The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-11-24

9 great connecting-rod Of the driving-whee
on the right OF the engine broke. Jac]
seemed to live all his life over in tha
!, one terrible instant when he saw the enc
OF the rod swing upward. It struck th,
CAB under him and dashed il into thou
r sand pieces. And he knew no more un
t til horrible agony awoke him where h.
had fallen senseless on the engine.
Burned and almost blind with tbe
flesh scalded and torn from his hands he
, remembered his engine. with its oman an
!; throttle, leaping on to certain destrnn.
, tion. He seemed to see the nasaangars
J beside the long train, as so manv times
IN the old days when he called the morn.
Ing papers through the cars.
J He knew how they looked and what
they were doing,-the men reading
smoking, talking Of the elections. the
prise of grain. or how stocks went mn
last week: women with Growing. dimpled
babies In arms; little children crowino
to the windows, vainly trying to connt
the whizzing telegraph-poles; Young
happy people going on wedding journeys
maybe. and others coming home who
had been long away.
HE remembered that, as he hurried
to his place at the front, that day. q little
girl with cloud of golden hair had
leaned from a car window, to give one
good bye kiss to her father on the plat
form. Take good care of mamma. dar-
ing, he had heard the gentleman say.
The fireman-no coward, either. was
I'm Harbrook, but with wife and babies
at home let himself down from the ten
der and escaped. So might my Jack
! nave done. but he crept along the side
! OF the leaping engine, carefully and
painfully he swung himself into his
place, and, with every motion of his
hands an untold agony, he reversed the
engine and put on the air brake.
Then. the train stopped, snatched
Dack from the pits mouth, and they took
my boy from his post faithful and
true.' - '''
1t was long time before Jacks bnrns
were healed. The road people often
came to see him,-no men could have
been kinder,-and every week his wages
came in full.
But one evening, after he had begun |
to get out little, one of his mates came |
IN. Come, Jack, old fellow. You'll be |
moped to death here, he said. You
want change. There's big meeting
OF the road folks over at the b. II toe
night. I'm just on my way. Come
alongp
What sort of meeting?" said Jack.
Oh, can't say, exactly. Something
interesting, they told me, and every BODY
invited O'
He stole queer look at me. and 7
Knew he wanted me to help him. So. as
L really thought it might do Jack good. I
said,- s'''
Yes, Jack, go along with Tom.'
But I'm not presentable with this
face said Jack.
Pshaw. man. It's evening, and no.
bodyll notice. Leastways they needn't
with little more coaxing, Jack set
OFF with him. had hardly heard the
gate click. when the door opened again.
and Jenny Brown came in like spirite. i
Quick, quick, Mrs. Burtonl Put on
your bonnet!' she whispered.
Where? What do you mean?' I said {
-or was frightened. G
% latel = w 8nAA1 :
She was tying my bonnet strings S
lnder my chin. as she spoke; and she
iad the house door locked, and me down
ne garden path and out of the back gate.
alrly without my will. She hurried me
cross the square. and pushed me b
hrougn the crowd around the hall ii
ntrance.
Il was out Of breath with nervousness :,
nd last walking, so we sat down in -
ack seat. The room was full. There - -
'ere great many ladies there. and on
ne platform sat the superintendent and
sVeral of the directors of the road u
Everybody seemed to be whispering and u
nlllng and looking backward toward ..
le door, and looked too, though
ldn't know why. h'
Then the door opened and Jack came N
with Tom. [ heard somebody on the 1t
her side Of me whisper, ''That is her'
Id another. and another, and rustic th
ept through the place; and then all at au
ice, such cheer went up as, I can truly in
y, never heard in all my life before
}, not even when the troops came back M
ON the war. The people stood up and NO
g ladies waved their white handker bo
iefs. ~' A0i no .'s
The superintendent tried to speak
q raped on his little table. but all in
IN until the crowd had had their three o oe
nes three. And, through it all. T WI
'tched my boy. He looked around him tut
zed at first bytall the tumult. and trv, un
to know what it meant. But wher.
er he might turn his eyes he met a Gu
ndred others smiling on him. and of
IRE than q score of hands outstretcbed sau
him as he passed, and all at once he OF
ew! I
%, sir; can not tell you all about it: dis
" they carried him up to the front. bel
'ugh not on the platform there he tim
uld not go; how they found me out thi
! made me sit beside him; how there sto
re speeches and hand-shaklngs and \
Ching and crying. owe
And at last the superintendent said one
t there was little child there. the one
nddaughter of fhe president of the tea,
d. who had been with her mother on mar
train that Cay, and that she had been bah
acted by many grateful friends to or !,
sent little token to the man whose
hful courage had saved so MANY 7
IS. ov,
Then, beautiful lady, all in soft.
ting silk, came up the aisle, leading
Iovellest child [ ever saw, with a Ia
at glory OF golden hair around her grow
q IKE the picture Of an angel. felt M not
start, for it was the very child tt 10Th 4
0se face had come to him in that aw. the
moment on the flying engine. GF,pl FaI
The little thing let go her mothers expe
10 as she came near, looking up with polio
blue eyes, and in her small fingers
purse of gold. You could see the
at CONS shining through the netting YO'
neid 1t mp to him, and all the room OU
!, sun as death. I heard one great sob