The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-03
FATHERS LOVE STORY.

into the fire, his hands clasped behind
his head, but, at the sound of her voice,
he answered pleasantly, "Not quite,
Ida. was just thinking if such things
as we read of in story books ever hap
pen. OF course l believe that some do !;
but 1 mean those stories in which a
young man rescues a strange girl from
unheard of danger they fall in love
with each other on the instant, her father
sets him up in business, or makes him a
present of few thousand dollars they
get married, and live happily ever after
ward.
All laughed at the picture Tom drew,
and certain sly look passing between
father and mother did not escape the at
tention of Ida, who defended her favorite
books with all her might "Of course
they do" said she land am sure al
most every one will agree with me.
Don't yOu, father?"
:" L must say, my dear, that l cannot
contradict you, and if you would like to
hear story / will tell you how your
mother and L became acquainted.
"Oh know well enough how that
was," said Tom. "You were introduced
by some friend Mt a party, perhaps, and
went to see her once n week, all regular
as clock work, until you were married I;
but"
"Now, Tom, that's real mean, broke
in his sister, to interrupt father in that
way-go on, pa I'll keep this young
cub from growing" and changing her
seat for one near Toms. she laid her
finger on his lips.
Well, my dear, nothing could be
further from the reality than your
brothers supposition. Very few stories
that 1 have read surpass this in point of
adventure, and certainly none have been
quite as interesting to me. 1t happened
in this way /: You know / formerly tray
eled a great deal on the cars between
here and b. Your grandmother was liv-
ing then, and l used to run back and
forth quite often. L never troubled my
head much about the girls in those days,
and, although | was III business for my
self, cared little about high hats, canes
or cigars.
An exclamation from Tom showed that
he was interested at least, and necessi-
tated his sister putting her arm around
his neck to prevent a repetition of the
interruption.
"One morning started, as usual, for
mothers, securing n good seat in the
cars behind man who was busily en-
ployed in eating peanuts, throwing the
shells on the floor and splitting out of the
window. l opened the morning paper,
and was soon Interested in the account
of an accident that had happened the
day before. The article was long one.
| had read the paner through, and we
had left the city fifteen or twenty miles
behind us, when Cry from lady oppo-
site caused me TO look out of the win
dow. We We're about crossing a road
and / saw that horse attached to box
wagon was running away, and coming
toward us at the top of his speed. / also
saw that very pretty young lady held
onto the reins as tightly Us possible, and
exerted all her strength to stop the ami
NAL who had got completely beyond her
control.
"What induced me to do it, / don't
know; but, acting or the impulse of the
moment, l sprang up and pulled tn
connecting line. Fortunately / was in
the last car, and we were not running
fast at the time. / remember hearing
the whistle from the locomotive signify
ing "down brakes" and that one man,
who seemed to divine my intention, tried
to stop me. Hurrying to the rear plat
form took my position on the step, and
az the train slowed up jumped off. l
was none too soon, and just had time to
catch the tail board of the wagon as the
horse, more than ever frightened at the
sight of the train, tore across the track.
1t required all my strength to hold on,
and if / had not been pretty quick and
active, should have been thrown aside
and killed. However, I managed to get
in at last, and taking the reins, would
in all probability, either have pulled the
horse over into the vehicle or my arms
from the sockets (the last you will agree
with me being the most likely thing of
the two to happen), when suddenly the
right-hand line broke, and, afraid that if
1 pulled on the other, our unruly steed
might tuin and upset us, I was obliged
to throw it down and think of some plan
to stop him.
"All this time the young lady had not
said word, and sat perfectly still, al
though / could see from the pallor of
her face, and slight trembling of the
lips, that she was fully alive to he dan
ger of our position. l knew that what /
did l must do quickly, for we had nearly
been thrown out two or three times, and
| had shaken my head emphatically at
my fellow-sufferer in answer to her mute
appeal for permission to jump. knew
that broken limbs would be the conse-
quence, and resolved to do all in my
power to prevent such calamity. See
ing no other way leaned forward, and,
grasping backstrap, put foot on each
shaft, and in this manner worked my
way on to the horses back. A short
distance ahead the road took sharp turn,
and made up my mind that the horse
must be stopped before we reached it;
so l threw my arms around his neck with
the idea of choking him, when the
whiffletree became detached from the
shaft. Nothing that I am aware of is
more likely to terrify horse than TO
have something knocking against his
heels, and found that it required some
skill to keep my seat. One kick-the
shafts were demolished and we were free
from the wagon, which ran ahead by it's
own velocity, until one of the front
wheels strl1px n Stone ti1rDiDO the oor-