The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-02

trouble down the road, and when 'Bilr
had offered to fight Johnny had re-
fused. He tried to keep out Of Bilrs
way. but when .Bilp said he was afraid,
Johnny turned and walked squarely
up to him and said quietly: You take
that back. l never knew just how 1t
was done, but 'Bilv made some sort
of feint. and the next moment the
big, hulking lubber WAS lying on the
ground. Bill didn't seem to know
what hit him. But he went at johnny
with such 4 savage look that n lad
without genuine pluck would have
turned feather. But when Bill lay
Sprawling on the ground a second time
we found out that Johnny was a sci
cntihc boxer. There was an ugly olea m
in 'BilfS eye when he got up. and os
he got close up to Johnny all of a sud-
den he fourished Il big jackknife he
always carried. How he got II ont
of his pocket | never could tell. He
made lunSc, but Johnny lodged clev-
erly and the knife just grazed his face
Tie was on BIZ quicker than 1T takes
20 tell 1t, choking the life out of him
we started TO separate them, but when
we found that Johnny had Bill so
that he could not do any damage with
the knife We Let them fight it out. Bill
finally held up his hand for mercy and
then Johnny let him up. After we
got them cooled or johnny made .Bjir
shake hands, and, though he didn't
show 1t then, | think aftcrward BIZ
came 10 think us much or him as the
rest of us.
TIP the road not very far from AL
bany there Is Il pretty little farm that
runs down I" the river. and right at
the corner of it was Il water tank. IT
happened that on this farm there was
dark eyed little girl who was the
idol of all the boys along the road.
She wouldn't tiirt with us, but she
used often TO come down to the water
tank and get little packages which
the engineer. who was friend of the
family, used to bring down from AL
bany. She WAS plump and peachv.
with dark eyebrows and long lashes,
and under them the prettiest pair OF
eyes ever saw. There wasn't one of
us who wouldn't have married her
sort q reserved and shy and none of
us had nerve enough To make love to
her. All except Johnny. All the girls
smiled on Johnny and he smiled ON
them. He didn't have to see the lass
twice before he was head over heels
In love with her and it wasn't very
long before he made her know all
about IL. 10 WOO was to win with
Johnny. and regular as his train pass
ed the farm Jonny-that was the little
DANES name-wnS always there TO
meet him. We used to chaff Johnny
good deal over the matter, but we
couldn't get much out Of him. Some
how, through the engineer or some
body. though, we found out that John
NY WAS going to marry the girl if he
could Tct his father to consent He
couldn't very well marry on the sal
ary he was getting as raw brake
man.
Things ran along through the sum
mcr and into the fall, and we noticed
that Johnny had got very quiet and
reserved like, ana was evidently brood
ing over something. At last we found
raise. and that along about the holi-
days he was To be made Il passenger
hrakrman. and then he WAS doing to
get married. There wasn't one OF us
that wasn't glad OF it. or who cnvied
him his good luck. The fall stretched
way into the winter. | remember, and
my. WASN'T il beautiful weather! You'd
stand up on top Of Il car. and as the
train wound along the river shore mile
after mile, just drinking in the air
and view. Braiing is hard life, with
lots OF danger and pretty sim pay.
But those days we'd forget all about
the hardships and everything else
Johnny waS on the same train with
NE and happy rs Il lark. thinking how
h would marry and go up to Albany
t" live. | used To notice. though that
every once in = while his brow would
cloud up. a ii ii" was thinking of
something that hurt him.
'Such we" her couldn't last. though.
and Whom the end came, il came with
Il :'Iuall. The thermometer dropped
forty degrees. aid Il cold. driving rain
that had set in in the afternoon turned
toward night into 4 drifting. binding
snow. We had Il big train that night.
ANA with the snow and the Slect and
the cold II gave us no end Of trouble
She parted th-c" or four times going
not more than twenty miles. and i, was
cold. dan%"ruuS work slipping along
tho top setting brakes or getting down
io m;k" couplings. The wind howl"d