LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1772, 24 October 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

NDMBER SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIYE, {Continued.) Time passed on, and one evening I was again on the platform by my locomotive, when who should come up to me but the same mysterious girl, in the same quiet, noiseless fashion, in the same close disguising cloak, and with what looked like the identical package. This time I was better prepared, however. Before she could say a word I exclaimed, ‘ It is utterly impossible, miss, to take any more packages for yon ; I can’t do it, and I won’t.

* Oh, please do, she said; ‘ I know yon will do it for my sake,’ with an arch look. It was almost the last minute ; I had no time to talk ; the starting bell might strike at any moment.

‘ I will do it only on one condition,’ I continued hurriedly, for I likod the girl’s appearance. She was exceedingly pretty and shapsly, that even the cloak cou!d not conceal.

‘ What is it ?’ was her eager answer. ‘ Toll me what this is,’ taking the bundle in my hand.

‘ Oh, I can’t,’ she said nervously, and looking round her in a frightened way. ‘ But you must, if you want me to take it,’ I said, firmly. She looked tho picture of despair, and a very pretty picture too

‘ What shall 1 do ?’ she said, clasping her two little hands together ; ‘ Tom will never forgive me if I don’t send them,’ ‘ Come, hurry, ’ I said ; we shall start in a second.’

* Well, then, I’ll tell you. It is a little present for my mother from father. We are too poor to pay freight, and it is such a little bundle that we thought that yon would not mind helping us a bit.’ ‘How am I to deliver it ?’ * Yon will see directions on the wrapping.’ And away she darted and was lost in the crowd before I could say Jack Robinson, leaving the bundle in my hand. On the wrapping was written in a neat feminine hand, not at all like the first inscription : ‘ When yon reach Byeton a person will come to your engine, and mention its number to you ; please give him this, and he will say Merci, and cough slightly ; you will reply, Very well.’ I was more curious than ever, and, to tell the truth, fascinated by tbe girl. Everything went on as usual that night, and when I got to Byetown, Bob, my fireman, went hack to uncouple tho tender, and I had hardly put my bead out of the window to hear him cry ‘All right,’ and run out of the depot, when a short man came up to me. ‘Seven twenty-five!’ he said in a low tone.

I handed him the package. ‘ Mere!!’ with a little cough, ‘Very well,’ said I, and he bowed and hurried away. Matters went on this way for some time. I did not like the business at all. There was something about it I did not understand, but the girl I did like exceedingly. In short, I foil in love with her, and after carrying half-a-dozen packages or so, I endeavored to extend my acquaintance. One night I tried to detain her. ‘Stay! don’t huiry off. Won’t yon tell me yonr name ?’ ‘ I can't stay ; indeed I can’t. Tom will be ever bo mad.’ •Tom!’ said I jealously; “what has he to do with it ? At any rate, yon will tell me your name, won’t yon ?’ After a long course of persuasion, in the course of which I took forcible possession of one warm, naked little hand. She looked up in a bewitching way — 1 It is Kate’—pretending to be angry, although she wasn’t a bit, the little coquette. ‘There now, let me go, do; Tom— 1 but she did not speak very firmly, nor did she tear herself away. Our love-making, thus begun, went on in a peculiar fashion of its own—a soft pressure of the hand, a fond look in the flash of a second, little short interviews in a dark corner of the depot, while my engine stood roaring and sizzing on the track. I fancied she came a little eat Her than she used to, so as to give ua longer interviews. One thing she never forgot, and that was the tiny package for me to carry. I had long given up wondering about them ; but I certainly thought there was a deal of family affection about her parents. I made many attempts to find out where she lived, ‘May I call to see you, Katie darling?’ I asked, with my arms around her, one evening. ‘ No, you musn’t; not now, at any rate.’ ‘ Why not 7, * Now, yon must not be so curious. Are yon not satisfied with my love ? You don’t trust me a bit,’ she pouted. Of course I had to pet her, and say I meant no harm ; but I privately formed a little plot to catch my beauty. I never had a chance of following her when 1 saw her, being on duty with my engine; so I determined to stay off duty on a night that I knew she would be at the depot, because she had promised to meet me, and it was one of the nights upon which she always brought me a bundle to carry. I told a friend, also an engineer, that I was unable to be on duty that night, and asked him to tike my place. He consented, and I disguised myself as well as I could, sauntered into the depot about half-an-honr before the departure of the express, and concealing myself in a dark embrasure of the wall near the locomotive, waited to see what would happen. It was the old familiar scene that I had looked on a hundred times before. There stood my locomotive, then the ‘ Carnatic,’ and after that the long, heavy train crowded with passengers. A hurrying, worrying throng filled the platform, among which, now and then, I could distinguish tho blue coat and brass buttons of an official. One man I noticed especially in the crowd—a small, square-shouldered man, wearing a light-grey overooat, buttoned close up to his chin, and a travelling cap drawn down over hia face so that scarcely anything of his face was visible except a pair of bright searching eyes. He did not act Hire a traveller exactly, but walked slowly up and down, keeping politely out of every one’s way. Once he stopped and took a long look at the engine, when the engineer did not appear to be looking, but when he turned toward him ho immediately walked off. I was so occupied in watching the manoeuvres of this quiet gentleman, that I was started when someone brushed past me ensconced in my corner, and looking after the person I saw it was Kate herself. She walked confidently up to where the engine stood upon the track, and then all at once sho saw I was not on the engine. She quickly turned away, and 1 issued from my corner in pursuit. I followed her in and out the crowd, through the station into the street. She walked much more slowly now, and finally turned to look behind her. A lamp post stood near, and I darted under it to conceal myself. Sho resumed her walk, and I followed at a respectful distance. She turned at almost every corner up a new street. Once I nearly lost her, being stopped by a line of carriages at a crossing ; but on we kept, and having now passed the more travelled streets were coming into the suburbs, where my pursuit would be sure to be noticed by her, as there were very few foot-passengers. Rather than let her discover me, I determined to speak to her. Bo 1 quickened my pace, and soon overtook her. Before I could utter a word, she 1 turned upon me. * How dare yon follow me, sir ? What is i tho meaning of this trick ? ’ I, ‘lt means simply that I love you, Kate, 1 and I,wanted to visit your home.’

'lt ia a very auspicious way of showing your love, that’s all I think about it. ’ She was very angry, I saw ; but I did my best to soften her. I explained how anxious I was to know her better, and to win her friendship, and to serve her in any way that lay in my power. ' Well, well,’ she said finally, ‘ I suppose I must believe you. Perhaps some day I may put your boasted affection to a severe test, master-engineer.’ ‘ I will do anything for you,’ I assented, fervently.

‘ All I ask of you at present is never to do tHs again. Will you promise me 1 ’

‘Yea, I promise, honor bright. But won’t you grant me one little, little favor in return ? ’

‘ What is it ? ’ her eyes brightening and smiling up at me from under her monk’s hood.

‘ Only this, let me k’ss you, may I ? ’

‘ Well, there,’ she said, after a momentary hesitation, presenting a blushing cheek ; ‘now go, we can’t stand talking in the streets at this late hour any more. Goodbye ; now go, and don’t look behind you.’ Ibis happened in September, and after it we were more and more like lovers. I gave her a ring, the prettiest I could find ia the jewellery store at Byetown. It had a big red stone, the man called ruby, in it, and Kate was quite proud and pleased with it The packages between her parents were as frequent as ever ; sometimes I took them to Byetown, and people came far them ; tomotimes I dropped them along the road as she directed me.

It was probably two months after I had given her the ring, that is to say, about December, that one night I was mounted on my engine looking out on the people, and pnzzl ing myself especially about a man whose face I thought I had seen before, but I oould not just remember where. He was standing in ihe full glare of a gas-lamp, and as he turned toward me, the light fell full ia his face, and I instantly recollected that he was the same man I had seen some months ago walking up and down the platform. When he caught my eye he moved away. ‘ Jim, I wish you would just come and look at this crank pin ; it Loks loose, ’ said my fireman to me just then. I went out on the platform to look at the engine, and forgot all about the stranger. Aftsr making some trifling : alteration in the gearing, 1 patted the huge steel bar affectionately with my hand, ‘ There, you’ll do very well now.’

While I waa standing off admiring my engine, I felt some one tap me on the shoulder. I turned quickly, expecting to see Kate iu her hood and cloak, but, to my chagrin, it was a tall man in an Ulster overcoat. He spoke to me, but the roaring of the engine waa so great—the engine had a heavy pressure of steam on, ready to go out immediately—that I could not hear a wr rd. I drew him to one side a little, when he said :

‘ Can I ride on the engine to-night with you!’ ‘No, sir; not without a pass from the superintendent. It is aa much as my place is worth to let you ride.’ I could not imagine why any man should ask such a thing as to ride for three hundred miles on a jolting locomotive on a bitter cold night like this. Perhaps ho guessed my thoughts, for he added : ‘ I am too poor to go on the train, and I must get to Byetown tomorrow.’

‘ I really could not think of it. It’s against the company’s rules,’ He tried to persuade me, but I remained firm against his argument. He even produosd a roll of greenbacks, giving the lie to his previous assertion of poverty. But in vain. 4 Once for all, understand me, nobody can ride on my engine without a permit.’ He turned away apparently in despair, and, to my great surprise, came back an instant afterwards accompanied by Kate herself. Was it only my fancy that, as they came up, I saw a drab overcoat disappear with a whisk in the crowd. •James, for my sake let my father ride to-night.’ It is the last request I shall make of you, perhaps.’ ‘But. Kate ’

‘No, no; I will have no denial. You shall let him ride.’ Then, seeing me unmoved still, she fled to a woman’s last resort, the pathetic. ‘ See, Igoon my knees to you ! I humbly beg you!’ She paid no heed to the gaze of a few astonished passengers, bnt fell in the platform before me. Fortunately it was dark where we were, or the scene might have attracted more attention.

1 1 will marry you, if yon will!’ she at IsEt said, desperately. It was a great temptation, the pleading, soft lovely eyes that I loved looking at me. I melted. Who weald not ? I loved her; let that be my sole excuse ; and I threw to the winds the risks 1 ran, and the displeasure of my superiors. ‘ All right; jump aboard!’ I said. ‘No,’ said she,‘not yet; but when the engine starts to leave the depot ho will get ou at the extreme end of the platform, as you pass out.’ * Let him be very careful, then, I said, ‘ for we shall run fast to-night, and the moment the train gets under way I am going to turn on a full head of steam.’

‘Never fear, it will bo all right,’ she answered lightly, and went off. My duties called for my whole attention, so I thought no more about my passenger. The mail, I remember, was late that night, and I was provoked, because the engine was in first rate trim ; there were quantities of good steam waet'ng away in the air, and I knew we would have to make up the time lost on the road, and that would strain the locomotive.

Everything had quieted down, the last good-byes were said, the last passenger had finished his cigar and gone on board, and only a few stragglers and loungers lingered to see us off. The roar of the escaping steam of the impatient engine drowned every other sound. At last the rattle of a waggon is heard without, a few hcsty oaths, the bags are tossed in, the door of the mail oar is shut with a snap. Then the welcome signal is given ; with right good will I open the mighty throttle valve, and we get in motion, {To bo continued.)