The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1918-01-03
IheReason
OF It
By P. P. Hargrove

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 a schoolroom instead of
trying to tramp his way to the Pacific
coast. Stuart had a 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 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.
- N1NhA ItlhC q 81 eau uSC1 VI 4uCO-
tioning for the superintendent to find
out why the boy was there. He told
his story in unfalteri9g 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
unscolding 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 a tear came
in his eye.
A near neighbor of the Stuart fam
lily was Mrs. Cook, and her pretty
daughter, Letitia, a young girl with
artless ways, a pair Of eyes as blue
as the wings of a jay-bird, with au-
burn hair that hung in wavy curls
about a beautiful forehead, whose
laughter was infectious and whose
dreams were as delightfully."- free from
care as the winds about her were of
malaria. One day as she was walk
ing aimlessly about the railroad tracks
she was caught by pair of youthful
hands just in time to miss a power
full engine that was flying through the
yards hauling through freight bound
for the terminal at Oakland. She did
not faint when she realized the dan
gerous position from which she 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 all other sound.
Mahoney saw her to her mothers
apartments. When he had supper at
the section boss ranch, his mind was
preoccupied. His food almost went
untastcd. A nervous itching had pos
session of his body. From that night
on he was no longer a visitor at the
Grand Pacific restaurant which was
located over by the station, kept by
Mrs. Hooligan and frequented in eve
nings by young men who played
cards and drank beer. Mahoney had
higher ambitions. When his days
work was finished he offered to do
jobs around the dispatcher's Office
without pay if he were allowed to
play with the mysterious keys and be
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.
Time went on, and Mahoney gave up
his job with the section. He had been
given the operators chair at Sierra
Blanca. Before he had been there a
week he had, with great difficulty, in
dited and forwarded a letter which
concerned him more than all his other
hopes; and when. Miss Cook received
it she was not offended. It was a boy.
ish letter, free from affectation, c:.d
filled with expression Of genuine and
sincere love. The little girls heart
throbbed in riotous joy and she for
got all else that morning. Only his
words that kissed her mind tenderly
and lovingly, could she remember. She
had his letter in her hand when her
mother asked to see it. She had never
had sweetheart before, nor a secret,
and when her mother scolded her for
countenancing a common railroad man
she whose blood was as blue as the
skies above-the poor girl, wounded
and bleeding, tore the paper into
fragments and then went into her room
to Weep. Yes, her mother was right.
perhaps. Her former playmates and
companions back in New Orleans would
never permit her q moments Deaca if