The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-05-19
W.

know not how long we knelt there
reverently, not daring to speak, but
with the tears streaming down our
faces-tears of which | have never
been ashamed. But, as helped Jennie
up and was leading her away, still
sobbing, some one touched me on the
shoulder, and, turning round, 1 saw a
mar whom | recognized instantly as
the stoker OF our engine. His left arm
was hanging loosely and helplessly in
a rough sling, which some thoughtful
passenger had eXtemporized. He drew
his right hand across his eyes, and
looking not at me-, but at the dead,
said !: You're his brother, sir aren't
YOU" nodded could not speak,
for at the moment any words would
choked me.
Sir" he said, 81 know all about
you and the young lady. Him lit
did not need anything L tell me that
he meant Hugh-"Him and me, we're
pals. / went to the shed, sir, just two
months after he did, and we've lust
stuck together like brothers ever since.
And, sir, he has told me many a time
about you. He was never jealous Of
you he always said that you deserved
her, and would make her happier than
ever he could. But | was certain that
beneath his kind, quiet manner, he
must often have been miserable, for /
could tell that he eve ceased to love
her. DO you know, sir, very often
when he's fallen asleep Off duty I've
seen him smile as sweetly as a child
and murm.ur Jennie, Jennie Don't
cry, miss, he's q lot happier now,
where he Is, than he ever would have
been
We've never been on this line be-
fore, sir, and shouldn't have peer to-
night, only just Is they were getting
the engine ready to bring your train,
she went of the turn-stile, somehow or
other, and the driver was thrown Off
and his head hurt. or course, O
wouldn't hear OF it, sir, there's many
a hundred accidents that people never
hear OF, because "a railway mans life
isn't OF much account, and If ones killed
they can easily get another. At any
rate, that's why we were told to take
the excursion back.
I'VE didn't like it.. It's very awk-
ward, you see, sir, when you are on a
strange line, because you don't know
exactly when to look for the signals,
nor where the curves and inclines
come. However, 1t had to be done.
and so we backed down In good time
VIZ "hioO VI VhO Dig Hdi. UuSU dDCuU
two minutes before we we're due 20
start, you went up the platform, and |
saw you and the young lady get into
one Of the carriages. | didn't know
how 1t was, but somehow your faces
seemed strangely familiar. and | was
wondering who you weie, when sud
denly he saw you and gave a great
start, and the blood rushed into his
face. Then he looked at me with such
an appealing, miserable look, that |
felt quite scared.
BILL he said, In O hoarse whisper,
it's them KNEW in "a minute who
you we're then, but / didn't like that
look 1t was just as though he was
going mad. However, there wasn't
much time to think of ii for Just then
the signal was given and we were oil
We went splendidly and ratified past
the station In ane style, until, just as
we got on the single line, we saw this
goods train slipBing along toward us
ht u fearful rate down the incline, and
knew that In 4wo minutes at most
be asmfsh, She was long way
,d, but. then Sou see, a goods traiu
hes no brakes, I'D we hadn't any worth i
awful, Hhsn d thing comes