Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-21
always arrived at the times he expected
| n visit Sonhronia Nasty

always arrived at the times he expected
to visit Sophronia Nasty.
But Sophronia, who lived out in the
country, often passed the station in hel
mule cart on the way to town, and al
lowed herself to be persuaded to rest OIL
| the station platform, especially in the late
summer afternoons when there were ne
trains and the lovers were sure of an I'M
disturbed hour
Her feeling toward the railroad ap
preached an affectionate awe. tempered
by the realization that she might one
day be related to it by marriage, and she
therefore regarded the idiosyncrasies il
developed, not as a matter of complaint
but as a subject for the sympathy arous
ed by a family failing.
Through the pine trees the slowly sink
ing sun shone like a big blood orange
The long, sandy road stretched silently
away to the struggling town. Near the
| station it was still and hot: a few hogs
rooted and scratched Sophronias mule
stamped his hoofs and shook his why tai
at the persistent flies. a few negro boys
We're picking up chips of wood scattered
from a car of lumber.
Eroch and Sophronia had sought the
coolest side of the station and, with
chairs tilted. leaned back lazily.
Enoch stretched his long arms, yawned
and stood up.
"Cap'n. he sayed this evenin'. Wen No
fob tibet kyar stan'in' over thar" jerking
his thumb toward a car standing on the
siding. but he lowed as 'twar marked
Lam's.' I'd better see to i'm
Pore creeturs.'' said Sophronia sym
pathetically. Think wot it mus be-
Enoch. shet up n nothin' tub eat n
drink n nothin' tub hyer but n creechin'
engine m bumpin' kyars.'
II reckon we KIN fix 'em; I better open
tibet do-ah kinder slow like, kase lam $
is awful fools
ITS nuff tub mex the pore things
strange the way they treats m" return
ed Sophronia.
These yuh dol-lahs.' said Enoch. draw
ing the hasp. is about the eerytatinest
things in railroad bizness Wen yer jes
wants tub peek in. they opens the whole
way. n wen yuh wants to open m the
whole way, yuh KIN ony ies peek in.
thet's all"
Strange them lam's don't mex no
noise; 1t would be dretful If they was
daid; he'lthy lam's is mosn gin'rally
cryin'. said Sophronia. listening: "Yo'
go down tuh the do-ah en- Enoch n
push n III push up hyer by, the crack
Not too hard. now them
Enoch pushed, Sophronia pushed.
They could hear a patter of frightened
hoofs.
The door gave about an inch-but with
the next push rolled nearly wide open
From the dark interior Sophronia was
eonii oneeo ~ twenty-five pairs of wild
eyes, twenty-five pairs of horns.
'Tain't lam's! she shrieked and
gathering up her skirts. she fled to the
chair she had just left on the station
platform.
Enoch turned quickly. and received the
run brunt OF the charge of goats. wild
with thirst and hunger. Pell-melI they
leaped from the car, over and under
him. butting and trampling.
Sophronla. on tiptoes in the chair,
screamed shrilly.
stop 'em; stop 'em, kayn't you."
S'phrony?' Enoch called. wildly. as he
saw his live freight taking to the pine
woods In every direction.
Then as he painfully struggled to his
feet he spied Sophronia in her tower of
safety. and wrath filled his heart
You KUN right down outt'n tibet cheer
n help Teller ketch M he bawled.
"Eny one would think they wuz mice
Sophronia's wits returned and her in
lover.
When the last goat had gone. in ST.
lent dignity she stalked to the mule cart
and, taking up the old rope ends which
served as reins, sarted down the dusty
Gosh said Enoch to himself; gosh
5 phronys mad! No gain no goats
n no job ef | don't git them blame ami
mails! Lams." he said between his teeth
Lams! Here YOU" he called to the
AiA6lAeOhCo RuQQleu on lHe
station steps. "you-alls go n hunt them
nannys n billys N tell ev'ry other boy
you see tub hunt-'n' eny boy tibet brings
one OBJ m tub the station gifts cents"
At this Ger there was i precipitate
rush OF dusky pursuers.
Poor Enoch was sore and lame and
worried.
He spent the evening between trains
rubbing his bruises and painfully COM
posing an apologize letter to the gen.
eral superintendent at Savannah, mourn
ing the loss Of the animals for which
he was responsible, and telling what
means he had taken to recover them.
In the small shanties outside the Sa-
vannah freight yard there was a twit-
tering among the Irishwomen when their
goats did not wander home at night.
The next day there followed unrest.
suspicious whisperings.
The bereft ones. gathering in groups.
compared notes. Small scouts occasional
ly darted into the freight yard. only to
return with a battling lack of news.
On the following morning the general
superintendent had just read Sprlngers
apologize and, somewhat perpleXed. had
turned to his other mail. when the halls
of the company's Office were invaded by