Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-06-19
CONSEQUENTLY.
CHAPTER +.

June. There had been rain during the
night, and water in places still flowed
slowly Though the cutters. Nature was
almost at her best. The grass in the
yards and little parks was one solid
emerald, not yet Drowned or shr!velcd
by the increasing heat. Roses seemed in
spontaneous growth, and everywhere gave
color and perfume. Children were play
ing on the walks, and nurses lollinr on
the benches of Pacific Circle, as it was
then called, where the Dupont statue now
STANDS. In spite of the greenness of the
grass and the freshness of the flowers, it
was excessively hot The whole surface
OF the ground except the streets where
the aspAaitum had dried was stelming
The heat was o. that moist, sulfocating
klnd that makes us say it is going to rain
again.
Oliver walked on brisklv, for he had to
be at the Tr, Try building at nine
O'Clock, and dried his ruddy face as well
as he could, from time to time, with his
handkerchief. As he reached the n
street sing re csitated and looked at
his watch 1t had sud denly occurred to
him that he would ike glass of mineral
water. With the thought came the con-
vlct!on that this would not only be re-
f.eshing but highly med .cinal, and that
his system stood in great need of
it. There was place on Fourteenth
street whc"e he liked to get it.
This wa now considerably out of his
way, but as his watch showed that he
still had fifteen minutes in which to get
to his desk, thcrl was time enough. The
extra walk was desirable for one who
lal to write all day. Why should he
not go if he wanted to? Ninety-nine
young men in a hundred would have
reasoned about as he did, and would
have considered it mere whim to be
lndulgel O.. not, according to indiyid-
ual fancy. He had not the faintest idea
that anything depeEd d upon it. Never
thclcss it was an epoch il the life of
Oliver Harmon.
About the time Oliver looked at his
watch an elderly gentlemen was Just
coming out of the door of his house near
the Thomas Circle. Tnis gentleman, whom
we will call Mr.. Amilon, was going down
town, and would take the street car at
the Circle. lie stopped a moment to
speak to his daughter, then walked
slowly down the steps. He was not q
very large man, but had something of q
dubious appearance. He carried gold
headed cane, and walked very slowly.
What with the little delay on the steps
AMI with Harmon's rapid walk, they
would come together at the precise point
where the old gentleman would take the
street car. Oliver had often enough
heard Mr.. Amidon's name, but he did
not know him by sight. This ignorance
was fully reciprocated by Mr.. Amidon,
who not only did not know Oliver Har-
mon by sight, but had never so much as
heard his name.
The old gentleman signaled q car, and
was walking across the street, when
suddenly the bright sunshine began to
grow dim. The car wavered before his
eyes, and objects rose up and danced in
the ar. He thought if he could reach
the car and sit down that he would re-
cover In moment. Leaning heavily on
his cane, he took Il step or two forward,
cropping with his feet. Unluckily his
foot struck something that slipped or
rolled away, and throwing up his hands,
he fell backward, and the darkness
closed over him. 1t would have gone
hard with Mr.. Amidon at this instant if
some one had not observed the whole
movement, and darted forward in the
nick of time. A carriage was whirlinp
about the Circle between the track and
the sidewalk, the eyes of the negro
driver being on everything except his
team and the road. A clutch at their
bridl s brought the horses up so suddenly
that tn d lvcr had nearly pitched head
long from his seat. VITA white ewes and
blank establishment he looked down to
see man almost under his horses feet.
When the light b gan to come again
to Mr.. Amilon, he looked up to see a
young man tanning him, and saying,
checrfully:
Feeling better, aren't you? You'll be
al right in minute, l think"
The Old gentleman had not realized
that an thing much was wrong. 1t WIS
only slight attack of vertigo, not at all
uncommon. He would get into the car.
which was of course waiting for him:
but he was little surprised that it had
moved away. In fact, two or three had
passed the same point since he fell.
lie looked around to see quite a little
cr@wl collected about him. He was
lying In the shade of a tree Mt the edge
OF the sidewalk. His head, which had
very Httlc ltlF on IT, was covered with Il
wet handkerchief. His collar was I'M
buttoned and limp, and his shirt front
much dcmoralizcd. The pungent smell
of ammonia was in the air and in his
nostrils. Then h. b gan to realize that
something had happened, but he could
not remember what.
When Mr. Amidon seemed pretty well
recovered, the young man said: "Shall
call a cab for you now:"
''ThanN you. live very near here.
and if you will help me to my Get think
l can get home"
lie got up, but stood so unsteadily on
his legs that the young man could not
think of letting him go alone, and so the
two walked slowly along to the high
steps the old gentleman had descended
ten minutes before. He sat down YEARLY
on the lower step while his companion
ran up to ring.
Miss Nellie, sitting at the window, at
this instant looked out and saw her
fathers tumbled and generally disre-
spect 'ble appearan e. Full of a great
III hit, she rushed out and narrowly
missed upsetting the young man COM
Ing cup.
ooh, you poor dear papa, what is the
mater? cried she, as she reached his
side.
Nothing much, my dear" said he,
more chccrfully than his looks war