Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-01-17

low, employed TO guard the company's
tools and machinery against mischief at
night. and his patrol, since Mary inhab-
tied the cabin, had brought him very fire.
guently past the place. He CHANGED to
have come almost there when he heard
the outcry. Upon seeing the cause OF
the girls fright he dropped all perturba-
tion of his own and treated the incident
as matter of course The lunatic wob-
bled like a drunken man about to col
lapse as he mumbled his request over
and over again.
Here now, Eph," the watchman said,
with as much Of cajolery as command,
"you mustn't bother the young lady.
Amt you ashamed to scare her this way.
Get right out of this"
The watchman took the other by the
arm, ard as they started off-one insist
ing, one objecting-the official looked
back to say, "He won't hurt nobody,
Miss Warriner; he's just a little cranky.
that's all"
Mary watched them out of sight, and
while she was doing SO Gerald Heath
approached from the contrary direction.
He had heard the girls scream. Why
he was within earshot he might not have
been able to explain satisfactorily, for it
was not his habit to take midnight walks,
even when the air was SO brightly moon
lit and SO temporarily fine; but if cross
questioned he would doubtless have
maintained that he had sought only to
escape from the darkness and closeness
Of his shanty quarters. Besides, where
would he so likely wander in quest Of
good sight and breath as to the spot
whence he could view the scenery which
he in vain asked the railway company to
exhibit to their passengers. As he turned
the corner Of the cabin he saw Eph and
the watchman departing, and compre-
hended the disturbance.
"Eph has been frightening you, Miss
Warriner." he said.
Mary screamed again. but this time it
was a low. musical little outcry Of mod
esty. She had not observed Gerald's ap-
proach. She clutched the blanket closely
around her white throat. which had been
almost as much exposed as by an ordi-
nary cut of frock. and drew under cover
the cleaning wrists which had all day
been barred to greater extent by sleeves
of handy working length. Then she
reached out one taper arm and swung
the sash around on its hinges, SO its
inner covering of muslin made a screen
between her and the visitor. He did not
! apologize for his intrusion, and she
| pouted a little, on her safe side Of the
eoch at HE fiilura 10 do so
Il see it was Eph that alarmed you. :"
he said. what did he do:"
She told him, and then asked. "Who
is he, and what ails himy"
HE is common laborer with an un-
common affection" was the reply. Zone
day an excavation caved in and for an
hour he rs buried. Some timbers made
a little space around his head, but the
rest of him was packed in earth. He
had breathed the inclosed air two or
three times over, and was almost suffo-
Gated when we got him out He was
insensible. He never came back to his
senses. He believes he is living at the
rate Of more than year every hour.
That is why he was in such a hurry with
his imaginary message"
Poor fellow!' came from the diverse
side of the sash.
"Yes. poor fellow" the narrator as
sented. Il understood his hallucination
at once. When man is suddenly placed
in mortal peril his past life dashes before
him. Half drowned men afterward tell Of
reviewing in minute the events of years.
1t is curious mental phenomenon. Well,
this poor chap had that familiar expert
ence, but with singular sequence. The
impression that all his lifetime before the
accident happened in brief time has re-
mained in his disordered mind. He be-
lieves that his whole earthly existence is
condensed--that future years as well as
his past ones are compressed into days,
and his days into minutes. Nothing can
disabuse him of th& idea Everything is
to him ephemeral. That's why named
him Eph-short for ephemeral, you see.
He doesn't remember his real name, and
on the roll he had only a number. He
has done his work well enough until
within few days, but now his malady
seems to have turned to the worst. He
has talked wildly of getting some physi-
clans to check the speed of time with
! him, and it may have been that he wished
to telegraph to this fancied expert"
1T is singular" Mary said, land very
sad"
The midnight incident seemed to have
come to conclusion. 1t was a proper
tirue for Gerald to say good night and
go away. He still stood on the opposite
side of the half open sash. around the
edge of which appeared small set Of
finger tips, which pulled the screen a
little closer. showing that the girl was
minded to shut herself in. But hand
twice as big opposed hers, gently yet
strongly, and in doing so it touched her,
upon which she let go and the window
flew open.
"Oh, you mustn't see me-" Mary ex-
claimed, as Gerald got a vanishing
glimpse of the white draped figure.
"Good night"
"You will be afraid if left alone,'
Gerald protested; you can't go to sleep,
nervous as YOU must be"