Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-24
| be afraid of your high-priced ones, with

{" If give her one," in the parenthesis {
If his sleeve, Il want it to De ring
,hatl last, and always be fine and hand
some, and do to 20 down in the family like {
Diamonds. emeralds, opals, pearls were
q Ashed in his face, but still his fingers
went searching.
What's this ?" he asked, picking up
small, strong circle, with amethysts set
around it, "Looks like grape, sort OF,
when the sun shines through it."
That ? oh, those are amethysts. Not
as expensive as these jewels, but very
nice, firm stone."
"Tns suits me-" observed George. div
ing for his wallet, this is what l was /
looking for"
So he paid for it, and darted out to
hail passing horse. Car, tucklng that lit
tie morocco case under bills. away down !
out of sight, as another secret Was tucked
under his left breasr-pocket.
As be rushed back across the afternoon
landscape, curbiDg his iron horse with this
bit, giving him rein by another motion,
making the villages resound. watching his
road with keeu, yet tender eye, George
mind rose to no greater height than medlt-
alton On how he shoull give that ring to
Jennie
"I'll ask her to take walk-no |
won't. Don't want nobody to see me. l'll
shake hands with her, and sort OF slip 1t
on her finger, and then It Hang me! no
[ won't neither. Let's see. I'll 90 there
Sunday night and stand up to 1t, and
have it out. If she'll have me, all right;
if amt the man, I'll put it and my
heart in my pocket, and reverse engine
on the marryin' question"
And lust at this crisis OF thought. he
saw cause for reversing engine indeed.
Some men are rash to vlllainy. The
conductor Of a constructon-traiu, which
ought to be lying on switch mile away,
thought be could make the next switch
before the Chicago Express came by. So
he tried it, He survived the disaster to
telegraph his resignation to the Company
next hour, and 90 Vest
George-hair flying back from his fore
head-bands like lightning-eyes and
mouth set, reversed his engine, whistled
the breaks dowu-the fireman ran back
the engineer of the construction train
iumped-but George stood up to the
alarm-signal till engine reared against
engine, the baggage car fell on gravel
fat, and human yells went up out OF the
Express from mouths which were saved,
but never sound from the engineer who
had stood at his post and saved them, and
.ow lay half under his dear old No. g.,
wrecked with it.
There's been an accident" cried Jen-
ME, rushing into his mothers presence,
and causing the dear old lady to push her
glasses quite into her hair. A telegram
just came"
mot George"
1.-The Express oh, don't, dear! No
one was dangerously hurt but the engl-
neer, it was a collision, he saved the train,
they say Ga, don't let it kill you ~
Where's my bunnit p groped the old
mother.
d" Here's your bonnet. and your shawl
Jennie wrapped both this and her arms
around Georges mother. Thase tender
young touches brought her on Jennie's
neck.
"Dout you leave me It's agoin' to kill
me to see him lynn under them wheels, all
tore up The bet son, and good and kind
as an angel Oh, how'll we git there ?Oh,
who's agoln' to take me to my SOM"
81 will'' promised the young woman,
breathess and white, q relief train is 60
ing up
What they thought all that long time
they rode, hanging to each others
hands, this childish woman, and womanly
child, | know not. Do you think at ali
just before you open black -bordered let
ter, when some awful charge threatens
YOU? DO criminals think when the moose
is around their necks? We sometimes ex-
lst without living.
1t was warm summer dusk when the
rfliet-train slid slowly up to the wreck.
The passenger coaches stood intact. Men
were chopprng at the engines and broken
fats. Tne people who had swarmed for
hours, and nearly killed man whom they
were determined to lionze, now partially y
hived themselves in the new train.
Mother - breathed George, from
his bed of coats, over which a surgeon
stopped.
The poor old woman spun wildly round
like top, till Jennie righted and propell
ed her to George.
The lambs wool's in my pocket" he
whispered, with a merry twinkle in his
suffering eyes. And mother, pull out
my purse, and give the little case in the
corner to Jennie" "Open it," motioning
her ear nearer his lips. 81 bought that
for you this afternoon his voice just reach
ed her," ,"and was going to offer it,and ask
you to marry me. Take it now, and don't
ask any questions with it. No woman
would take up with smashed affair like
me-"
"Oh, George" replied the woman.
blazing out of all reserve. and piercing
him through and through with her eyes of
love. "You splendid hero-darling I'D
rather marry you now than any other man
alive And I'll work for you and your
mother, too, George''
Upon which the eng ineer, with the pas
sion Of man whose whole life is drawn to
single point, gathered her face over one
of his shaking hands, and made full rose
of the mouth, which he kissed, kissed till
the whiteness round his lips stole over his
whole face, and he tainted.
Jennie sat still under the stars, holding
Georges head, soothing his mother, and
thrilling at the doctors favorable verdict.
Though her face was all streaked by her
sweetheart's fingers, she was feeling some
kinship to the great people Of the earth,
through that engineer.
For woman always values herself &C
| c0rdio to the uualitv IF the man who