The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-06-02

like thousand mocking devils, men
ories OF the moments / had spent i
the last few weeks crowded aroun
me, as though taunting me in cor
trast to her purity; but with God
help | would make myself worthy,
said aloud, and thought the hour
would never drag aleng until | coul,
ind myself once more in her pres
ence. She came liz to see me, hold
ing out her hand with . sweet smil
of welcome. as though we had partet
only yesterday. and yct-and We
there was change. Ah, l lesrne,
1t oil too soon! In those few moments
| told her the story Of my life for th,
past few months-of what it hst
been before l knew her-of what i
should be if she would give me th,
assurance and promise Of her love
Then | paused. For moment 81
lence fell between US then she spoke
A bright flush was in her cheeks. hel
lips trembled, her Iashes yelled he,
eyes, but her lips faltered not.
john she said, Il am only {
girl, it is true, but the man | MARI,
must be a man. Perhaps l nigh
have loved you heke a little trem
bic creps into her tone but | have
almost ceased to respect you. Were
you my husband, l would fear fo,
you. and fear and love cannot gt
hand in hsnd.' ~
'Stopp l said. 'Db you want te
drive me back to the life / had hoped
10 have left behind me1 On, Mary
do not be SO cruel. Be my wife, and
let me prove tne stuff shat is in me
NO, john she answered, softly
but the blue eyes she raised to mine
were swimming in tears. IF you
have seen the wrong, surely you will
not return to it. Rather, if you in
deed love me, prove yourself a man
1t does not take q battlefield to make
a hero'
Prove myself q man. These
were the words that haunted me in
the weeks that followed, saving me
from the ruin l would else have drift.
ed into, but torturing mo with their
helplessness. What hope had I 10
nay daily routine of duty of changing
Mary's mind? Yet, spite of words,
something in her eye. had told me
that she loved me, and that some.
thing gave me strength to live, and
to withstand the daily temptations OF
my life.
$50 six months passed, when one
morning l mounted nv engine to
take the express train to c.. We
were going along a. the rate of thirty
miles an hour. when suddenly, right
ahead of us, it seemed, tiny speck
of red flutter on ths track.
81 strained my eye--I blew my
whistle, What could II be? Merci-
fol heaven? Another Instant it was
made clear to me- 1t was a little
golden-haired child, playing in the
very face of the huge monster of
death my hand was guided to its de-
structiQn.
~ whistled down brakes but as
I did so, knew that it was of no avail
Before the order could be obeyed, it
would be rendered useless. Then
something within me said:
"Your life is worthless. Give it
for that innocent life if it must be,
but save it at the peril of yonr own.
Had you been better man, you
might have had a little child like that
and praying for you at home.'
at takes long time, sir, to tell all
this, bu. in reality not one second had
passed. At such times men think
quickly One bitter sigh rose in my
breast | would never have a chance
of proving to Mary my manhood by
some great deed in the future. or long
years of penance; but it did not
make my duty any the less clear.
Bill, the fireman, was behind me.
"'Take the enginep screamed
to him Goodbye, Mary / whis-
pered low to myself.
"The next minute, hardly conscious
Of what | was doing, l was down
upon the catcher of the train,
by one hand, the other out
stretched to grasp the child now par
alyzed with terror Then we were
upon it. It was killed, crushed,
No! l looked down. 1t
was safely beld within one strong
arm, its red dress futtering in the
wind, its golden head close pressed
against my shoulder. How was it
done? l cannot tell you, sir. God,
they say, does not let the sparrow
fall.
"Then the train checked its speed,
stopped, the passengers came crowd
ing about us, men grasped me by
The hand, women cried over me, and
stood dazed and bewildered in their
midst, the child tight pressed within
nv arms 1t was such simple
hing; yet, sir, they gave me this"
throwing back his coat and showing
q gold medal.
81 wear it in thanksgiving for the
little life | saved. They raised for
me purse of gold to large amount,
Dus the gift which seemed to cleanse
ny heart was the poor mothers CRATE
'ul tears.
"The papers rang, next day, with
he story. You see, sir, it seemed
more to them, looking at it. than to
me, who had no time to stop and
.hink; but something more was in
store for me. | was off duty the
next night, alone in my lonely, DESC
ate room, thinking it over, when
someone whispered my name. In
another moment some one was Sob
Ding in nv arms-some one who had
come of her own sweet will-some
,ne who from that moment has been
he sunshine of my home and my
heart.
"That is all, sir. 1t is q simple
story. / trust l have not tired you"
But i, as / grssped the noble fel-
ow's hand whose speech had SO ua-
consciously betrayed the grand true
heart within, could only echo his
Mary's words:
at does not take q battlefield to
make hero"