The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-12-08

when a man gets down so low rs to 20
into moonlighiing when he can make
| good wages at a legitimate business. l
naturally look to see his death an
nounced before grea. while in the pa
pers.
"Well, that just left two-Tom Bal
ley and I-of the original nine that
went into the business only few years
ago. One by one our boys have
dropped of, until to-day l helped To
bury what remained of poor Tom.
Poor old boy! know it wasn't his fault.
for he was the most careful man ever
saw. There were nine of us whom we
started-all banded together to work
for one another's interests-and now
they are all gone but me, and am-the
-last-of nine"
His unsmoked cigar slipped from his
nerveless fingers and fell to the ground.
He trembled violently, rs with ague, a
nameless horror and fear looking out
of his eyes into vacancy.
John" said i. gently touching his
arm, "come into the house; it is chilly
out here"
"Ycs, yes, let us 60 in. But stay Il
-feel-so strangely. l never thought
of it before, but if-my wife should
should see me as 1 saw Tom Bailey to-
day it wonld-it would-would kill
her!' and the strong man sank into a
chair. completely overpowered with the
awful thought.
Business called me away from Brad
ford and the oil country the next day.
and / did not return for some weeks.
Having business at Smethport, the
county seat of Mexican County, L passed
through that village and started for
Bradford. by the way of the Bradford,
Bordell, and Kinzua Railway. When
within few miles of Bradford an acci-
dent happened to the locomotive. which
would delay the train several hours.
Being anxious to reach the city as soon
as possible, four of the passengers, in
cluding myself, started over the noun
tains afoot, hoping to reach our desti-
nation by three o. clock in the afternoon.
We walked along quite briskly, and,
while following the ridge of noun
tain, werc hailed by voice which I
recognized as belonging to the torpedo
superintendent having in charge the
district adjoining that Of John McWil-
1iams.
''Hello! como over herer' the man
shouted. accompanying his words with
emphatic gestures.
Curiously wondering what Smnlley
could want, we went toward him. Two
or three men were leaning against the
stump of Il tree, and merely nodded as
we approached. Smolley was search
ing on the ground for something ut
some distance from bis companions.
whats the trouble. Smoliey?" and
As l spoke the glycerine man raised a
pained-looking face. and mutely point
ei his finger in the direction of the men
around the stump.
looked and saw n strange sight
Tho wreck of al. oil derrick and its ma
chinery lay scattered over the ground in
small pieces. In an instant it all came
to me-there had been an explosion of
nitro-glycerine. The derrick had been
blown to atoms and scattered far and
wide; the ponderous bull-wheels were
dismuntled and broken into thousand
fragments. On every hand was ruin
such as only nitro-glycerine can pro-
duce. The thought came. was nyDody
hurtP glanced inquiringly at the
three men. One of them pointed 81
lently at n small balsing-powder box
lying at their feet stepred forward.
'.My Col! John-John McWilliamsP"
and would have fallen had not one of
Iuc ulou StippoItcu iuc.
The last of nine! l stood and looked
down into a little wooden box filled
with ghastly flesh and blood and bones
-all that was mortal # noble -hcarte'i
John McWilliains. A side OF the head
and face remained as noble and hand
some as in life. but what remained of
the body could have been placed in a
ten-quart pail. Smoliey came and
leaned his arm against my shoulder in
silent sympathy.
"How did it happen. Smolley?" This
after long period of silence.
''The we'll made heavy flow of gas
and oil rs John was lowering the torpe-
do, and when the shell came to the top
of the hole John stood there and caught
it in his hands, and as he turned to
tako the thing away it exploded in his
hands. with the result You see. There
never was q more careful man than
John.'
For years and years John McWilliams
had laughed at nitro glycerine. and
had toyed with it rs with shackled
monster, but ut last the monster. wait
ing patiently for years. had sprung up
on him and avenged its wrongs. Sor-
rowfully we lifted the little box and
carried it homeward. Along the noun
tain ridge we moved, a melancholy
procession, and when on the summit of
Mount Raub we rested and looked
down on the clustered buildings of Brad
ford. In the glory of the afternoon
sun, even Bradford's homely buildings
were beautiful, the city presenting the
very picture of loveliness of life, while
over and beyond the hills, looking down
in silent grandeur. were voiceleSS wit
nesses of Gods Immortality
One of the passengers who had come
with me from the train produced o
powerful tield-glass. Almost mechan-
ically turned and looked at John Nc
Williams hillside home. A door was
standing wide open, lace curtain
streamed idly from n window. In
through the open door 1 could see the
tea-table set and waiting. On the
lawn, handsome. graceful woman
romped with two children, frequently
shading her eyes with her hands and
looking down the street long and earn
estly. 1t was Mrs. McWilliams. and
she was waiting and watching for her
loving husband and father who would
not come again on this earth, never,
nevermore.
Slowly the sun crept behind the west
ern hills. and, with aching hearts. we
took up our burden again and prepared
10 descend into the city, my ears ring
ing with the words of tho ill-fated John
on that night many weeks before: '.If
my wife should-should see me as saw
Tom Bailey to-day. it would-it would
would kill herr'