The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-07-29
COSTLY LESSON.

Grace Arden looked up into her
lovers face with wistful blue eyes AMI
checks stained with faint crimson.
Royal Merriam looked at her with
the laugh Of conscious superiority.
what nonsense Grace.. AS if
there wee any real danger!'
There is ways DANCE, Royal, in
your business, and with with that
habit
Habit. Oracle? Now you are
going a little too far. / don't drink
any more than other men. 1t is not
a confirmed habit with me and never
will be-
''Good-by. Royal
You won't kiss me? You are
vexed?'
''Only sorry, Royal. Because l
know that papa will never let me
marry man who drinks!'
Royal Merriam turned on his heel.
and he strobe away, muttering some
thing about ..narrow-minded old fools.
who expect every one to be cut after
their own pattern
But he had walked only little dis
lance when the cloud cleared away
from his face, and the old, careless.
good-natured smile once more came
back.
dear little Gracie!" he said to him.
self. perhaps she's right, after all.
! b.l:sye am getting more io1d of a
stray glass than ought 10 be, but of
course there's no danger. A man can
always control himself. Still I'll 20
back tomorrow and make peace with
the little bluc-eyed kitten. and If she
wants me to promise. why I'll promise.
The shepherds Arms was an up
pretending little village hosiery,
evening lights shone cheerily. and
Royal Merlam's boon comp anions
welcomed him uproariously.
You're coming 10 the end of your
rope, old fellow said one. The
superintendent is going to strike every
body tina, 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. fer my part, said another,
looking into the bowl OF his short
black pipe. a man might rs well be
slave and done with it.
I've heard something Of it before.
said Merriam, carelessly. Il don't
know but what il is wise enough reg
ulatlon, on the whole. But there's
one thing certain; IL, drink the super
intendeat 5 health tonight, If never
do again.
a general laugh echoed this asscr-
ton Of Royal Merriam; and in the hour
or two that followed, poor Grace Ar
den 5 pitcous request, Grace Arden,s
tear-brimming blue eyes were entirely
forgotten.
..Drunk-I drunk! Never was more
!. sober in my life. Yes, yes, ! know it's
time to start, and here am as fresh as
cricket"
| Royal Merriam swung himself to his
place on the glittcring. fire-throated
| locomotive with the careless case and
lightness of a mounaineer.
| go ahead he called out.
The depot master looked curiously at
him.
You may not be drunk" said he,
soto voce. ''but you have drinking my
line fellow. and you'll get reported at
headquarters before the world is
twenty -four years older"
So saying he drew little leather
memorandum-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 it in his own mind
Merriam fully believed his own asscr
ton that he was not drunk. He had
been drinking a good deal, but then he
/ knew his brains could stand more
than the average of brains. He felt 4
sort of lightncss-a jocular content
as he sat there at his post. The light.
along the road sparklcd more prom
inently 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.
All Of a sudden he grew sleepy-hi.
brain seemed TO grow confused.
"All right" said he-"all right. III
back the Flying Dart against any en-.
CINE on the road! Why she couldn'
60 wrong if she was to try! Are We
are We far from the drawbridge?"
The fireman suddenly started to hi.
feet. with hoarsc, gasping cry.
The signal!" shouted he. 1.-THE
red light! Stop her for Gods sake
Sonnd down the brakes! We are OF
the bridge, and the draw is open!
In less than second the mists ant
drowsiness, and fatal lethargy, seemed
to clear away from the engineer
brain. and he had fully comprehendet
the awful terror of their position-th,
express train rushing at dizzy speet
toward the yawning gulf, which la,
beneath the black river.
The signal and he had not seen il.
Mechanically he sounded the whistle
sharp and shrill-two brief, unearthl'
shrieks-and then sprang out into til
darkness. through which the red ligh
streamed like an eye of sullen tire!
He had done what he could t
save the fated train. and lie graspe,
blindly at the one chance in five hun
dred for his own life.
HE sprang. and striking against tn
beams. lost all consciousness in the in
slant that the train skipped by MIN, it
long array of lights cleaning an
J vanishing, and faces here and Their
looking out of the windows all IN
conscious that they were going on t
death!
A bleak December day, with tn
snow-ilakes clicking against the win
dow panes, wood fire cracking o
the hearth, and Grace Arden's Ugh
figure coming and going like II littl
brbwn-robed Sister of Charity-Roys
: Meriam's eyes vaguely took in thes
things. lying among his pillows, befor