Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-26

It, choking the life out OF him. We
started 70 separate them, but when wo
found that Johnny hud BIZ so that he
could not do any damage with the knife
we let them fight II out. BIZ finally
held up nis hand for mercy and then
Johnny let him up. After we got them
cooled Off Johnny made BIZ shnko
hands. and, though he didn't show II
then, | think afterwnrd BIZ came 70
think as much OF him as the rest OF US.
up the road not very far from Al
bany there IL n pretty little farm that
runs down to the river. and right at
the corner OF II there was n water tank,
II happened that on this farm there
was u dark eyed little girl who was
the Idol OF all the boys along the road.
She wouldn't ilirt with US, but she used
often 10 como down to the water tank
and get little packages which the en-
gineer, who was friend Of the family,
used TO bling down from Albany. She
was plump and peachy, with dark eye
brows and long lashcs. and under them
the prcttlest pnlt OF eyes ] over saw.
There wasn't one of us who wouldn't
have married her quick II she'd had us
But she was sort o. reserved and shy
and none of us had nerve enough to
make love to her All except Johnny.
All the girls smiled on Johnny aud he
smiled on them. He didn't have to see
tho lusH twice before he was head over
heels In love with her and II wasn't
very long before he made her know all
about H. TO WOO was 10 win with
Johnny, and regular as his train passed
the farm Jenny--tlat was the little
, danes name--waB a ways there 10 meet
| him. We used TO chaff Johnny a good
deal over the matter, but We couldn't
get much out OF him. Somehow, through
the engineer or somebody, though. we
| found out that Johnny was going to
marry the girl If he could get her father
TO consent lie couldn't very well
marry on the snlary he was getting as
u raw brakeman.
Things ran along through the sum
MGR and into the fan, ANA we noticed
that Johnny had got very qhiet ana
reserved Ike, and was evidently brood
| ms over something AT last we found
out that Johnny had been promised n
raise, ana that along about the holidays
ne was 10 be- made a passenger brnlte-
| man, ana then he wns going to pet
married. There wasn't one OF us thnt
| wasn't glad OF IT, or who enyied him
nus good luck. Tho fail stretched away
INTO the winter I remember and my.
| wasn't II beautiful weather. You'd
stand on top OF n car and as Tho train
wound along Tho river shore mile after
nlr' Just drinking In the air md view.
bfhking la hard llfc with lots OF dam
ger and pretty slim pay But those
Gays we'd forget all about the hard
ships and everything else. Johnny yUna
on the same train with mo ma 6apDv
/ ms a lark, thinking how he would marry
! ana 80 up TO Albany 10 live. | used
TO notice, though, that every once in n
wlille MS brow would cloud up. as n no
him
such weather couldn't Inst. though.
ana whom the end came, 10 came win
q squell. Tho thermometer dropped
Forty degrees and a cold. driving rain
mat had set In In the afternoon turned
toward night into drifting binding
| snow We had big train that night.
ma with the snow and the uicet nni
tho cold II gave us no end OF troubIn
sue parted three or -four times Rolng
not more than twenty miles, and II
was cold, dangerous work Slipping
along the top setting brakes or gcttln,.
| down to mako couplings. The wind
hpwled ana Whlated and the snow cut
your iace Ike going through hedge
II was dark and the lnntprnB didn't
snow plain through the snow, ana ev-
erythlng seemed 10 go wrong. Sew
elal times we thought We were stalled
IN Tue drifts, but we'd uncOuple and
send the engine ana two or three cars
through the drift, ana then back up
ana take the rest OF the trtln through.
| we wanted to get through to Albauy
| for tile next day was a lay-off. ana
| two days nfter that came Christmas.
Johnny and ! fought like beavers
| agllnlt the cold, and ! tcn YOU, it VIVA
| tekllsh work, felt moro nnXloug
about Johnny than ! did about myself.
1 for | was old at the business and he
! was new, and I know how easy IA waa
/ Tor sudden Jerk to scnd man ny-
I ing down between the wheels. Bur
Johnny wouldn't listen. Ila said ho
| wasn't afraid, and Just then the whls-
| tle sounded down brakes We were
! sitting IN the cabooge, shlvcrlug around
ulrtN httle IRE, had frozen three
l OF my hngcra and ! thought my ears
| were frosted, too. You see the Rtorm
came 90 sudden we diun't have time 10
! get on any muiilers and the mlttcns
\ were pretty thin
"Well, we climbed out, and Johnny
! ran on ahead, saying that he WIS an
/ right ana he'd take tho front The cara
on top were as slippery es glass. mud
we had almost to creep along from one
! car to another 10 keep from falling
! or FOR SHE was running at good pace.
| and the snow ON the tracks made tho
cars lureh ana swing, ! looked tip
! ana through the snow and tho dark /
/ recognized the landmark and l,ncw we
| We're nearing the water tank, whore
I Jnhnnys girl lived Just at tAnt mo-
usent the train gave a frlghtful fork
aud saw the engine so rearing In
{ alf uhu Nnout hundred feet ahead
! saw n lantern swing wildly In tho
air and go down / went Nat on tho
car nnd hung there for dear life. We
stopped In ten or twenty yards nnd I
, swung or the car Ike mad. Great
God ! thought 'lt that was JOHNNY"
"snnethl~ made me feel that he
had gone uudor the wheels, and whom
! crnwled ahead few ears there |
found HIM lying an white and utm
III was too much stunned 10 say a
word, We picked him up and started
20 carry him 10 the hnuse--wherc lem
ny lived ! saw that tho wheels Ind
gone over both lcgs-over one near the
thigh and the other below the knee
NY, but he was game lad, for All
TIE torture OF carrying him up tho Hill
couldn't wiring word from him we
knocked ut tho door and said one or
the boys had rot hurt-that the on.
glnc had Jumped the track a white
little face camp 10 the door and looked
nj Us moment and then as soon
M she saw mo md my fce, Jenny
shrekcd out IT'S Johnnyw Hut abe
didn't faint or cry. nor say another
word. We lust carried him in and mn,
him on the bed ana she took CHARGE
Of him One OF the boys r,de over 10
got n doctor, but whom he came he M ~
at once that 4, was no use II was
only n question OF how long Johnny
could survive the shock He lay there