Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-12
The Wisdom of
NiCOdenluS
Railroad Brought to Terms
by a Smart Dog.
By L. II. BlcKP0RD
Copyright by |. H. Bickisrd
By L. II. BlcKF0RD
Copyright by |. ii. Blekford

braska farm every afternoon at 3
O'Clock, and Mrs. O'Hearn's dog. Nico-
demus, sailed down to the fence and
barked at it He was an u~nlovoly an
imal of no breeding whatever. a canine
outcast deserted by an emigrant, and
his hostility to all railway movements
was pronounced and even excessive.
although his best effort and longest
run were reserved for the flying YES
tibuled train that came so 1eetingly
out of the east and shot by him with
contemptuous o. and shrek.
A year after Mrs. 0'Hearn's bus
band mad been snafched from the field
of toll she lost the companionship and
nourishing daily gift of her only COW.
That the double calamity distressed
her was not phenomenal, but the de-
parture of Michael O'Hearn was with
in the number of things reconcilable
since the movement of Providence are
to be accepted without question and
are, indeed. but instances of the ex-
pected. Mrs. O'Hearn. a faithfully
and VIGOROUSLY religious person, re-
signed herself to the simple hope that
Michael was to be met In another
country. The taking off of the cow
left no such solace. since its spiritual
future did not concern her.
From-the day the engine of the Sum
rise Limited swept the animal in all
literalness from the face of the earth
dt had been rather fooiishly investigat-
ing the nutritious qualities of cinders'
Mrs. O'Hearn faced a world that ap-
peared to be singularly unsympathetic.
Where 1t had condoled with her in her
first bereavement 1t merely smiled over
her second. Obviously. in the eyes of
the community. the least fitting place
for a cow to browse was in the line OF
a lightning express. The station agent
at Exeter intimated as much when
Mrs. O'Hearn called Upon him and de-
picted. with admirable detail. the cir
cumstances of her misfortune. He
would. he declared. lay the matter be-
fore the proper officials.
A week later she came again. and
her visit left memories of life. color
and action. She demanded to know
whether the equivalent had been sent.
The equivalent, she had somewhat ex-
actly figured. was $50. ID, this itemiza-
ton including $50 for COW and Is cents
for the purchase of milk thrice weekly
Tr0m~a neighbor. Her following visit
disclosed fully as close calculation. for
the equivalent had mounted to 5000.
and it was plain to the agent that her
arithmetic carried with it rules of in
terest and equity that would never be
accepted by the company even Ii 1t
deigned to recognize her claim for the
COW itself. On this occasion and on
many occasions thereafter he. mentally
convinced that his prevarication would
not outlive his tenure of Office. asserted
that only the president of the road had
authority In the matter of destroyed
cows and, having made it clear to her
that her claim had been duly forward
ed. besought her to follow methods
less spectacular and to exercise some
patience.
Having so frankly thrown himself
on her mercy. he made a personal truce
with the lady. but each week a new
bill was presented with its accumnla-
ton of figures. together with verbal
expressions of disregard for the presi-
dent of the company and his lax meth
DDS of business.
At first the efforts of Nicodemus
amused the freight crews who threw
Jumps of coal at him. This was to the
advantage of Mrs. O'Hearn, since coal
was a luxury, and the daily perform
ance resulted in a small measure OF
the precious fuel to add to her store
OF wood. She began to wish, indeed.
gineers might be equally attracted and
that their resentment might take the
same form. After a time. however.
and from long familiarity the sport
ceased to interest the passing train
men, and but for an occasional missile
the dog barked without purpose. al
though he never relaxed his endeavors.
The flight of time brought no spirit of
charity to overcast the bitterness of
Mrs. O,Hearn. And it was quite by
way of coincidence that on the day
she had prepared her weekly state
ment-which now had S1.S0 added to
the notwithstanding entirely un-
usual in railway equipment should en-
gage, although tardily. the attention of
Nicodemus. This was an abbreviated
edition Of the ~despised %"fier." for the
engine drew but two cars. the last a
wonder of luxurious construction and
painted a bright yellow.
The train had stopped. and around
one of the sets of wheels stood three
variously engaged in ORA wing
cotton from an aperture. poking 1t
about with a stick or dousing water
upon the steaming mess. A venerable
gentleman who had descended from
the gorgeous car to watch the opera
ton finally strolled over to the fence
and, attracted by some wild blossoms.
awkwardly scaled the bar
rier and ambled pleasantly about the