The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-26
ABridef0r an Hour.
4 Thrilling Story Of the Johns
town Disaster.
BY DAVID LOWRY.
CHAPTEH IX.-(Continued),

IL u6 COulu " ~ sleep auo ao'eA noAS
again. He thought more of the problem
than he had thought during his life.
He sank into slumber again, and agalr
he dreamed.
He was journeying again. Now he wa,
travelling by rail. He was whirled ovel
endless countries, all new to him. There
were as many stations as are usually en-
countered in the United States, but fol
some inexplicable reason the travellers
passed through these depots one after the
other. Never by any chance did two wall
abreast.
Somers was accompanied in these jour
neyings by his wife. His wife always en-
tered the cars first, always left them
first, entered, passed through and out OF
the depots first. Somers had q premo-
milton that he would lose her, spite Of the
order in which the vast body of people
travelled.
Suddenly he misGed her, and then he
was in an agony of apprehension as he
strove to find her.
He woke with start. Tom Jerrold was
standing over him.
You were dreaming?"
Yes; I had the nightmare, think.
He sat up, and could not be induced to
risk closing his eyes again lest he should
experience equally horrible dreams, until
Mr.. Broadhurst, who was near at hand,
came to him. Mr. Broadhurst talked OF
life in way Somers had never heard any
man talk before. There was philosophy
that sustained Broadhurst-a philosophy
that did not rob the world of religion
or q God. 1t ennobled the philos-
opher, and placed his God upon q
higher plane than most preachers placed
the ruler of the universe. Listening to
Mr.. Broadhurst, Somers fell asleep q
third time, and again he dreamed.
When he woke up the third time, this
dream was the most vivid and the most
disturbing of all.
He walked about in the darkness, keep
ing poor Tom Jerrold company. Tom
was thinking of his daughter and his
erandchild. If the food had taken one
but to lose both was more than Tom
Jerrold's philosophy was equal to.
II heard Mr.. Broadhurst talking to
you. I hope he comforted you-I am
sorry to say all the religion and all the
philosophy in the world cannot reconcile
me to my loss, Mr.. Somers. 1t doesn't
lessen the pain to me. That baby
clutched my heartstrings tighter than its
mother ever did. It was never out Of my
sight twenty -four hours since it was born.
They were oil had in the world. There
is neither chick nor child left now. I have
not soul can call relative this side
OF the ocean"
Somers sympathized deeply with him,
and thus it came about that long before
day broke Jerrold was comforted by Som
ers.
T.- L.f.-o lo-a 3ho oooo1o ubo
crouched on the mountain side, dazed
with grief, suffering cold (scarcely one in
dozen had clothing sufficient to keep
them warm), were astir.
Here and there fires were lit only to
flicker few minutes and then die out.
The fewest number were able to find dry
wood.
AS the light broadened, the scene re-
vealed to them surpassed in its simplest
features the greatest ruin human eye ever
beheld Where the city of Johnstown
sat between the mountains they beheld
waste of waters, with few houses stand.
ing here and there. Hundreds of build
ings were swept away. The devastation
wrought in an hour was indescribable. It
appalled, those who looked on; the stout
est hearts grew faint looking over that
scene of woe, where death overlook en-
tire families in many forms.
There was enough work for an hun
dred hands where there was only one.
BY noon on Saturday Somers was faint
ing-exhausted by his labors.
It was we'll on in the afternoon, how
ever, before either he or Mr.. Broadhurst
found anything to appease their hunger,
and even then the crackers they moistened
with water almost choked them as they
thought of the thousands up and down
the vsiley who had nothing.
But there were the dead to arrange de-
Gently, so that they could be buried
Among the first to whom friendly atten-
zion was paid was the remains of Alexan-
der Rutledge, the lawyer. Numbers who
knew him well looked on the remains be-
fore they were buried in shallow grave,
with only sheet around the body.
Enoch Broadhurst helped to dig the
grave. ST Harkess and Tom Jerrold we're
also present. Before Broadhurst wrapped
the body in the sheet, man approached
the group. There was no one near the
body at the time but ST Harkess, who
looked up and beheld Giles Brockle.
Giles looked down on the face of the
dead man. AS he looked, he drew long
breath; then, turning on his heel, sudden
ly walked away as quickly as he came.
j 81 Harkess looked after him curiously,
mlttering: He mus be skeered to die.
Couldn't a-bear to look at Mars Rut-
ledge.
! While Giles thought was, 1The only
man feared is out Of the way. John
Watson, the preacher, is drowned. The
only living man who knew there was q
will is Tom Jerrold over there, for whom
I do not care snap. The property is
mine-all mine now. defy any one liv-
ing to prevent me from doing as please
with it-as soon as my uncle is dead"
He did not wait until his uncle died.
Before nightfall Giles adopted manner
and tone, addressing many who were
tenants Of Tom Peters, which indicated
proprietorship. One Of these, more cour.
ageous than the others, resented Giles
tone.
Are you acting for Mr.. Peters, Mr..
Brockle? If you are, would like to see
YOUR authority. ! am not in the habit OF
ueallng with two men when bargain with
one."
You may have me to deal with alone,
possibly"
Then there will be no deal, the tenant
retorted, hotly. Il am going to burn this
shed and this fence if want to, either to
accommodate suffering people or to
please myself. I'll answer to Mr. Peters
for it. AS to answering to you, there can
never be any bargain between US two"
III make you rue that Speech" said
Giles, calmly, as he looked steadily at the
tenant.
I'll make you rue you ever trespassed
upon my premises if you do not get off