On the Iron at Big CloudPackard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
General
On the Iron at Big Cloud
Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
Canadian fiction -- 20th century; Railroad stories; Short stories, Canadian
Coogan grew neither better nor worse. The months passed, and he grew
neither better nor worse. Winter came, and, with the trestle that went
out in the big storm that year, Coogan went into Division for the last
time, went over the Great Divide, the same simple, broken-minded Coogan
that had begun his self-appointed task in the spring--he may have done
some good, or he may not. They found him after two or three days, and
sent him back to Big Cloud.
“He’d have chosen that himself if he could have chosen,” said Carleton
soberly. “God knows what the end would have been. The years would have
been all alike, he’d never have got his mind back. It’s all for the
best, what?”
Regan did not answer. Philosophy and the master mechanic’s heart did not
always measure things alike.
The Brotherhood took charge of the arrangements, and Coogan’s funeral
was the biggest funeral Big Cloud ever had. Everybody wanted to march,
so they held the service late in the afternoon and closed down the shops
at half-past four: and the shop hands, from the boss fitter to the water
boy, turned out to the last man--and so did every one else in town.
It was getting dark and already supper time when it was over, but
Carleton, who had left some unfinished work on his desk, went back
to his office instead of going home. He lighted the lamp, put on the
chimney, but the match was still burning between his fingers when the
door opened and a man, with his hat pulled far down over his face,
stepped in and closed it behind him.
Carleton whirled around, the match dropped to the floor, and he leaned
forward over his desk, a hard look settling on his face. The man had
pushed back his hat. It was Dahleen, Coogan’s fireman, Jim Dahleen.
For a moment neither man spoke. Bitter words rose to Carleton’s tongue,
but something in the other’s face checked and held them back. It was
Dahleen who spoke first.
“I heard about Chick--that he’d gone out,” he said quietly. “I don’t
suppose it did him any good, but I kind of had to chip in on the
good-by--Chick and me used to be pretty thick. I saw you come down here
and I followed you. Don’t stare at me like that, you’d have done the
same. Have you got that flask yet?”
“Yes,” Carleton answered mechanically, and as mechanically produced it
from the drawer of his desk.
“Ever examine it particularly?”
“Examine it?”
“I guess that answers my question. I was afraid you might, and I wanted
to ask you for it that day, only I thought you’d think it mighty funny,
refuse, and well--well, get to looking it over on your own hook. Will
you give it here for a minute?”
Carleton handed it over silently.
Dahleen took it, pulled off the lower half that served as drinking cup,
laid his finger on the inside rim, and returned it to the super.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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