The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-08-12

stared me in the facel For an instant
/ saw countless demons lowering through
I the air. made superhuman effort to
move my body off the the line, fire and
smoke enveloped me-there g was
crushing blow, convulsion, dim
recollection of keen pains shooting
through my imprisoned limb, and all
was darkness, I knew no more. .,rI
/ tiiWhen' I returned again to conscious
ness was lying ON an easy couch, in a
room dimly lighted, but neatly and idily
furnished While wondering where I
was, and trying to- recall what had
passed, the door was slowly opened, and
Lucy Ames entered the room. In q mo-
| ment she was by my bedside, watching
the motions and the expressions of my
countenance, doubtless imagining that
was still delirious. %"
/ "Lucy-Miss Ames?" 7 said. siGI
She started back as uttered the
name, as though unwilling that should
discover her real thoughts but, in a
moment recovering all self-possession,
she looked calmly toward me, and asked,
with tone of affected indifference
"Do you feel easier now ?" 1I ei9A
Indeed, scarcely know how I do
feel, ]" replied, shut there is pain and
soreness in my head, and, in fact, in all
my limbs. I must have been badly
hurt. !"
had dim recollection Of the occur
renee above narrated. and I felt sur
prised that Iishould have again awakened
to life. The pain which i felt, on re-
\ gaining my reasonj increased now mos
mentarily., "A physician wasr at hand,
| and every effort was made by him, as
/ well as the members of Mr. Ames' faIai-
| ly Gn whose house / was then lying, in
| which, also,l Lucy and MI. Wesley
/ joined, to alleviate my suferings.d nof;
In spite of all their attentions my
pains rapidly augmented, and in q short
| time ! was again lost In the unconscious
delirium Of fever. In my vague dream
| ings was again on the marrow bridge,
bending every effort and straining every
nerve to remove the piece of wood that
bound me there. Again / was chained
toothe huge rock, in which unconscious
laberers were drilling holes which they
I filed with powder to blow the unseemly
mass to atoms. Hends, shapeless and
hideous, flew about me, ehattering in
/ glee--demons danced on the sharp. edges
/ OF the rock, chnckl1ng again like the
measured puff Of the engine and at IN IN
ter4als they stopped to bind the chain
closer, until the links festered into the
very flesh, and turned my blood to gall
with the poison In which they, had been
iipped. Cayerns yawned on every side
to receive me. All at once was heard
| the long shrill whistle Of the engine, and
voices, that seemed the very agony Of
i despair, screamed on every side of me,
| The traini the train p 55s 1g,I1
But all this passed away. was we'll
again, and could walk about the house
with the aid of a crutch, for, had left
one foot suspended in the bridge where
| had SO miraculously escaped death.
Lucy had reassured me of her love, not
indeed by words, but by her actions.
Long and patiently she had watched by
my side; and to her more than any 9TH
! er do owe the preservation of my Life.
| No words had passed between us in re-
lation to the subject which had 80 nearly
separated us, yet there seemed to be a
tacit acknowledgment of the error on my
part, and cheerful forgiveness on hers.
But one day, when we chanced to be
alone, I required to tho folly of which /
had been guilty, and more formally asked
| u0f lOI&lN0ucSS. 800. -
. Freely do forgive you" she said,
eff indeed you have been guilty Of any
act which would seem to require it;
You doubtless acted according to your
earnest inclination, which ] would not
wish to oppose. L supposed, your only
object was to secure the hand of another
in leaving me, and that -" 9 '''
"Lucy, Lucy p exclaimed, "it was
I not T-xvo, T,,o1 : xr,yop f1Sod he
lieved too rashly, but now will believe
nothing, will not even credit what
see. But tell me. Lucy, how it hap.
| pened that on one or two occasions, raftel
excusing yourself from accompanying
me to an evenings visit or party,
should afterward meet you returning
home in company with Mr.. Wesley ?"
Il ge"Sin jealous. / see" said Lucy.
4 "No. no." replied; " but"
"Listen them" she said, interruptini
me, "and will explain all which
might have done sooner had you re
quested it. I was anxious to improv
my singing, and, as this was probabl,
the only opportunity should ever have
had engaged to take private lessons @
Mr.. Wesley. I did not think it neces
sary to tell every one whyI was SO ofte
seen In the company of that gentleman
who, must assure you, is not only
very amiable young man, but is engage
to my cousin, with whom no mducemer
could cause him to break his compact.
But why did be delay 80 long t
come to my ASST jtance, when I was abou
to be crushed BY the train?"
"He did, indeed, make all the hast
in his power, replied Lncy $ but, i
company with my brother, arrived
moment too late, wheneit would hay
been madness to have gone on th
bridge In the dim light they saw 20
! fall into the water, which, fortunatel.
was deep and rapid and consequent
free from ice. They hastened to tt
: bank of the stream, and in a few MI
!. ments succeeded in rescuing you fro
: this second danger and bore You to Il
house. .g.szz.zz 8 ss-4s.zs....-sl -.
3 Friends, thank God all friends p
: could not help uttering after listening
Z Lucy's explanation of all that had tran
4 pired. III owas happy again, thong
manned for Life, fact which Lucy gel
: erously seemed to quite overlook, as 81
Z | did nOf hesitatA To hacoma Mrs WQrf1