The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-12


wasn't afraid, and just then the whistle
sounded down brakes We were sit
ting in the caboose, shivering around
dirty little fire. had frozen three
of my fingers, and thought INV cars
werc frosted, too. You see the storm
came SO sudden we didn't have time to
get on any mufilcrs, md the mittcns
were pretty thin.
well, we climbed out, and JOHNNY
ran on ahead, Saying that he was nil
right and he'd take the front The
cars on top were MS slippery us glass
and VIC had almost to Green nlonp
from one car to another to keep from
falling off, for she was running at n
good pace, and the snow on the tracks
made the cars lurch and swing.
looked up, and through the snow and
the dark 1 recognized the landmark,
and knew we were nearing the wnter
tank, where Johnny's girl lived. Just
ut that moment the train gave n
frig htful jerk and saw the engine go
rearing in air, and about hundred
feet ahead saw lantern swing wild
ly in the mir and go down. / wont fiat
on tho car and hung there for dear life.
We stopped in ton or twenty wards
III.
Great God, thought, if that was
Johnny!"
Something made me feel that he
had gone under the wheels, and when
l crnwlcd ahead q few cars there L
found him, lying all white and still
lie was too much stunned to say a,
word. We picked him up and started
to carry him to the house-where Jen-
I AZ.
gone over both lcgs-over one near the
thigh and the other below the knee.
My, but he was n game lad, for all the
torture of carrying him up the hill
couldn't wiring word from him We
knocked at the door and said one of
the boys had got hurt-that the en-
CINE had jumped the track A white
little face came to the door and looked
Mt us moment, and then as soon as
she saw Inc and my face Jenny
shriel1cd out: IT'S johnny But she
didn't faint or cry, nor say another
word. We just carried him in and put
him on the bed and she took charge of
him. One of the boys rode over to
get doctor, but when he came he
saw at once tina t 1T vNs no use. 1t was
only question of how long Johnny
could survive the shock. He lay there
very quietly, and finally whom the doc
tors examination wns finished he said:
is there any show, old man?'
81 couldn't reply, but he knew as |
turned my head away what the an
swer was. ohnny was quiet for n
moment, and then pulling Jenny's
hand with his own weakly, he said, In
husky voice: Little girl, wnnt to
20 home And that h Insisted on all
the rest of the night. We didn't think
that he'd be alive by morning. But he
was, and we decided to put him on
board the morning express. The
wreclling train had thrown the engine
out of the road and cleared the track,
and when the express camc down we
tagged her and took Johnny aboard.
! All Jennie would tell us was that his
| father lived in New York. But she
gave the conductor an address for a
wire.
eve didn't think he would last the
! journey, and about half way down he
suddenly clutchcd Jcnny's hand hard
and then lay back still. The little
girl threw herself upon him sobbing
as if her heart would break, but it
didn't do any good. Poor Johnny was
gone"
Joe paused Il moment and looked into
| the fire.
We'll" he SAID, ''to cut it short, when
we got into Jersey City ohnnys father
was there 1t didn't take more than
n glance at his clothes and his portlv
bearing to tell me he was rich man
lie sprang into the car, and would
| how nd 4
knew who he was, and | held on to
him, and L said: Wait minute John
ny was pretty badly hurt lie grabbed
me like wise, and said, in set voice:
Can he live?' 1 shook my head, and
he gaspcd: is he
81 led him over to where the boy Law,
but he didn't want to sec him. lie
looked very hard at the little girl who
sat there sobbing, and said, slowly: Is
this-Jenny?' And then he took her
very quietly in his arms and kissed
her.
Il went to the funeral the next dav.
The old mans hair had turned white,
and his face was as lined and rigid as
though he was mounting a scaffold
He was twenty years older than the
morning l saw him first 1t seems
that Johnny had been brought up,
like most boys, to have all the money
he wanted. He got wild and in with
a fast gang, and to try to curb him, his
father, who was a wealthy banker, got
him place in u store as cashier.
Johnny's allowance wasn't enough,
and he made it up out of the cash
drawer. When it was discovered his
father made up the amount and then
sent Johnny adrift- He never spoke
| to him afterWard, and when Johnny.