Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-22
The Daily Story
Copyrighted 1918. ny Associated Literary Bureau
GOOD MORNING VERNON ARNOLD.

or her grounds nearest the track when
Jim passed. and safe in his cab he
made bold TO LOOK at her admiringly.
How she took this evidence of interest
in her he could not tell. but she gave
no evidence of being displeased
with 1t. Jim was not a bad looking
fellow. and if any profession requires
strength and nerve that of engine driv-
ing surely does. But Jim was not
conscious Of the advantage this would
give him with woman.
Jim nailed several boards together.
making a surface about four feet by
three. On one side he chaIked Good
morning" and on the other Good even
ing" He took the board with him in
his cab and waited for a time when the
woman whose acquaintance he wished
to form was in the yard and looking at
the passing train, as she often did.
Then he prepared to swing out his
message, displaying the appropriate
side.
An opportunity occurred on his in
run. The woman was standing in her
doorway and was looking at the train.
Jim took up his message and held it
where she could see it. But she was
not looking at the engine and failed to
notice this beginning of a correspond
ence. But Jim tried it again and again
till one morning he saw her laugh and
knew that he had attracted her atten-
ton. He hoped that when he passed
her house on his return trip he would
get a reply, but this was not to be ex-
pected. She might alone read a mes
sage from Jim, but all on the train
could read a message from her to him.
One morning when he passed he saw
something white in one Of the upper
windows. 1t would not attract the at
tention OF any one except the one for
whom it was intended, and Jim felt
confident that it was meant for him.
Jim made inquiries about the woman
and learned that she was young wild
ow who had been a dressmaker, but,
having a greater taste for country life
and a small bank account OF savings,
had rented the cottage with view to
getting a living out Of it either by
chickens or vegetables. She had no
children and was an orphan, without
brothers or sisters.
Jim thought of a great many things
he would like to say TO her In chalk
letters, but a reply would be too con-
spicuous to be considered, so he was
obliged to make up his mind to beard
the lioness in her den. 1t did not re-
quire much bravery to cali upon a wo-
man who had waved to him from her
window, but the moment he left his
cab he seemed to lose all courage.
However, he was not up to facing
the widow without some kind of an
nouncement and wrote the following
note with a carpenters pencil on the
bottom of a cardboard box:
I'm coming to see you next Sunday. If
you don't want me to. put out notice.
One day when passing and having
the womans attention he threw the
message from the cab and. on rounding
/ a curve farther on, looked back to see
! her pick it up.
| When Jim went by the place again
he saw a sign in the yard. NO Tres
! passing On These Premises on Sun
| day"
! Jim's heart sank within him till he
! saw the widow at window waving at
I him. But even this did not convince
/ him that the sign in the yard was to let
! him know that his message had been
received and the waving was to assure
| him that he would be welcome
When Sunday morning came round
| the sun rose bright and shone straight
| iVaf y. 10 lie hr-N
! clothes and made himself look rs at
/ tractive as possible. He would have
| liked to go on his visit as soon as he
! had finished his breakfast. but had
the discretion TO give the widow time
to do her chores and the usual Sunday
morning tidying up. About 10 o'clock.
! finding that the minutes were going
! like hours. he could wait no longer.
When he approached the house the
widow saw him coming and met him
! at the gate
Jim's call was success. The widow
had good dinner for him. and neither
she nor Jim was disposed to a long
delay in coming TO an understanding.
Jim wanted n home. and the widow
wanted a man for companion, pro-
tector and partner. Before jim left the
preliminaries were settled-that is.
jim was 10 call often. and they were
to take steps to find out something
about each other.
In a montf they were engaged, and
in the fall they were married The
next spring Jim spent more money on
the house and a good deal Of labor on
the grounds. Mrs. Jim chose chicken
b. farming for an occupation, and a large
chicken house was built during the
winter
Jim still sticks TO his engine. But
when he walks home from the round
house he sees his wife standing in the
door and his wee things toddlin'" to
meet him. as he had dreamed when
passing the deserted house a few years
before. Jim's first love letter is a part
Of the chicken house. II is placed over
the door. and the chalked letters.
Good morning." haze been replaced
by painted ones. II is said that chant.
E oil al