Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 160: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. mere ; couple up that train, as I told you. and then on the manifest opposite his own. is your last trip with me. ” Then he saw the boy no more, and after *You can bet it is,” said Ewing, still a time he forgot him. lm. “ Just leave that to me. You'll get | Meanwhile, however, things were hap- other man next trip, all right. Ill see pening at the division office. Officials, it o tl at. seems, had grown weary of his eternal fric- When I was called for this run,” he tion with the men. Besides, there had ent on, without giving Thorne a chance been complaints from patrons of the road break in, “I was told to steer clear of for incivilities suffered on Thorne’s occa- gu, that you had the swellhead so bad sional trips as extra passenger conductor. obody could get along with you and I’d He was summoned to the superintendent’s ast only a trip or two anyhow. You're office, and the resulting conference was gooc railroad man, though; they all give anything but pleasant. you credit for that, and I was glad to get “ We've about reached our limit with on with you so I could watch you work you, Dave,” the official told him pointedly. nd learn how you did things. I'm in this “In view of your record we have tried to game to learn it from the ground up; but ignore your constant scrapping with the Pm of the opinion now that I can learn men, hoping that you might see the utter more from some one with less knowledge senselessness of such an attitude and aban- of re jlroading and a little more principle.” don it. But when patrons of the road be- Dave Thorne sneered. “ From the gin to complain, we have no choice in the sround up! Well, you'd better try the matter. When the public pays a corpora- sick and shovel route. That’s the only tion for service, it wants service, and not you'll ever be of any use to a railroad. abuse from an employee. As a matter of I’m telling you for the last time to couple discipline, Dave, we have decided to retire wp that train.” you from passenger work for at least one “Thanks for the encouragement,” re- yeat. nec Ewing. “ But watch me, I’m in That ended the interview. But instead ape me to stay, and I’m going right on of showing Dave the error of his way—the yp, even though you do think I’m a fat- handwriting on the wall, as it were—it ead and incapable of thought. Some day served only to create a resentment toward may tendent of this division,” the official which heretofore had not 4 ‘he IAT jed lightly, “and if {am I'll make existed. The thing was plain enough to ; ete the ball. Ill fire you so thor- Thorne, once he had thought it over. The ishly you can’t even get a job with a superintendent was afraid of him, jealous ick and shovel. And now, kind sir, I'll of his ability, fearful lest those higher in ae e up your train. ” authority should discover and reward him. | Ordina ily when a brakeman had made The superintendent was afraid of his job: trip or two with him and then either left Dave's promotion to extra passenger 4 his own volition or was removed at conductor, ahead of men much older in the aah ‘request, Thorne promptly forgot service, had been a triumph, a red-letter 1. But somehow young Ewing stuck in. day in his career. To don his new unk mind. For one thing, he was far above form and strut up and down the aisle of average in education, appearance and a well-filled coach, snapping out orders to elf in an easy, fearless manner, with- unwitting violation of some company Tue the le: ace of excitement or anger. inaugurated for the safety of patrons, had had to admit, reluctantly, to be sure, fed his ego and given to him, in his own i fellow had the makings of opinion, an air of vast authority. ‘ is Therefore, it was a crushing blow to his ve Dave saw Ewing ambition and pride when he was ordered sree.) to pack his trim blue uniform in moth = & = * a for points along the road, some- enmetimes on. locals, now balls and lay it aside for a year. He grew ae wd 4 a