The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-01-08

engine.
"He was nearly alongside the engine.
when Miss Mayo says: I can't have
him ind me with Johnny: you must
hide me- And she crouched down on
the floor of the cab.
I'm the twinklin' OF an eye Johnny
covered her with his long rubber rain
coat. and then set my greasy old can
vas grip on top Of that. He WAS SHOW
elm coal for all he was worth. when
the superintendent poked his head into
the cab.
"Well. he looked at his would-be SON
in-law's back and snOrted. He wns
achin' to find fault. Anybody could
see that.
.'You handle your coai-pick like II
was a croquet mallet.' said he, after
he'd observed Johnny's maneuvers for
. few minutes.
.sYessir.' said Johnny meekly.
breakin' up coal for dear life.
"Finally. he says to me. What makes
you keep your cab. numbered mp this
way, Martin? 1t looks like some clut-
terry old woman's bedroom. Now what
In time is that bundle over there in
the corner? Do you carry your whole
wardrobe with you? You must be-
quite dude
"'Oh. that's just a little baggage I'm
a-carryin' down to Santa Barbara for
friend Of mine.' said /, quite uncOn-
cerned, with the cold sweat tricklin'
of me in streams.
Baggage for friend. hey! he
sputtered. And was your friends bag
gage too precious to be trusted to one
Of the company's cars? Well, I'll have
you know you can't cheat the COM
pany. that gives you your bread and
butter. out of its freight. You can't
make charity baggage wagon out Of
your cab and work on this road. May
the fiends fly away with friends bag
gage! I'd kick it out Of the cab for
a cent
! SWELL. he stormed and STAYED around
for full ten minutes and that plucky
little girl huddled up under the slicker,
never moved or made sound. don't
believe she felt the relief that Johnny
and did when her father finally went
stOrming back to the coach. =.
"No. sir. she came out from under
cover. drew long breath. straight
ened the bent feathers on her hat. and
set her hair to rights at the little mir
ror we kept hangin' opposite the water
glass, rs cool and composed as il she'd
growed up in cab.
"Well. s'pose we made rs GOOD
time as usual that trip, but it seemed
to me that we crawled along the rails
like tortoise. At every, stop Super
intendent Mayo paid US call and give
me a chunk Of his mind about my
friends baggage.
'aThe young lady was sure game.
She was the coolest OF the three.
"When we pulled Into Santa Barbara
the hind brakeman told me that the su-
perintendent wanted me to COME to
his Office right of.
"T can see our finish. said ne.
loOkin' sick.
"Of course I wasn't surprised when
the superintendent handed me my
walkin' papers, but I was mad clear
through.
Johnny and Miss Mayo insisted on
me g0in' with them to be married. and
after gettin' fired by her father, y0u
may reckon II was some satisfaction to
meet0 60. only wished that he had
half q dozen girls, and that could
help 'em all el0pe. I told my wife
that enjoyed Johnny's. weddin' more
than did my own.
1.-THE old man was hoppin' mad
when he found opt how they had give
him the slip.
4. was nearly two years before the
old man made up with 'em. Not until
Mister Rhodes. Junior. come along.
They give him his grandpa's full
name, James Burton Mayo. and that
sort Of melted him. He. couldn't hold
out against the kid.
AS soon as the superintendent took
them back into his favor they showed
their gratitude for my share In their
weddin' by worryin' him till he put me
back to work. and I've been workin'
for this road ever since"
"I'll bet you was pretty cautious
about carryin' extra baggage I'm your
cab for SPELL" remarked the section
boss, who had been an interested lis
tener.
"Was shy about even carryin' q cold
lunch with me-" agreed Engineer Mar
tin cheerfully. "And I wouldn't have
toted q runaway bride in my engine
cab-nOt even II she was elopin' with
Mr.. Superintendent Mayo himself"