Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1906 — Page 6

The Manager Of the B. & A.

By VAUGHAN KESTER

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. | I—Dan Oakley. Manager of the Buckhorn i and Antioch railroad (known aa the • Huckleberry”). receives two letters, one telling him that hia convict father. Roger Oakley, has been pardoned, and the other that General Corniah, the owner of the B. & A., is about to visit Antioch. ll—Oakley visit' Dr. Emory and meets Constance Emory. Other visitors are Griff Ryder, owner of the Antioch Herald, ■nd Turner Joice, the local artiat. Ill —Oakley tells General Cornish that in order to keep the car shops running a cut in wages is necessary. IV -Oakley tells Holt, his assistant treasurer, of the proposed cuts. CHAPTER V. LATE one afternoon, ns Oakley sat at his desk in the broad streak of yellow light that the snn sent in ■* through the west windows, he heard a step on the narrow board walk that ran between the building and the tracks. The last shrill shriek of No. 7, as usual, half an hour late, had just died out in the distance, and the informal committee of town loafers which met each train was plodding up Main street to the postofflce in solemn silence. He glanced around as the door Into the yards opened. He saw a tall, gaunt man of sixty-five, a little stoop shouldered and carrying his weight heavily and solidly. Ills large head was sunk between broad shoulders. It was covered by a wonderful growth of Iron gray hair. The face was clean ■haven and had the look of a placid mask. There was a curious repose in the man’s attitude as he stood with a big hand—the hand of an artisan—resting loosely on the knob of the door. "Is It you. Dannie?” The smile that accompanied the words was at once anxious, hesitating ■nd Inquiring. He closed the door with awkward care and, coming a step nearer, put out bis hand. Oakley, breathing hard, rose hastily from his chair and •food leaning against the corner of his desk, as if he needed its support He was white to the lips. There was a long pause while the two men looked each other’s eyes. “Don't you know me, Dannie?” wistfully. Dan said nothing, but be extended his hand, and his father’s fingers closed about it with a mighty pres Are. Then quite abruptly Roger Oakley turned and walked over to the window. Once more there was absolute silence in the room save for the ticking of the clock and the buzzing of ■ solitary fly high up on the celling. The old convict was the first to break the tense stillness. “1 bad about made up my mind I should never see you again, Dannie. When your mother died and you came west it sort of wiped out the little there was between me and the living. In fact, I really didn’t know you would care to see me, and when Hart told me you wished me to come to you and had ■ent the money I could hardly believe it." Here the words failed him utterly. He turned slowly and looked into his son’s face long and lovingly. “I’ve thought of you as a little boy for all these years, Dannie, as no higher than that,” dropping his hand to bis hip. “And here you are a man grown. But you got your mother’s look. I’d have known you by it among a thousand.” If Dan had felt any fear of bls father it had left him the instant lie entered the room. Whatever he might have done, whatever he might have been. ■ there was no question as to the man- : ner of man he had become. lie stepped ■ to his son’s side and took his hand in one of liis own. “You’ve made a man of yourself. I can see that. What do you do here for a living?" Dan laughed queerly. “I am the general manager of the railroad, father,” nodding toward the station ami the yards. “Rut it's not much to brag about. It’s only a one horse line,” he added. “No. you don't mean it, Dannie?” And ho could sis* that his father was profoundly impressed. He put up Ills free hand ami gently patted Dan's head as though he were indeed the little boy lie remembered. “Did you have an easy trip west, father?” Oakley asked. “Yon must be tired.” “Not a bit, Dannie. It was wonderful. I'd been shut off from it all for more than twenty years, and each mile was taking me nearer you." The warm yellow light was beginning to fade from the room. It was growing late. “I guess we’d better go uptown to the hotel and have our supper. Where is your trunk? At the station?” “I’ve got nothing but a bundle. It’s at the door.” Dan locked his desk, and they left the office. “Is it all yours?” Roger Oakley ask cd, pausing as they crossed the yards to glance up and down the curving tracks. “It’s part of the property I manage. It belongs to General Cotnlsh, who bolds most of the stock.” “And the train I came on, Dannie — who owned that?” ♦ “At Buckhorn Junction, where you changed cars for the last time, you caught our local express. It runs through to a place called Harrison—the terminus of the line. This is only a branch road, you know." But the explanation was lost on his father. His son’s relation to the road was a magnificent (act which he pondered with simple pleasure.

After their supper at the hotel they went upstairs. Roger Oakley had been given a room next bls son’s. It was the same room General Cornish had occupied when be was In Antioch. « "Would you like to put away your things now?” asked Dan as he placed his father’s bundle, which he bad carried uptown from the office, on the bed. “I’ll do that by and by. There ain’t much there—Just a few little things I’ve managed to keep or that have been given me.” Dau pushed two chairs before an open window that overlooked the square. His father had taken a huge blackened meerschaum from its case and was carefully filling it from a leather pouch. “You don’t mind if I light my pipe?” he inquired. “Not a bit. I’ve one in my pocket, but it’s not nearly as fine as yours.” “Our warden gave it to me one Christmas, and I’ve smoked it ever since. He was a very good man, Dannie. It’s the old warden I'm speaking of, not Kenyon, the new one, though he’s a good man too.” Dan wondered where he had heard the name of Kenyon before; then he remembered—it was at the Emorys’. “Try some of my tobacco, Dannie,” passing the pouch. For a time the two men sat in silence, blowing clouds of white smoke out into the night. Roger Oakley hitched his chair nearer his son's and rested a heavy hand on his knee. “I like it here,” he said. "Do you? I am glad.” “What will be the chances of my finding work ? You know I’m a cabinetmaker by trade.” “There's no need of your working, so don’t worry about that" “But I must work, Dannie. I ain’t used to sitting still and doing nothing.” “Well,” said Oakley, willing to humor him, “there are the car shops.” “Can you get me in?” "Ob, yes, when you are ready to start. I’ll have McClintock, the master mechanic, find something in your line for you to do.” “I’ll need to get a kit of tools." “I guess McClintock can arrange that too. I’ll see him about it when you are ready.” “Then that's settled. I’ll begin in the morning,” with quiet determination. "But don't you want to look around first?" "I’ll have my Sundays for that." And Dan saw that there was no use in arguing the point with him. He was bent on having bls own way. The old convict filled his lungs with a deep, free breath. “Yes, I’m going to like it. I always did like a small town anyhow. Tell me about yourself, Dannie. How do you happen to be here?” Dan roused himself. “I don’t know. It’s chance, I suppose. After mother's death”— "Twenty years ago last March,” breaking in upon him softly; then, nodding at the starlit heavens: “She's up yonder now watching us. Nothing's hidden or secret. It’s all plain to her.” “Do you really think that, father?” "I know it, Dannie.” And his tone was one of settled conviction. Dan had already discovered that his father was deeply religions. It was a

“Don’t you know me, Dannie ?"

faith the like of which bad not descended to his own day and generation. “Well, I had It rather hard for awhile,” going back to his story. “Yes.” with keen sympathy. “You were nothing but a little boy.” “Finally I was lucky enough to get a place ns a newsboy on a train. I sold papers until I was sixteen and then began braking. I wanted to be an engineer, but I guess my ability lay In another direction. At any rate, they took me oft the rqt\.d_and gavq. me an

office position Instead. I got to a division superintendent, and then I met General Cornish. He is one of the directors of the line I was with at the time. Three months ago he made me an offer to take bold here, and so here I am.” “And you’ve never been back home, Dannie?” “Never once. I've wanted to go, but I couldn’t.” He hoped his father would understand, “Well, there ain’t much to take you there but her grave. I wish she might have lived. You’d have beeu a great happiness to her, and she got very little happiness for her portion ary way you look at it. We were only Just married when the war came, and I was gone four years. Then there was about eleven years when we were getting on nicely. We had money put by and owned our own home. Can you remember it, Dannie, the old brick place on the corner across from the postoffice? A new Methodist church stands there now. It was sold to get money for my lawyer when the big trouble came. Afterward, when everything was spent, she must have found it very hard to make a living for herself and you.” “She did,” said Dan gently. “But she managed somehow to keep a roof over our heads.” “When the law sets out to punish It doesn't stop with the guilty only. When I went to her grave and saw there were flowers growing on it and that it was being care<? for it told me what you were. She was a very br>ve woman, Dannie. You know that was an awful thing about Sharp.” Dan turned toward him quickly, “Why do you speak of it? It’s all past now.” “I'd sort of like to tell you about it.” There was a long pause, and he continued: “Shari) and I had been enemies for a long time. It started back before the war, when he wanted to marry your mother. We both enlisted in the same regiment, and somehow the trouble kept alive. He was a bit of a bully, and I was counted a handy man with my fists too. The regiment was always trying to get us into the ring together, but we knew it was dangerous. We had sense enough for that. I won’t say he would have done it, but I never felt safe when there was a fight on in all those four years. It’s easy enough to shoot the man in front of you and no one be the wiser. Many a score’s been settled that way. When we got home again we didn’t get along any better. He was a drinking man and had no control over himself when liquor got the best of him. I did my share in keeping the feud alive. What he said of me and what I said of him generally reached both of us in time, as you can fancy. “At last, when I joined the church, I concluded it w’asn’t right to hate a man the way I hated Sharp, for, you see, he’d never really done anything to me. “One day I stopped in at the smithy —he was a blacksmith—to have a talk with him and see if we couldn’t patch it up somehow and be friends. It was a Saturday afternoon, and he’d been drinking more than was good for him. “I hadn’t hardly got the first words out when he came at me with a big sledge in his hand, all in a rage and swearing he’d have my life. I pushed him off and started fox- the door. I saw it was no use to try to reason with him, but lie came at me again, and this time he struck me with his sledge. It did no harm, though it hurt, and I pushed him out of my way and backed off toward the door. The lock was caught, and before I could open it he was within striking distance again and I had to turn to defend myself. I snatched up a bar of iron perhaps a foot long. I had kept my temper down until then, but the moment I had a weapon in my hand it got clean away from me, and in an instant I was fight-ing-just as he was fighting—to kill.” Roger Oakley had told the story of the murder in a hard, emotionless voice, but Dan saw in the half light that liis face was pale and drawn. Dan found it difficult to associate the thought of violence with the man at his side, whose whole manner spoke of an unusual restraint and control. That he had killed a man, even in self defense, seemed preposterous and inconceivable. There was a part of the story Roger Oakley could not tell and which his son had no desire to hear. “People said afterward that I’d gone there purposely to pick a quarrel with Sharp, and his helper, who, it seems, was in the yard back of the smithy setting a wagon tire, swore he saw me through a ’window as I entered and that I struck the first blow. He may have seen only the end of it and really believed I did begin it, but that’s a sample of how things got twisted. Nobody believed my motive was what I said it was. The jury found me guilty of murder, and the judge gave me a life sentence. A good deal of a fuss was made over what I did at the fire last winter. Hart told me he’d sent you the papers.” Dan nodded, and his father continued: “Some ladies who were Interested In mission work at the prison took the matter up and got me my pardon. It’s a fearful and a wicked thing for a man to lose his temper. Dannie. At first I was bitter against every one who had a hand in sending me to prison, but I’ve put that all from my heart. It was right I should be punished.” He rose from his chair, striking the ashes from his pipe. “Ain’t it very late, Dannie? I’ll just put away my things, anti then we can go to bed. I didn’t mean to keep you up.” Oakley watched his precise and orderly arrangement of his few belongings. He could see that it was a_x>ftrt

ofTße prison discipline under whicfFhe had lived for almost a quarter of a century. When the contents of his bundle were disposed of to his sat!* .action he put 90 a pair of steel rimmed spectacles with large, round glasses and took up a well thumbed Bible, which he had placed at one side. “I hope you haven’t forgotten this book, Dannie,” tapping it softly with a heavy forefinger. » (TO be continued)

Do Not Burn Off Old Paint You will have to do so if you use hard, inelastic paint; but. thpre ip a, better way. Use old-fashioned white lead and linseed oil paint. It wears down uniformly, without that scaling off which disfigures so many modern houses, and is ready for re-painting without burning or scraping. -Eckstein Pure White Lead (Made by the Old Dutch Proceu) is just such an. old-fashioned paint. Our booklet will tell you about it, and give you other paint information valuable to the house-owner. NATIONAL LEAD COMPANY 151 s State Street, Chicego, lU. For sale by first-class dealers. SHROPSHIRE RAM LAMBS FOR SALE. Good enough to head eny flock; at farmers’ prices. Thomas E. Reed, Remington, Ind. R, R. 3. ’Phone 2-79. Car-load of oyster shell just received from Baltimore which I will sell for 30 days at 65 cents per 100 pounds. Special price made on 500 pounds or more in one lot. Fendig’s Poultry House. EXCURSION TO WASHINGTON. The first fall excursion to the State of Washington at HomeSeekers’ rates, one fare plus $2 round trip, will run on the third Tuesday in September. Would request all persons intending to go to write me or call at my office in Rensselaer, Ind., as soon as convenient. B. F. Febguson. Three papers a week for only $1.50 per year.—The Democrat every Saturday, with all the county news, and the Twice-a-Week St. Louis Republic, Mondays and Thursdays with all the general news of the world. Come in and see sample copies of both papers or ask for them and we will mail you sample copies. LOOK HERE! BARGAINS! A splendid farm of 120 acres, $2,000 would not cover cost of new buildings. Sells soon for $37 per acre. We have other farms listed in tracts of 40 acres to a section. If you wish to buy as good a farm as can be found in northern Indiana, address, H. H. Wynant, Box 87. San Pierre, Ind. Dr. Chas. Vick, Eye Specialist. This is an age of Specialists. The ability to do one ■ thing and do it well is more to be commended and is of more benefit to Humanity than to do many things and none equal to the best. W T e limit our practice on the eye to the errors of refraction, of which we have made a special study for over thirty years. Office in C. H. Vick’s fruit store, next door to express office, Rensselaer, Ind. ■«' 5 percent loans. We can positively make you a loan on better terms than you oan procure elsewhere. No “red tape.” Commission the lowest. No extras. Funds unlimited. See us before borrowing or renewing an old loan and we will save you money. IRWIN & IRWIN. I. O. O, F. Building, The Democrat handles Farm Leases, Mortgages, Deeds and other legal blanks. Also prepared to do all kinds of fine job work. An armload of old papers for a nickel at The Democrat office.

PROF. JOSEPH BAUNACH, TEACHER OF HUSIC, PIANO, VIOUN and VOCAL. Par Lmsob. Si. RENSSELAER, IND. Edward P. Honan, ATTORNEY AT LAW. I *w, Abstracts, Real Estate. Loans. Will practice in all the courts. Office over Fendig’s Fair. RENSSELAER, INDIANA Judson J. Hunt, in. asm, loans nd m ism RENSSELAER, IND. Office up-stairs in Odd Fellows annex, opposite court house. Wm. B. Austin. Arthur H. Hopkins. Austin & Hopkins, Law, Loans and Real Estate. Loans on farms and City property, personal security and chattel mortgage. Buy, sell and rent farms and city property. Farm and city fire insurance. Attorneys for American Building, Loan and Savings Association, Office over Chicago Department Store, RENSSKLAKR. IND. J. F. Irwin 8. C. Irwin Irwin & Irwin, Real Estate, Abstracts. Collections, Farm Loans and Fire Insurance. Office in Odd Fellows* Block. RENSSELAER, INDIANA. U. M. Baughman. Geo. A. Williams. Baughman & Williams ATTORNEYS AT LAW. Farm Leons, Mis one insurance. Loans on improved Farm Lands and City Property a specialty. Collections and Notary work promptly attended to. Office over First National Bank, ’Phone No. 829. RENBBU.AXR. INDIANA nun< volt*. a. a. armaa. a. Foltz, Spitler & Kurrie, (Succeasore to Thompson 4 Bro.) ATTORNEYS AT LAW Law, Real Estate, Insurance Absracta and Loans. Only set of Abstract Be oka in the County • RENSSELAER. IND. GEORGE E. HERSHMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW. Abstracts. Insurance and Loans, on both farm and city property. A set of abstract books in office. Office in 1.0. 0. F. Building. Phone 348. BXNBBXLABB, - INDIANA. Ira W. Yeoman, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW. Remington, ... Indiana. Law, Real Estate, Collections, Insurance and Farm Loans. Office upstairs in Durand Block. E. C. English, Physician & Surgeon. Office over Imea’ Milli nery store. Rensselaer. Office Phone 177 s RiSIDINCB PMONBflie. M. D. Gwin, M. D. PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Office opposite Postoffice, in Murray's new building. Phone 205, day or night. W. W. Merrill, M. D. Ecleciic Physician and sum, RENSSELAER, - - INDIANA. Chronic Diseases • Specialty. A. N. Lakin,'H. D. Physician and Surgeon, DeMotte, . . . Indiana. ’Phone DeMotte, Day or Night. H. L. Brown, DENTIST. Office over Lars h’s drug store w < DEALER IN ( < . Yw-wyr c [it.». nt onfl M. r z -X > RENSSELAER, IND. 5

Chicago to the Northwest, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and the South, Louisville, and French Lick Springs. Rensselaer Time-Table, In Effect Fab. 29,1906. South Bound. North Bound. E°- mZ-Mub - 4:41 a.m No atpErt Mti?*?!?"?.” I daily) I* 1 B -» •No 30^Ci U n s,£*P p<^J<*aily ) • 8:31 pl m •No.46—l^°oalfreight;; 9:53 a. n* g e^’utaye?te B and e s^th W I>a ‘”’ Q ’ pa - W. R. Md > Gen. M’g’r. Chas. H. Rocxwaix, Traffic M’g’r. CMIOAQO. W. H.Bnam, Agent, Rensselaer.

Bell Phone 131. Lafayette Phone 879. WADASN Arrival and departure of trains from Thk LarAYgTTg Passenqer Static is Twelfth and Erie Streets In effect Sunday, May 6.1906, 4;80 a. m, GOING EAST. No. 2, Toledo & Pittsburg Ex. da..3:41 a.m No. 8. Buffalo Mail, daily 5:59 a.m No. *6. Mail and Express, daily 8:52 a.m No. 4. Continental Limited, daily..3:lo p.m No. 24. Atlantic Expresss. dai1y....8:38 p.m No. 00. Peru Ac., ex Sunday 7:40 p.m GOING WEST. No. 51. Springfield Ac., ex. Sunday..B:Bo a.m No. 0. Kansas City Fast Mail daily .8:16 a.m < No. 7. Mail and Express,daily ...1:37 p.m No. 1. Continental Limited, daily.. 1:57 p.m No, 5. Fast Mail, daily 7:51 p.m No. 8. Western Express, da11y.... 11:56 *.m No. 6 does not run between Ft. Wayne and Detroit No. 3, Eastern Express dally, has through sleepers St. Louis to Boston; St. Louis to NewYork. and buffet sleeper St. Louis to Toledo, Vestibuled free reclining chair car, St. Louin to Buffalo. Dining car serving meals. No. 4, Continental Limited, daily, has through Pullman sleeper. St. Louis to NewYork and Boston. Coaches St. Louis to New York without change. Dining car serves meals. No. 6, Mail and Express, daily, has connection with sleeper at Toledo for New York and Boston via Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and New York Central R. R. No. 8. Through sleeper to New York City, via D. L. &W. Ry, Chair car to Buffalo free. Sleeper to Detroit and Buffalo. No. 1, Continental Limited, daily, same service as No. 4. No. 8, Western Express daily, has sleepers Toledo, Boston and New York to St. Louis; also 3 free reclining chair can to St Louis, and Bt, Louis to Kansas City and Omaha. No. 5, Fast Mail, Coach Toledo to St. Louis. Does not carry baggage. No. 9. Coaches and chair cars to St. Louis, through sleeper snd free reclining chair cars to Kansas City without change. Ocean steamship tickets sold to all parts of the world. W- C. MAXWELL, A. G. T. M. C. S. CRANE, Gen. Pass, and Ticket Agent. H. V. P. TAYLOR, Aset. Gen. Pass, and Tkt. Agent, St. Louis, Mo. THUS. FOLLEN. P. A T. A.. Lafavette, Ind. Jordan Township. The undenigned. trustee of Jordan township, attends to official business at his rest dence on the lint Saturday of each month; also at the Shide schoolhouse on the east side, on the third Saturday of each month between the hours of 9 a. nt., and 8 p. m. Persons having business with me will please govern themselves accordingly. Poetoffice address, Goodland. Ind. R-F-D. CHAS. E. SAGE, Trustee. Milroy Township. The undersigned, trustee of Milroy township, attends to official business at bis residence on the first and third Saturdays of each month.- Persons having business with me will please govern themselves accordingly. Postoffice address. McCoysburg, Ind. W. C. HUSTON, Trustee. Newton Township. The undersigned, trustee of Newton township. attends to official business at bis residence on Thursday of each week. Persons having business with me twill please govern themselves accordingly. Postoffice address Rensselaer. Indiana. Phone 26-A Mt. Ayr Exchange. W. B. YEOMAN. Trustee. Union TownshipThe undersigned, trustee of Union township. attends to official business at his residence on Friday of each week. Persons having business with me will please govern themselves accordingly. Postoffice address. Rensselaer. Indiana. R. F. D. 2. HARVEY DAVISSON, Trustee. CITY OFFICERS. Mayor J. H. S. Ellie Marshal W. S. Parke Clerk Charles Morlan Treasurer James H. Chapman Attorney Geo. A. Williams Civil Engineer _..H. L. Gamble Fire Chief C. B. Steward counoilmen. Ist ward -..Henry Hildebrand 2d ward J. F. Irwin 8d ward —Eli Gerber At Large C. G. Spitler. J. F. McColiy COUNTY OFFICERS. Clerk Charles C, Warner Sheriff .’ John O’Connor Auditor J. N. Leatherman Treasurer - S. R. Nichols Recorder..., J. W, Tilton Surveyor Myrt B. Price Coroner - Jennings Wright Supt. Public Schools Louis H. Hamilton County Assessor John R. Phillips COMMIMIOMBBS. Ist District John Pettet 2nd District Frederick Waymire 3rd District Charles T. Denham Commissioners’ court—First Monday of each month. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. TBUSTIKB. TOWNSHIPS. Washington Cook Hanging Grove M. W. Coppess Gillam Albcnrt Bouk Walker Grant Davisson Barkley Charles F. Stackhouse —Marion Charles E. Sage Jordan W. B. Yeoman Newton Henry Feldman Keener Charles Stalbaum Kankakee Robert A. Mannan .Wheatfield Anson A. Fell Carpenter William C. Huston Milroy Harvey Davisson :. -Union Louis H. Hamilton. Co. Supt Rensselaer E. C. English. Rensselaer George Besse. Remington Geo. O. Stembel .Wheatfield Truant Officer N. Littlefield, Rensselaer > JUDICIAL. Circuit Judge Charles W. Hanley Prosecuting Attorney« ........<R. O. Grave* Terms of Court.—Second Monday in February, April. September and November.