Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-12-19

mind rose to no greater height than med1
tation on how he should give that ring t.
| Jennie. -i
ssI'll ask her to take walk-no won't
Don't want nobody to see me. I'll shak
hands with her, and sort of slip it on he
finger, and then cut Hang me no,
won't neither. Let's see. I'll go there ;
Sunday night and stand up to it. and have
out. If she'll have me, all right; if l aim
the man, I'll put it and my heart in my
pocket, and reverse engine on the marry
in question:
And just at this. crisis of thought: hi
saw cause for reversing engine indeed.
Some men are rash to villainy. The con
ductor of construction-train, which
ought to be lying on switch a mile away
thought he could make the next switch be.
fore the Chicago Express came by. So he
tried it. He survived the disaster to tele-
graph his resignation to the Company next
hour, and Ego West"
George-hair flying back from his fore
head-hands like lightning and
mouth set, reversed his engine, whistled
the breaks down-the fireman ran back
the engineer Of the construction-train
jumped but George stood up to the alarm
signal till engine reared against engine,
the baggage-car fell on a gravel-fat, and
human yells went mp 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 now lay
half under his dear old Number s, wreck
| ed with it.
,ssThere'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" at IS. es
s'Not George ~ sato @a
1.-THE Express oh, don't, dear No one
was dangerously hurt but the engineer-it
was collision--he saved the train, they
say Oh, don't let it kill you p 1T
"Where's my bunnit ~ CROPPED the old
mother. tss
Here's your homeland your shawl. :"
Jennie wrapped both this and her arms
around Georges mother. Those tender
young touches brought her on Jennie's
neck.
''Don't you leave me Its agoing to kill
me to see him lynn under them wheels, all
tore up! The best son, and good and kind
as an angel Oh, how'll we git there ~
Oh, who's agoing to take me to my son ~
81 WILL" promised the young woman,
breathless and white, the "relief train is
going up 1. .
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 all just be-
fore you open a black-bordered letter
when some awful change threatens you ?
Do criminals think when the moose is
round their necks ? We sometimes exist
without living.
1t was warm summer dusk when the re-
lief-train said slowlyup to the wreck. The
passenger coaches stood intact. Men were
chopping at the engines and broken Hats.
The people who had swarmed for hours,
and nearly killed a man whom they were
determined to ionize, now partially hived
themselves in the new train.
eMother ~ breathed George, from his
bed Of coats, over which surgeon stoop-
ed.
The poor old woman spun wildly round
like 9 top, till Jennie righted and propelled
her to George.
'sThe lamb's-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. II bought that for you
this afternoon, p his voice just reached 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-"
II ssOh, George p replied the woman, blaz-
ing. out of all reserve, and piercing him
through and through with her eyes of love.
.ssYou splendid-hero- darling I'd rather
marry you now than any other man alive
And I'll work for and your mother, too,
George ~ % -ss--'' ~
Upon which the engineer, with the pas
sion of man whose whole life is drawn to
a 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
X C., 90 onI bo faiOta6
Jennie sat stillunder 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
cording to the quality of the man who
loves her. And king will make queen,
whether he be King Of Spades, or King of
Senates, OF King Of Engine cabs.
WITHOUT A NEWsPAPER.-Nothing