The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-19

gave the danger signal and whistled
down-brakes. Myl didn't John drop
Sase like hot potato, and how lie
sprang for the door of the cart
what is the matter?' thought, rails
ing the window near me and looking out.
As looked, my blood seemed to turn to
ice and refused to flow. Coming round
the curve beyond us, winking horribly,
was the headlight of the locomotive of
the evening expressl How it came there,
it was of no use to imagine. / thought
of hundred dismal, dreadful things all
at once, of a terrible crash, of people
scalded by the hot steam, of people
msngled, of people shot down the bank
into Mud Greek clos, by Above at,
there was John. What if anything
should happen to him? And there he was,
back :gain. He had come to the car
door and shouted Brakes knew what
he meant. He supposed that brake
man was on hand, but had seen him
leave the car and go forward John did
not know it. He only shouted, "brakesp
and then tore across the platform to the
next car whose brakes he began to swing
round.
Was going to sit still there? Sase
Cults might, but the next moment |
was flying to the rear of the car.
As / went the old ladys things flew to
right and left, even as tree sheds its
leaves in October, and stood at the
brake not as an old woman, but as Sue
Plympton, young and lively. As /
seized the wheel and began to turn it,
trying to do as / had often seen John,
how / thanked God for any strength he
he had put in my arms. Didn't ], when
turning the brake-w wheel, thank Him for
all the times had pulled on the oar out
on the water when the spray wet my
face and the wind would rush up tc
wipe it; for every summer that | had
helped father pitch hay into the barn;
for every day when, alongside mother,
had tried my muscles on the old churn-
handled
| thought of John, and any natural
strength / had, seemed to grow into
giants. And the engines of the two
trains-they stopped.
Mercy, what an escape that was! Those
engines came so near that John after
ward told me that he did not think you
could have laid hair between the two
cowcatchers. There the locomotives
stood, their headlights ffaring, and they
glared at one another on the track like
mad bufaloes, snorting and putting and
eying ore another, real demon like.
held on to the brake, for | didn't
know what those critters might take it
into their heads to do. There John
found me on the platform, as he after
wards said, my arm gripping the brake,
my cloak thrown back, my eyes flashing,
my teeth sell You see he had come out of
the car hurriedly to look after things.
Seeing me, he said, "Why, Suel" Then
he exclaimed, you darlingp and kissed
me. In a moment he spoke again.
There, dear, that will do, / want to
start the train back, and we have all
been wondering what made her hitch so.
There, dear, you step into the car, and |
will come and see you soOnP'
One darling" two "dears" and
kissl 1 could have gripped that brake
century just to help John. went back
to my seat. 1 was all gone, though did
have strength enough to look round and
see where Sase Cullis was. She had left
| the train.
Though we were three and q half
miles from the station in our town, she
declared that she would rather walk it
than be another minute in that frisky
old train. / would have stayed there
with John, if the next minute we had
gone over into Mud Greek. Our train
was now backing down to side track
three miles off, to let the express train
pass Git was the express conductors fault
that night, and not Johns everybody
ssid). John said he had two minutes to
spare, as he came and sat down beside
me. Heavens" he exclaimed, jumping
up as if he had dropped down on a per-
cussion cap. "Where is that old woman
promised to look afterT could but
laugh; "Don't worry, John, here she
isl"
"Why, Suep'
He did not ask for any explanation,
but put his arms about me and said he
promised to look after that old lady, and
he guessed he would on the spotl
Then he spoke Of the time when we
! went to school together, and how he
loved me, and that didn't love him, he
thought, but now-now, how many fool
ish things be did sayl And I-I-was
so weak after my tug at the brake, that
my will was like a snowflake on Johns
coat-sleeve, and it melted all away-and