The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-09-19

cooled, and the train was being made
for the home trip, that he dived into a
jewelers. store, and asked sheepishly to
see some rings.
Rings, eh?" murmured 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 always come in elaborate
toilet
Rings" emphasized George, "and
don't be afraid of your high h-priced ones,
with stones in en-"
C"If give her one," in the paren-
thesis of his sleeve, "I want it to be a
ring that'll do to go down in the family,
like mother.
Diamonds, emeralds, opals, pearls,
were flashed in his face, but still his
fingers went searching.
What's this ?" he asked, picking up
a 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"
"This suits me-" observed George,
diving for his wallet, this is what 1
was looking for"
So he paid for it, and darted ont to
hail passing horse car, tucking that
little morocco case under bills, away
down out 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
lie should give that ring to Jennie.
"I'll ask her to take n 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 4. 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 I amt the
man, I'll put it and my heart in my
pocket, and reverse engine on the mar
Iyin' question"
And Just at this crisis of thnnGh.- Ia
saw cause for reversing engine indeed.
Some men are rash to villainy. The
conductor of a construction-tr train, which
ought to be lying on a switch mile
away, thought he could make the next
switch before the Chicago express came
lv. So he tried it, He survived the
disaster to telegraph his resignation to
the company mex hour, and ego 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 iumped-but George stood
up to the alarms signal till engine reared
against engine, the baggage-car fell on
a 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 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.
"a telegram just came"
"Not GEORGE"
"The express oh, don't, dear Nc
one was dangerously hurt but the engi,
neer-it was collision-he saved the
train, they say Oh, don't let it kill
you -
Where's my bunnit?" groped the
old mother.
"Here's your homeland youl
, shawl" Jennie wrapped both this and
her arms around Georges mother
t Those tender young touches brought
r her on Jennie neck.
"Don't you leave me! It's agoing to
l kill me to see him lynn under then
t wheels, all tore up! The best son, ant
good and kind as an angel Oh, howl
we git there :? Oh, who's agoing to take
e me to my son y
3 al will" promised the young women
S breathless and white, I" a relief train is
going up"
What they thought all that long time
8 they rode, hanging to each others
r hands-this childish woman, and wo
t manly child, know not. Do you thinl
, at all Just before you open a black-bor
2 dered letter-when some awful change
threatens you? Do criminals tmni
| when the moose is round their necks
We sometimes exist without living.
, It was warm summer dusk when thu
j relief train slid slowly up to the wreck
| The passenger coaches stood intact
: Men were chopping at the engines ant
Y broken flats. The people who hat
$ swarmed for hours, and nearly killed
n man whom they were determined t'
: lionize, now partially hived themselves
e in the new train.
t Mother !" breathed George, from
: his bed of coats, over which surgeon
K stopped.
s The poor old woman spun Wild.
n | ,ound 1ika q fop tiIl Iappia 70; ;,,bt al a M