
finally given a place on the local.
When this engineer was asked to re-
port on his "cub" he said:
Hes a peach In his way, but /
dunno how he'll pan out In the end.
He's one of these book engineers. He
thinks he could take an engine to
pieces and set her up again by the
books, and I'm lookin' to see his head
get swelled until the road has to
bounce him"
Things were in this shape when the
general manager returned from New
York. He had forgotten about David
Holmes for the moment. He wanted
to go down the road for few miles,
and SO he took the local.
He was accompanied by his daugh-
ter Nettie, but not In the car. 1t was
said of this piquant girl Of eighteen
years that she ran the G. and 8. road
by running her father. She wanted to
go down on the engine, and she had
her way about 1t, and the meeting be-
tween her and ''the handsome Gre
man." as Dave was called, had conse-
quences. He had on his jumper and
was grimy. but she saw beyond that.
Her heart was beating faster before
she had been In the cab Eve minutes.
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