The Argosy for May — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Yd board passed him in a cloud of dust, the horse in a lather of foam as its master vigorously laid on the whip. “Gosh! it must be fun,’ commented the countryman enviously, “to get your blood all stirred up like that, because something has got to be done in-a rush.” Out here in this dead-and-alive old hole, it doésn’t generally make much differ- ence whether a thing is attended to now or week after next.” Yet, when he reached the station, and found the banker wrangling with his father, he could hardly have believed, in strict truth, that Ramsey was greatly enjoying himself. The sweat stood out on the city man’s brow, he was gesticulating fiercely, and the remarks in which he indulged were more forcible than polite. Mr. Rock, however, remained placid and unmoved. He was one of those feather-pillow men upon whom it is al- most impossible to make an impression, and to his slow brain the idea of flag- ging the limited was almost as scandal- ous a suggestion as to propose a revision of the ten commandments. “No, sir,” he asserted tranquilly, heedless alike of threats, expostulation, bribes, and entreaty; “it can’t be done. Of course, I can wire in to headquarters for permission to stop her, if you say so; but I don’t believe it would be granted, and, anyhow, there ain’t hardly time to do it now. She'll be along here in twenty minutes.” Anita Ramsey did not, of course, know the exact nature of the trouble which confronted her father; but she could see, from his wrought-up and ex- cited demeanor, that it was serious, and that he considered it almost a life and death matter to catch this train. Consequently, when the bright-faced fellow who had so adroitly fixed her hammock joined their little group, she turned to him in eager appeal. “Can’t you do something?” she whispered, coaxing him with her dark eyes. “I know you can, if you only will.” He shook his head. . “JT don’t think so,” regretfully. ‘Vou see, it’s a pretty serious thing to hold the limited, and my father’d lose his job sure if— Or, stop a minute,” THE TIME FOR ACTION. 195 a sudden idea coming to him under the inspiration of her glance. “ By George, I’1l stop her for you!” he exclaimed. _ As he spoke he hurried off down the platform and, pausing only to snatch up an ax from the baggage-room, quickly disappeared along the track. A minute or so later, there came sounds of lusty chopping from the di- rection in which he had gone; but the wrangling, disputatious men upon the platform paid no heed, and Anita could only listen and wonder. Presently, however, there came a loud crackling, followed by a_ tremendous crash; and as Ramsey and the agent, startled by the noise, faced sharply about, Harry reappeared around the curve below the station, shouting and waving his arms. . “Hey, dad,” he called, “ I was chop- ping down that big dead’ tree along the right of way, that you told me to get rid of yesterday, and it fell square across the track. You'll have to flag the limited!” CHAPTER II. GETTING A START. NEITHER the caustic remarks of his father nor the swearing of the delayed trainmen served to abate young Rock’s satisfaction over the success of his ex- ploit. Indeed, the harsh and_ bitter words flung in his direction slid off him like the proverbial water from a duck’s back; for Mr. Ramsey, apprized by his daughter of the true reason for the acci- dent, had laid a grateful hand upon his shoulder before boarding the _ halted train, and said: “«Tive not time to talk to you now, my boy; but you can rest assured that I’ll not forget your work this day, and when I get back from the city [I shall take occasion to have a more extended chat with you.” Anita’s eyes, too, with their beaming glances of admiration, gave him his re- ward; so that he worked away uncon- cernedly to help clear the line, indiffer- ent to the black looks so freely showered upon him by the railroad people. That night, after supper, however, when his father started in afresh with MICLOOOKS (CO)