Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-06-23
rHE oPEv DRAW.
Bravery OF a Girl and Gbr Whom She
Sought the Peril.

"Now, promise me, Royal Please
promise me,''
Grace Anien looked up into her lovers
face with wistful blue eyes and cheeks
stained with crimson.
Royal Merriam looked at her with the
laugh Of conscious superiority.
''What nonsense, Gracei As If there
were any real danger.''
There is always danger. Royal, in
your business, and with-with that
habit,''
''Habit, Oracle? Now you are going
little too far. don't drink any more
than other men. 1t is not confirmed
habit with me, and never will be"
"Good- bye, Royall''
You won't kiss me? You are yex-
ed?''
"Only sorry, Royal Because know
that papa will never let me marry
man who drinks"
Royal Merriam turned his heel and he
strobe away, muttsring something about
''narrow-minded fools, who expected
every one to be cut after their own pat
term"
But he had walked only little dis
tance when the cloud cleared away from
his face, and the old, careless, good-na-
tured smile once more came back.
"Dear little Oracle" he said to him
self. perhaps she's right, after all. |
believe l am getting TO be more fond of
a stray glass than ought to be, but of
course there's no danger. \ man can
always control himself. Still I'll go
back tomorrow and make peace with
the little blue-eyed kitten, and if she
wants me to promise, why I'll prom
iSe.''
The shepherds Armsn was an un-
pretending little village hoStelry, through
whose drawn red curtains the evening
lights shone cheerily, and Royal Meri-
ANS boon companions welcomed him
uproariously.
"I ou're coming to the end of your
rope, old fellow" said one. The su-
perlntendent is going to strike everybody
that drinks social glass off from the
list. Says it amt busineSS-like-can't
afford to run any risks
Il don't know what the worlds
coming to, for my part said another,
looking INTO the bowl of his short black
pipe. "a man might as well be slave
and done with it."
''I've heard something of it before, -
said Merriam careleSsly. Il don't know
but what it is a wise enough regulation,
on the whole. But there's one thing
certain: I'll drink the superintendent
health tonight, if l never do again"
\ general laugh echoed this assertion
of Royal Merriam; and in the hour or
| two that followed poor Grace Arden
piteous request, Grace Arden's tear
brimming blue eyes, were entirely for
| gotten.
Drunk drunk! Never was more
sober in my life. Yes, yes, l know it's
time to start; and here | am, fresh as
cricket"
ROYAL Merriam swung himself to his
place on the glittering, fire-throated
| locomotive with the careless ease and
| lightneSs of a mOuntaineer.
go ahead - he called out.
The depot-master looked curiously al
him. -,
You may not be drunk" said he
soto uoce, ''but you have been drinking
my fine fellow, and you'll get reported
at headquarters before the world l:
twenty-fOur hours older"
So saying he drew a little leather
memorandum book out of his vest
pocket, and wrote down the words
"Meriam, engineer Flying Dart, upor
it. with the slow, mechanical accuracy
of one who considers in his own mind
Merriam fully believed in his own as
sertlon that he was not drunk. He haC
been drinking good deal, but then III
knew that his head could stand mor'
than the average of brains. He felt
sort of lightneSs-a jocular content-a
he sat there at his post. The light
along the road sparkled more proml
nently than usual; the stars seemed L
shine with unwonted. brightness, ant
once or twice he caught himself huskil.
answering some one who had not spo
ken.
All of a sudden he grew sleepy-hi
brain seemed to become confused.
'All right" said he-''all right! II
back the Flying Dart against any engin
ON the roadl Why, she couldn't g
wrong if she was to tryl Are we-ar
we far from the drawbridge?"
The fireman suddenly started to hi
feet. with a hoarse, gaSping cry.
1.-The signall' shouted he. ''The re-
, light Stop her. for Gods sake! Soun'
, down brakesl We are on the bridge, ant
, the draw is open,"
In less than a second the mists an,
j drowsiness and fatal lethargy seemed {
clear away from the engineers Drall
and he had fully comprehended the aW
, full terror of their position-the expires
train rushing at dizzy speed toward tn
r yawning gulf, beneath which lay tn
black Iiver.
: The signal! And he had not seen 1t.
Mechanically he sounded the whistle
: sharp and shrill-two brief, unearthl
shrieks-and then sprang out into tn
I darkness, through which the red ligh
! streamed like an eye of sullen fire!
He had done what he could to saw
/, the fated train. and he gasped blindly a
I the one chance in five hundred for hi
/ life.
He sprang, and striking against tn
beams lost all consciousness in the il
: slant that the train skinned by him, II
. long array of lights cleaning and van
ishing, and faces here and there looR
, ing out of the, windows all unconSciou
= that they were going to Death!'
3
: A bleak December day, with tn
snow flakes clicking against the window
!. panes. a wood fire cracking on tn
hearth, and Grace Arden's light fgur
/, coming and going like a little brown
: robed Sister of Charity-Royal Merriam
!, eyesJvaguely took in these things lyin
!, among his pillows, before he remembel
= -Rememberedl Remembered tina
: he was an outcast among men-a mul
/ derer!
"Grace," he gasped, ''tell mel Ho'
came here? How was saved!"
s'They found you on the bridge, deal
. Hushl You must not talk much. 70
are very weak and feeble. You wei
quite unconscious, and terribly bruised;
"And-the train? Was 1t total
y wrecked?"
q sit was not wrecked at all, +" sal
e Grace with frightened face. "For Il
a