Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-07-24

tie held her hand and mighty strug-
gle went on within him. He knew
what the tears meant and he longed to
take her in his arms; but pride and eau
ton whispered:
"Waitl You have the world before
you"
And so he spoke no word, but left her.
He had never really meant to give
her up. He intended in tho near future
to go back for her; but, first, no was
too poor to take the time, and after
ward the business world claimed him as
It's slave-its slave when most he felt
himself It's master.
So the days passed by and he never
went back.
Then he heard that another had won
her, and for moment J. Weldon Brad.
shaw admitted to himself that he had
possibly made mistake in life after
all.
In course of time he married his part
ner's daughter. He paid her bills.
treated her with respectful considera-
ton, and when she died regretted the
unfortunate circumstance. But her
face had no place on the window. The
youth of the past was crying to the man
of to-day for reparation and would not
be silenced.
"Why did you treat me SOP" he cried.
why did you stifle my love, teaching
me this terrible, absolute Indifference
to everything good or bad2 Why did
you train me to think that money and
what money could buy was the best in
life and nothing else mattered2 What
have you given me in return for youth,
love and liberty?"
And Weldon Bradshaw bowed his
head in silence. Dead sea fruit.
Clearly he saw now, as In the light
of MONDAY, the life he had missed.
The life Of love and higher aspiration,
the abnegation Of self that leads to the
larger heart the kindlier hand"
All this he saw, and groaned in
spirit
On through the night rushed the ex-
press; but side by side with It kept the
phantom train filled with the ghosts Of
Weldon Bradshaw's past.
The young bride had gone to sleep
with her head on her husbands shoulder
and the other passengers were in vari-
GUS stages of Inconsistencies.
Suddenly violent, shuddering jerk
throughout the train-a mighty crash
and heaving, and then silence more ter.
rible.
Silence for a moments space only,
however; then cries, questions, exclam-
ations-a wild confusion OF tongues.
The engine had jumped the track on
down grade and half dragged the
baggage car with It; but the passenger
coaches were only badly shaken. 1t
would have been a terrible disaster but
for the quickness ana nerve of the en-
gineer-he stopped the train in its own
length, but his life was the price.
The crowd grew silent as they stood
about the wreck and that motionless
object now stretched upon the roadside,
They peered into each others pale
faces, scarcely visible by the Pickering
light of few lanterns carried In ner-
vous hands
Thank Godl they were all safe-but
one man had given up his life for them,
she did his duty nobly," they said,
and then began to think how they could
continue their journey.
1t was not that they were unfeeling-
only "practical;" there was nothing to
be done and they were In hurry.
Only Bradshaw remained standing by
the body-he felt shaken, unnerved,
strangely old. Those silent lips seemed
bidding him stay. A voice was speak
ing to him through them unheeded by
other ears: Even as am wilt thou
be. "-Charlotte Rogers, In Leslie's
Newspaper.