The Van Buren press., 1895-02-02

tank, where Johnny's girl lived. Just
1T that moment the train gave .
frightful Jerk and l saw the engine go
rearing In air. and about hundred
feet ahead saw lantern swing Wild.
ly in the air and 60 down. went nat
on the car and hung there for dear life.
We stopped in ten Or twenty yards
and l swung OF the car like mad.
Great God.' thought, II that was
Johnnyl"
Something made me feel that no
had gone under the wheels, and when
l crawled ahead few cars there
found him, lying all white and still.
He was too much stunned to say q
word. We picked him up and started
to carry him 10 the house-whefe Jen.
ny lived. l saw that the wheels had
gone over both legs-over one near the
thigh and the other below the knee.
Ny, but he was game lad, for all the
torture OF carrying him up the hill
couldn't wiring d word from him. We
knocked at the door and said one OF
the boys had got hurt-that the en-
gine had jumped the track. A white
little face came to the door and looked
ut us q moment, and then as soon as
she saw me and my face Jenny
shrieked 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 Q doctor, but when he came he
saw at once tina 1t was no use. 1t was
only a question of how long Johnny
could survive the shock. He lay there
very quietly, and finally when the doc
tors examination was finished he said:
is there any show, old man9'
II couldn't reply, but he knew as l
turned my head away what the an.
swer was. Johnny was quiet for d
moment. and then pulling Jenny's
hand wi tn his own weakly. he said, in
husky voice: Little girl. ! want to
70 home And that h e 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
wrecking train had thrown the engine
out of the road and cleared the track,
and when the express came 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 q
wire.
1--WE didn't think he would last the
Journey, and about half way down he
suddenly clutched Jenny's hand hard
and then lay back still. The little
girl threw herself upon him sobbing
as il her heart would break, but 1t
didn't do any good. Poor Johnny was
gone"
Joe paused moment and looked into
the fire.
"Well," he SAID, ITO cut 1t short, when
we got into Jersey City Johnny's father
was there. 1t didn't take more than
a glance at his clothes and his portly
bearing to tell me he was a rich man.
He sprang into the car, and would
have pushed me out Of the road. |
knew who he was, and ! held on to
him, and said: Wait minute. John
ny was pretty badly hurt He grabbed
me like wise, and said, in set voice:
Can he live? l shook my head, and
he gaspcd: is he
"I led him over to where the boy lay,
but he didn't want to see him. He
looked very hard at the little girl who
sat there sobbing, and said, slowly: Is
this-JennyY And then he took her
very quietly in his arms and kissed
her.
II went to the funeral the next day.
The old mans hair had turned white,
and his face was as lined and rigid as
though he was mounting scaffold.
He was twenty years older than the
morning I 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
fast gang, and to try to curb him, his
father, who was wealthy banker, got
him place in q store as cashier.
Johnny's allowance wasn't enough,
and he made 1t up out of the cash
drawer. When 1t was discovered his
father made up the amount and then
sent Johnny adrift He never spoke
to him afterward, and when Johnny,
after a years good service on the road,
appealed to him for money enough to
get married on the old man returned
the letter. found It In Johnny's
coat pocket the morning we took him
home"
The train whistled for a station,
and "Joe," grabbing his lantern. es-
capped into the night and the falling
snow.-N. Y. Herald.