The herald., 1894-03-20

y
you ever since. That's the only reason
he has for not letting us marry.
81 exclaimed when you told me their
names, because knew / had somewhere
two cousins, Tom and Bile, but 1 didn't
know then all the story as 1 have told it
to you.
Sam, dear, grandfather is going to
send me to boarding school right away,
so l can't see you"
Then came some tender words from
the dear little girls loving heart, and l
decided that something must be done
and that at once.
The next day that I was in town l re-
ceived a note from Mollie telling me the
particulars. She was to go to boarding
school 100 miles away the next day on
the o'clock train, and her grandfather
was to go with her
had been thinking all night over a
plan, and resolved to put it into execu-
tion, for as to Mollie's going away SO
far from me 1t was utterly out of the
question.
First, wrote a long letter to Mollie,
0CoOAlOAl4 iAAD W hOlC Bldil anu RlNlLS ACI
minute directions as to her part in it.
This dispatched by messenger whom
l could trust, with directions to give it
to Mollie herself
Then | travelled all over town to get
leave of absence for the next day. was
going to take the next day off anyway,
but l thought I'd rather get it honestly if
l could.
l got permission for Joe Mcdonald to
run his engine on my train, and that
suited me. ! needed locomotive in car
rying out my plan. and Of course / knew
my own best. The rest of the night l
spent in some necessary carpenter work.
A long day the next was. obtained
marriage license, and with that in my
pocket l felt that l could defy dozen
crossgrained grandfathers.
Early in the afternoon got up steam
in AZ, and it seemed as if the minutes
were hours until 5 o'clock. I'd had to
tell the scheme to my fireman. I'd got
leave for him too.
was getting pretty nervous when we
started out little before o'clock.
We ran slowly up the road, and then
got on to side track that extended
alongside the main road about 10 miles
and luckily was just then free from cars.
AT last we heard the rumble of the ex-
press in the distance. Then pulled the
throttle, and we began to make a good
speed, SO that our gait just equaled that
of the express, and we ran side by side,
first, second, third car
That was the one l had told Mollie to
be in, and on the farther side, so that her
grandfather should not see my engine.
We fell back little and ran even with
the rear platform of the car. Would
she have the courage to do it? Such a
slight little thing as she was, and it
would need such pluck.
Could she escape the old mans vigi-
lance?
Yes, there she was on the platform!
Quick now; there was the result of my
nights carpenter work, a plank long
enough to reach from the cab of my To-
comotive to the platform of the car, pro-
vided with a rail, SO that the perilous
walk might be made as safe as possible.
1t was fitted in place, and she stepped
upon it bravely, though her cheeks were
deathly pale.
How anxiously watched every step,
keeping one hand on the throttle lest
either engine increase or slacken its
speed and the plank be shaken or bent
from the straight linel
Half way acrossl A little faltering as
she glanced down at the flying gravel.
Courage, my darlingP cried.
People were beginning to crowd to the
windows. and out upon the platform
rushed the brakeman and half dozen
passengers and among them GRANDPA
ther Stackpole.
No one dared to speak for fear that
Mollie would lose her balance. The
brakeman steadied that end of the
bridge, and the deacon wrung his hands
in misery.
Almost over. Two steps more, and
then l pulled her in and smothered her
with kisses, while the fireman slackened
our speed and played engineer for awhile.
The plank, Mollie's dangerous bridge,
fell to the ground as the express pulled
ahead, and we noticed that the feat had
been accomplished just in time, for l
looked out and saw only three-quarter
mile stretch of the side track before us.
We reversed the engine-dear old AZ
that had won me wife-and within an
hour I was the husband of the sweetest
little woman that man ever loved-my
Mollie here.
"What became of grandfather" He
soon forgave Mollie and has always
been kind to us, but his heart is still
darkened to Toms sons, whom Mollie
insisted on hunting up in Maine.
We found them both prosperous farm
ers, who had no need of grandfather
help, and this fact seemed to confirm
his determination to have nothing to do
with them.
Grandmother has visited them, and
she is the same kind hearted old lady,
dovotedly fond of Mollie and attached
to our two boys, Sam and Abijah.-
Hartford Times.
BY Degrees.
How carefully and how tenderly the