Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-10

paper, studied her lace. He saw the raj
but beautiful combination OF very fai
curls and large black eyes, with black eye
brows and lashes, a pure blonde complex
ion and . small, slight figure. She read TO
q lew moments; and then, seeing hat he
companion had put away his paper, sh
said, in q quiet. lady-like tone that wOulS
have completely disarmed impertinenceo,
misconstruction:
II have the magazines OF the month
which my brother handed me as westarted
They are at your service, il you have NJ
book"
II can cut the leaves for you" he said.
"Thank you'll"
The darkness gathered, and Nettie put
up her hand for her shawl. In an instant
it was taken from her.
"Stand up and let me put it on for you,'
said the gentleman beside her. Are YOU
to wake at any particular time / will call
you"
II ride to RosehiIl."
I'VE reach there at six in the morning. I
am going there too"
"Yes?" There was an accent OF interest
in Nettie's voice."
Yes: l am on my way to act as grooms-
'Miss simmons's!" It slipped out before
NeCte was aware OF IL.
Yes: l am first groomsman to my
friend. Dick Ross"
"And I an going there to be first brides
maid. You are DR.. Holman?"
And you Miss Howell, of course! How
glad I am to be abla to do what I have
been longing for this last three hours?"
"And that is?"
"Offer you my assistance; for I see you
are alone."
"Yes."
The approaching wedding 81 q good
subject for opening the conversation and
the travellers chatted pleasantly for two or
three hours. Then, in q pause If the talk
the car faded away before Nettie's droop-
ing eye'ids. and she fell fast asleep. She
felt a gentle hand draw her head down to a
comfortable resting place, and then all
sights and sounds fled away. She was
awakened some hours later by q sudden
shock that threw her toward violently.
She stood up, and the nextinstant q strong
hand caught her arm.
''Quiet! Wait and see WHAT
The words were lost in q crashing sound.
The door in front of her flew open, and she
saw something crushing forward with re-
sistless power. Horrible cries miBgled with
the roaring of the machinery and then a
blow on tho head stunned her-and she lost
all consciousness.
She revived to find herself lying on the
ground, in the clear, bright moonlight, at
some few feet from the railroad track. She
tried to rise, but a sharp pain in her arm
and side prevented her. and she saw that
she was covered with blood. She could see
the piled up ruins OF the cars, and people
with heavy burdens passing to and fro.
She could hear groans and screams, the
waiting of searchers and the directions of
clear, authoritative voices; but she could
not move and did not know how to speak
to whom. At last one group of the men
who were raising the dead and wounded
from the ground approached her. An old
bent over her.
tone, that the forced calmness almost
made stern.
II am afraid SO. I cannot move"
"Who was with your"
81 was alone, sir. What is the matter -
"a collision. All! here comes our young
Another patient for you, my
miss Howell! Thank God, you are not
DR.. Holman bent over Nettie. as he spoke,
and she saw that his left arm was in q
sling, made OF strip OF her shawl.
While he was speaking, he knelt beside
her and had wiped the blood from her face
and dressed a deep cash in her forehead;
while the old gentleman and his compan-
ions were looking further for their melan-
choly burdens. As DR.. Holman finished
his task, he said:
where else are you hurt?"
"My arm, rthink, and side."
"You were thrown from the broken side
Of the car by the crash OF the locomotive
before l could catch you, and 1 had to
spring for my life"
He raised her arm as he spoke, and with
, sharp cry of pain, she tainted again.
It was a different scene upon which her
aext moment of consciousness found her.
She was lying on a small bed in a little
:oom whose low ceiling and narrow walls
ave her an odd, stiied feeling; hut her
The was astonished to hear her own weak
1oice when she said "Mother"
''Are you awake, Nettie?"
"Why. mother, how came you here? and
where am r"
"You are in the house of a farmer, who
las given up all his rooms to the wounded
rom the railway accident. You remem-
Der that, Nettie?"
Eyes; but how did I get here?-and how
lid you get here?"
1--WE were telegraphed the next morning,
Ind / found you mere Wnen 1 came. lou
1ad dislocated your shoulder and broken
your arm. and had a raging fever. 1 have
Deen here for ten days."
"And DR.. Holman?"
HE has been a miracle! He was
wounded himself, broke his left arm in
.,pringinR from the cars, but he was every
where from the first. All speak in the
varmest terms of his care and skill; and l
should surely be the first, for l believe
Under Providence l owe my child's life to
mis- skill and attention.
Her conscience was rapid, bit not too
much so to allow hours of quiet talk and
reading in her little ROOM. with her
mother and the doctor for guests.
For q month Mics Simmons put off her
Wedding, that she might have Nettle and
,he doctor present, and when they entered
he room, with the traces of pain still visi-
do on their pale faces, there were many
,ignifcant smiles passed among the guests,
md some loudly expressed prophecies OF
wedding, And the next spring
hey came true, for then DR.. Holman mar
led the unprotected female.
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