Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-04-19

nelplug DllnSell Ou iuOfc tllttll Ouo w
casion to other peoples chickens, was
walking along the high road on his
way to Farmer Bellows
The farmer had promised him sack
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' fall
Ya-as, Mis- Ella pride he goes befo'
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 he had set words
of his own to the tune, and they ran
something like this;
'Possum climb up a mighty tall tree,
En- larf wen he hear de niggah CALL
But he shets his mouf wen de trees cut down.
Hits de pride dat goes befo his fall
He was still humming the last line
for about the twentieth time as he
drew near n turn in the road, on the
other side of which a branch of the
local railroad line ran across the road
and made a surface crossing. The
shrill whistle of an approaching loco
motive drowned the last words of his
song, when it 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 a moment the rays of the rap
idly declining sun dazzled his eyes,
and he only saw a black mass stand
ing across the railroad track. An
other instant, and he was abreast of
it., and in a flash the situation was
clear to even his dull intellect. One
of the 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 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 wite'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 a 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
t coming, the other bearing hard on the
TCNGTSlllO lCNtT. Allll III IL lIuCllOll vi
a second Eph's thoughts changed. HI
} remembered the girls kindness to hi'
{ wife, her gentleness to himself, the
5 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, fol
t his own sake, he had waited too long
/ A leap, a roar, and a whir from tn,
passing train-nO one ever knew how
: it was done, but as the rafting car
sped by, Ella was lying shaken bu
: unhurt on one side of the track til,
ponies were kicking and plunging il
' the ditch, while across the road lay
t huddled, motionless heap of shattered
e humanity.
S The train had slowed up, and care
full hands raised Ella, and kindl,
stranger was bathing her forehead
e AS she looked round vaguely, she say
Y circle of train hands and curiou
: passengers round the PROSTATE fgur
e on the other side of the road an,
g heard the whispered remark on tn
STILL frosty air:
+ He's alive, but dying fast"
X 1dhc lllc llcIt, Slc SdSpcu, All
It when they demonstrated, an imperiou
o wave of the hand secured the fulfil
S ment of her request. AS they laid tn
d crippled girl on the hard road by tn
o dying Eph, he seemed to feel her pres
l. ence, and slowly opened his eyes
while faint smile parted his gray lip,
e Use done AK your pardon, Mis-
1t Ella he feebly murmured
G "Oh, Eph, ask my pardon2 Why
d you saved my life, dear Eph."
l. "Yes'm. But wuz proud, and don
@ take no notice wen you said goo
d AFTERNOON, Miss Ella. Use been prouC
is but and the voice grew faint(
II and fainter-''I'se had my fall" I'll
big eyes closed, and in his fall he la
S. risen. So Eph got even after all.
l. Horace Townsend in Once Week.
% An Eye in a Hair
l. Naa11ac bava baep rSe1 timn ont 4