Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-09-20

jewelers. store, and asked sheepishly to
see some rings.
Rings, eh?' murmurcd the sales
man, looking amiably at the man of
SCOT For Chicago isn't afraid of coal
smoke. The men who bring her the
dollars do not ways come in elaborate
toilet
"Rings," emphasized George, "and
don't be afraid of your high priced ones,
with stones in EN-"
("If l give her one," in the paren-
thesis of his sleeve, 81 want it to be a
ring that'll do to go down in the family,
like mother's.')
Diamonds, emeralds, opals, pearls,
were flashed in his face, but still his
fingers went searching.
Whats this % he asked, picking up
a small, strong circle, with amethysts
set around it. Clocks like a grape,
sort of, when the sun shines through it. p"
"That? Oh, those are amethysts. Not
us expensive as these jewels, but a very
nice, firm stone.'
"This suits me, observed George,
diving for his wallet, this is what |
was looking for
SO he paid for it, and darted out to
hail passing horse-car, tucking that
little morocco case under bills, away
down ont of sight, as another secret was
tucked under his left breast-pocket.
AS he rushed back across the after
noon landscape, curbing his iron horse
with this bit, giving him rein by an
other motion, making the villages re-
sound, watching his road with a keen,
yet tender eye, Georges mind rose to no
greater height than meditation on how
he should give that ring to Jennie.
"I'll ask her to take walk-no l
won't. Don't want nobody to see me.
I'll shake hands with her, and sort of
slip it on her finger, and then cut
Hang me no l won't, neither Let's
see. I'll go there Sunday night and
stand up to it, and have it out. If she'll
have me, all right; if l amt the
man, I'll put it and my heart in my
pocket, and reverse engine on the mar
ryin' question:
And just at this crisis of thought, he
saw cause for reversing engine indeed.
Some men are rash to villainy. The
conductor of Il constructions train, which
ought to be lying on switch mile
away, Thought he 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 mex hour, and "go West"
George-hair flying back from his
forehead hands like lightning eyes
and mouth set, reversed his engine,
whistled the breaks down-the fireman
ran back-the engineer of the construc-
ton train jumped-but George stood
up to the alarm-signal till engine reared
against engine, the baggagc-car fell on
a gravel-hat, and human yells went up
out of the express from mouths which
"Ni0 puNtb, ouo ICNCl IL Sottlll HUH tIlC
engineer who had stood at his post and
saved them-and now lay half under his
dear old No. s, wrecked with it.
There's been an accident" cried
Jennie, rushing into his mothers pres
ence, and causing the dear old lady to
push her glasses quite into her hair
K" A telegram just came"
"Not George!'
"The express ! oh, don't, dear No
one was dangerously hurt but the cngi-
neer-it was collision-he saved the
train, they say Oh, don't let it kill
you p
"Where's my bunnit?" groped the
old mother.
Heres your homeland your
shawl" Jennie wrapped both this and
her arms around Georges mother.
Those tender young touches brought
her on Jennie $ neck.
"Don't you leave me It's agoing to
kill me to see him lyn' 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 p --
Will, promised the young women,
GREATNESS and white, ga relief train is
going up"
What they thought all that long time
they rode, hanging to each others
hands-this childish woman, and wo-
manly child, l know not Do you think
at all just before you open black-bor-
dered 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
relief train slid slowly up to the wreck.
The passenger coaches stood intact.
Men were chopping at the engines and
broken flats. The people who had
swafmed for hours, and nearly killed a
man whom they were determined to
lionize, Low partially hived themselves
in the new train.
Mother y breathed George, from
his bed of coats, over which a surgeon
! stoopa1