“NOTICE TO SECTION FOREMEN
“All patrolling of the tracks will cease on and after December 25th next. This company deeply appreciates the faithful service its section-men have given it, and will endeavour to show that appreciation by increasing the wages of all section-men ten per cent., to go into effect January 1st.
“A. G. Round,
“Supt. and Gen. Manager.
“Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 18th.”
“How’s that, boys?” asked Jack. “That’s a Christmas gift worth havin’, ain’t it?” and he looked about from face to face, for he knew what that increase of twelve and a half cents a day meant to these men. It meant more food for the children, a new dress for the wife,—a little more luxury and ease in lives which were hard enough at best.
The weather had been cool and pleasant, but it changed as Christmas drew near, and the twenty-fourth was marked by a heavy storm. All the afternoon the rain fell in torrents, the wind blew a hurricane, and—something rare for December—the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled savagely overhead.
Work was out of the question, and, after playing awhile with Mamie, and telling her wonderful stories of Santa Claus and what he was going to bring her that night, Jack Welsh mounted to his room to get a few hours of much-needed rest. For his hours of patrol duty were from nine o’clock to midnight, and this trying extra work was beginning to tell upon him. With that characteristic unselfishness which endeared him to his men, he had chosen the worst trick for himself.
“I’ll be mighty glad when this extry work’s over,” his wife remarked, as she busied herself with the dishes in the kitchen, “fer all it pays double. There’s no use fer a man t’ kill hisself jest t’ make a little extry money. Jack’s purty nigh wore out;—just listen how he snores!”