The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-02-05
TheReason
Of It
-
By P. Harpovs

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS III
~
(copyrisht. 1917. wsssssn Nswspapsr unieA)
One day when Stuart was going
through the freight yards In search
for things that should not exist there
he discovered Mahoney behind lot
Of rice sacks that were being shipped
from New Orleans to California. Ma
honey was but youngster, whose real
place was In schoolroOm instead Of
trying to tramp his way to the Pacific
coast. Stuart had violent hatred
for "hobos." They had been the cause
Of trouble on his division ever since
| he had been promoted to the superin-
tendency, and he was tired Of them.
OF late, since the steel works had
closed down In Illinois and Ohio, and
the news had gone forth that the oil
fields Of California were alluring. !
But when Mahoney had jumped to
the ground and looked Stuart in the
eye, the warning and rebuke he start
ed to let fly from his lips were left
nnsaid. For he saw an honest face
searching his. The boys body was
straight AZ In anticipating an assault.
II didn't take q great deal Of ques-
tioning for the superintendent to ind
out why the boy was there. He told
his story In unfaltering tone. Left
without mother or father, cast upon
the charity Of an unsympathetic rela-
tive In st. Louis, he had broken all
the cords that bound him to his Mis-
souri, birthplace md had started for
the great West to ind any sort Of
employment that would give him an
unscOldlng bed.
When Mahoney had washed his face
at the tank and then reported to the
section boss. he was hungry enough to
do ample Justice to the baked beans
and fried pork that were set before
him. The next day he started picking
up stray bits Of iron that had fallen
In the yards and when night had come.
and he had met the superintendent
again. who this time smiled kindly at
him. his heart melted and Q tear came
In his eye. a f "a
A near neighbor Of the Stuart fam
lly was Mrs.. Cook. and her pretty
daughter. Letitia. young girl with
artless ways, . pair Of eyes % blue
M the wings Of q jay.bird, with au-
burn hair that hung In wavy curls
about Z beautiful forehead, whose
laughter was infectious and whose
dreams were % delightfully."- free from
care % the winds about her were Of
malaria. One day % she was walk
| lng aimlessly about the railroad tracks
she was caught BY q pair Of youthful
hands Just 10 time to miss Q power.
eul engine that was flying through the
yards hauling q through freight bound
for the terminal at Oakland. She did
not faint when she realised the dam
gerous position from which abe had
been snatched. She looked into Ma
honey's face and thanked him while
she was still In his arms, and the
rushing cars were still making noise
enough to drown al other sound.
Mahoney saw her to her mothers
apartments. When be had supper at
the section boss rnnch, his mind was
preoccupied. His food almost went
untasted. A nervous itching had pos
session of his body. From that night
on he was NO longer Q visitor at the
Grand Pacific restaurant which was
located over By the station. kept BY
Mrs. Hooligan and freQuentsd In eve
uings BY young men who played
cards and drank beer. Aahoney had
higher ambitions. When his days
work was finished he offered to do
Jobs around the dispatcher's once
without pay II he were allowed Ia
play with the mysterious keys and b
taught the alphabet. In little while
he was efficient enough to make him
self Ineligible to the agent at Fa'
bens, at which point the woodward
was located. The young woman there
was tolerant Of his mistakes and pa
tiently repeated message after mes
sage that she might assist him In
learning. EH
| Time went ON. and Mahoney gave uI
bis Job with the section. He had beer
given the operators chair at Sierra
Blanca. Before he had been there Z
week he had, with great difhculty, In
dited and forwarded letter which
concerned him more than all his othel
hopes; and when Miss Cook received
1t she was not offended. It was . boy
ish letter. free from affectation, and
filled with expression Of genuine and
sincere love. The little girls hear
throbbed 10 riotous Joy and she for
got all else that morning. Only bill
words that kissed her mind tenderl!
and lovingly. could she remember. Sh'
had his letter In her hand when he
mother asked to see II. She had nevel
had q sweetheart before, nor q secret
, and when her mother scolded her To-
countenancing common railroad mai
--she whose blood was a. blue as tn
; skies above-the poor girl. woundes
; and bleeding. tore the paper int
fragments and then went into her room
to weep. Yes. her mother was right
| uorhana Her former playmat0s AMI