The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-04-26

helping himself ON none than one oc-
casion 10 other peoples, chickens, was
walking along the high road on his
way to Farmer Bellows.
The farmer had promised him asack
of potatoes in return for various small
services rendered, and Eph was going
to get them. He was slouching mood
lily along, as was his custom nowadays,
when the sound of wheels behind him
made him draw aside to let the
vehicle have the middle of the
road. AS it passed, he looked
up and saw that it was Ella, her
pale cheeks aglow in the frosty air,
securely bundled up in furs in her lit
tie phaeton, and speeding her ponies
to their utmost She waved her whip,
and nodded to Eph as she passed, but
he, his whole nature turned TO gall,
took no notice of the friendly saluta-
ton. He gazed after her, though,
with an ugly look on his once good
humored face. and muttered to him
self:
Whats dat de pahson done tole me
wunst. Pride goes befo' fair
Ya-as, Mis- Ella, pride he goes befo' a
fall, and he plodded on.
A couple of hours later Eph was re-
turning along the same road, his sack
of potatoes slung 'over his shoulder.
He seemed in somewhat better spirits,
though the chance encounter with his
enemy was still uppermost in his
thoughts. He hummed the air of an
old plaintive plantation song as he
slouched along, but ho had set words
of his own to the tune, and they ran
something like this;
| 'Possum climb up u mighty tall tree,
| En- larf Wen he hear dc niggah call;
| But he shets his mouf wen de trees cut down.
Hits de pride dat goes befo his fell
He was still humming the last line
| for about the twentieth time as he
drew near turn in the road, on the
other side of which Il branch of the
local railroad line ran across the road
and made surface crossing. The
shrill whistle of an approaching loco
motive drowned the last words of his
song, when Il was succeeded by a
piercing scream and cry for help,
several times repeated. Eph threw
down his bag of potatoes, and hurried
ly shambled forward.
For moment the rays of the rap
idly declining sun dazzled his eyes,
and he only saw black mass stand
ing across the railroad track. An
other instant, and he was abreast of
it, and in flash the situation was
clear to even his dull intellect. One
of tho wheels of Elias phaeton had in
some way got wedged fast between the
ends of two rails which, contracted by
the extreme cold, left an open space,
which had acted as q trap for the mar
row tire. She could neither advance
nor recede, and her crippled condition
rendered her helpless and unable to
stir. She gave an imploring glance
at Eph, who remained, however, mo-
tionless. The memory of his wrongs.
his wife's death, his lingering months
in Jail, his wrecked reputation, the
sneers of his neighbors at the ''jail
bird" surged in his brain. Another
whistle from the locomotive, and
again Ella looked at him imploringly
They could see the engine like huge,
hungry Minotaur rushing forward as
if eager to seize his prey, the engineer
with one arm across his eyes as though
to shut out the tragedy he knew was
coming, the other bearing hard on the
reversing lever. And in fraction of
second Eph's thoughts changed. He
remembered the girls kindness to his
wife, her gentleness to himself, the
kindly advice she used to give him,
her merry laugh when he told some
quaint negro legend about "Brer Rab-
bit" and his companions, and he hest
tated no longer, though already, for
his own sake, he had waited too long.
A leap, roar, and whir from the
passing train-no one ever knew how
it was done, but as the rafting cars
sped by, Ella was lying shaken but
unhurt on one side of the track, the
ponies were kicking and plunging in
the ditch, while across the road lay u
huddled, motionless heap of shattered
humanity.
Tho train had slowed up, and care
full hands raised Ella, and kindly
stranger was bathing her forehead.
AS she looked round vaguely, she saw
n circle of train hands and curious
passengers round the PROSTATE figure
on the other side of the road, and
heard the whispered remark on the
still, frosty air:
Hes alive, but dying fast"
'"Take me there" she gasped; and
when they demonstrated, an imperious
wave of tho hand secured the fulfill
ment of her request. As they laid the
crippled girl on the hard road by the
dying Eph, he seemed to feel her pres
cnce, and slowly opened his eyes,
while a faint smile parted his gray lips.
Use done ak your pardon, Miss
Ella" he feebly murmured.
"Oh, Eph, IslS my pardon? Why,
you saved my life, dear Eph."
''Yes'm. But wuz proud, and done
take no notice wen you said good
AFTERNOON, Miss Ella. Use been proud,
butt and tho voice grew fainter
and foinfpr--ssT'ca bo1 NV foil The