The herald., 1918-01-24
TheReason
OF It
By P. P. Hargrove

@NNNNNNNNNNNN~
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.
One day when Stuart was goin!
through the freight yards in search
| for things that should not exist there
he discovered Mahoney behind q lor
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 a violent hatred
for "hObOs." They had been the cause
or trouble on his division ever since
he had been promoted To the superin-
tendency, and he was tired of them.
Or late, since the steel works had
closed down in Illinois and Ohio. and
the news had gone forth that the oil
fields Of California We're 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
unsaid. For he saw an honest face
searching his. The boys body was
straight as In anticipating an assault.
II didn't take great deal of ques-
doning for the superintendent to find
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 and had started for
the great West to find any sort of
employment that would give him an
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.
A near neighbor Of the Stuart fam
lily was Mrs. Cook, and her pretty |
daughter, Letitia, a young girl with |
artiess ways, pair Of eyes as blue |
rs the wings Of a jay-bird, with au-
burn hair that hung In wavy curls |
lbout a beautiful forehead, whose
was infectious and whose
ireams were as delightfully."- free from
are as the winds about her were of
Malaria. One day as she was walk
ng aimlessly about the railroad tracks
he was caught by pair of youthful
lands just in time to miss a power
III engine that was flying through the
ards hauling a through freight bound
or the terminal at Oakland. She did
ot faint when she realized the dam
erous position from which she had
cen snatched. She looked into Ma
oney's face and thanked him while
re was still In his arms, and the
1shing cars were still making noise
nough to drown all other sound.
Mahoney saw her to her mothers ,
When he had supper at
he section boss ranch. his mind was s
His food almost went
ntasted. A nervous Itching had Dos |
'ssion OF his body. From that night I
he was no longer a visitor at the I
rand Pacific restaurant which was |
Gated over by the station, kept by {
rs. Hooligan and frequented In eve c
ngs by young men who played I
rds and drank beer. Mahoney had
CHER ambitions. When his DAYS
ork was finished he offered to do
bs around the dlspatcher's Office Z
thout pay IL he were allowed TO 4
ay with the mysterious keys and be r
ught the alphabet. In q little while "
was efficient enough to make him. b
II Ineligible to the agent at Fa- n
ms, at which point the woodward q
Is located. The young woman there O.
Is tolerant Of his mistakes and pa-
ntly repeated message after mes W
&c that she might assist him In b
lrnlng. ic
Time went on, and Mahoney gave up u
job with the section. He had been 81
zen the operators chair at Sierra W
lnca. Before he had been there a u
elk he had, with great difficulty, in IN
ed and forwarded letter which 81
accrued him more than all his other 81
pes; and when Miss Cook received IN
she was not offended. 1t was a bow al
letter, free from affectation. and pe
ed with expression Of genuine and
cere love. ne
iahoney looked for a letter that g.
'er came. AS mail train after mail no
In had come and left him to his p,
omy and desolate home on the big do
with no answer from his first no
e. his mind found new theories as ar
how 1t was possible she might have ms
sed receiving his message. So he
tie again. As the days wore on te,
he received no response, he asked az,
mon. the night track man, II the I
ks were still at FL Paso. Perhaps sh