The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-08-12
THE OPEN DRAW.

"Now, promise me, Royal? Please
promisew
Grace Arden looked up into her lovers g
face with wistful blue eyes and cheeks
stained with faint crimson.
Royal Merriam looked at her with the
laugh of conscious superiority.
"What nonsense, Grace! AS if there
were any real danger?"
"There is always danger, Royal, in your
business, and with-with that habit! !"
sHabit,y ,yGraee ?,~Now you are going n
little too far. I don't drink any more
than other men,. It is not confirmed
habit with me and never will be-"
Good. by, RoyalP
"You wontkiss me? You are vexed 2"
sOnly sorry, Royal. Because I know
that papa will never let me marry man
who drinks P'
Royal Merriam turned on his heel, and
he strode away, muttering something
about "narrow. minded old fools, who
expected every one to be cut after their
own pattern"
But be had walked only little distance
when the cloud, cleared away from his
face, aud the old, careless, good.natured
smile once more came back.
"Dear little Oracle !" he said to him.
self. perhaps she's right, after all. I
believe am getting to be moro fond of
a stray glass than ought to be, but of
course there's no danger. A man can
always control himself. Still I'll 60 back
tomorrow and make peace with the little
blue eyed kitten, and if she wants me to
promise, why III promise"
The shepherds Arms" was an unpre-
tending little village hostelry through
whose drawn red curtains the evening
lights shone cheerily, and Royal Meri.
ANS boon companions welcomed him
uproarously.
"You're coming to the end of your
rope, old fellow" said one. "The super
inlendent 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"
81 don't know what the worlds coming
to, for my part" said another, looking
into the bowl of his short black pipe.
done with it."
"Tve heard something of it before" I"
said Merriam, carelessly. ~ don't know
but what it is;a wise enough regulation,
on the whole. But there's one thing GER
tain: Til drink the superintendent
health tonight, if never do again"
A general laugh echoed this assertion
of ROYAL Merriam; and in the hour or
two that followed poor Grace Arden's
piteous request, Grace Arden's tear.
brimEing blue eyes were entirely forgot
SaDfunkz drunk f Never was more
sober :in my life Yes, yes, 1 know it's
time to start, and here am fresh as a
cricket"
Royal Merriam swung, himself to his
place on the glittering, fre.throated To-
comotive with the careless ease and light.
ness Of a mouhtsineer.
"Go ahead" he called out.
The depot.master looked curiously at
him.
"You: may not'bs drunk" said he, soto
voce, "but you have been drinking, my
fine fellow and you'll get reported at
headquarters before the world is twenty.
four hours older" .l.
So saying he drew little leather mem
orandum book out Of; his vest pocket,
and wrote down the words, Merriam,
engineer, Flying Dart. upon it, with the
slow, mechanical accuracy of one who
considers in his own mind.
Merriam fully believed in bis own as.
sertion that he was not drunk. He had
been drinking q good deal, but then he
knew his head couldstand more than the
average Of brains. He felt sort of
| lightness-a jocular content-as he sat
there at his post. The lights along the
road sparkled more prominently than
usual the stars seemed to shine with
unwonted brightness, and once or twice
he caught himself huskily answering
some one who had not spoken.
Ali of a sudden he grew sleepy-his
brain seemed 10 become confused.
"All right" said he-"all right III
back the Flying Dart against any engine
on the road. Why, she couldn't go
wrong if she. was. to try. Are we-are
we'far from the draw btidge?"
The fireman suddenly started to his
feet, with hoarse, gasping cry.
"The signal?" shouted he. "The red
light Stop her, for Gods sake Sound
down breaks! We are on the bridge, and
the draw is open!" -
In less than a second the mist and
drowsiness; and. the fatal lethargy, seemed
to clear away from the engineers brain,
and he lad fully comprehended the awful
terror of their position-the express train
rushing at dizzy speed toward the yawn-
ing gulf, beneath which lay the black
river. - .siii.
The signal And he had not seen it.
Mechan! !cally he sounded the whistle,
sharp and shrill-two brief, unearthly
shrieks-and then sprang out into the
darkness, through which the red light
streamed like an eye of sullen fire.
He had done what he could to- save the
fated train, and he gsasped blindlyat.the
one. chance in FIVE hundred for his own
life. 1'rv q
He spraug, and striking, against the
beams, lost all consciousness IN the in
stant that the train skinned by him, it's
long array OF Ignts cleaning ana vanish
ing, and faces here and there looking out
4 of the windows, allunconscious that they
were going to t Death -
A bleak December day, with the snow.
flakes clicking against the window-panes,
a wood FIRE cracking on the hearth, and
Grace Arden's light,fgure coming and
going like little brown.robed Sister of
Charity-Royal Meriam's eyes vaguely
took in these things, lying among his
pillows, before be remembered
Remembered! Remembered, that he
was an outcast among men-a murderer.
"Grace," he gasped, "tell me. How
came I here? How was 7 saved 2"
"They found you on bridge, dear.
Hush You must not tax much. You
are very weak and feeble. You we're
quite unconscious, and terribly bruised"
"And-the train? Was it totally