Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-08-19

ing c1, For she vas running at q yooe
pace. and the snow on the tracks made
the cars lurch and svins. l looked
/ recognized the landmark, and knew
we were nearing the water tank. where
Johnny's girl lived. Just At that MOI
ment the train gave q frightful Jerk
and l saw the engine 20 rearing in air.
and about a hundred feet ahead
saw . lantern swing wildly in the air
and 70 down. / went Tat On the car
and hung there for dear life. We
stopped in ten or twenty yards and I
swung OF the car like mad. Great
Cod I thought, If that was Johnny
Something made me feel that no
had gone under the wheels, and when
l crawled ahead q few cars there I
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 to the house-where Jen-
ny lived. l saw that the wheels had
gone over both legs-over one near the
thigh and the other below the knee.
My, but he was game lad. for all the
torture Of carrying him up the hill
couldn't wiring a werd from him. We
knocked at the door and said one OF
the boys had got hurt-that the engine
had jumped the track. A white little
face came to the door and looked at
us a moment, and then a. soon as shs
saw me and my face Jenny shrieked
out. It's Johnnyv 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 a
doctor. but when he came he saw at
once that 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 doctors
examination was finished, he said: ''ls
there any show, old man?"
II couldn't reply, but he knew as
turned my head away what the an
swer was. Johnny was quiet for
moment, and then pulling Jenny's hand
with his own weakly. he said in .
husky voice: Little girl. want to so
home And that he insisted an 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 OH
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 Jenny would tell US was that his
father lived In New York. But she
gave the conductor an address for Q
wire.
The journey, and about half way down
he suddenly clutched Jenny's Dand
hard and then lay back still. The
little girl threw herself upon him Sob
bing as If her heart would break, but
1t didn't do any good. Poor Johnny
was gone"
Joe paused q moment and looked
into the fire.
We'll" he said. "to cut 1t short. when
we got into Jersey City Johnny's ia
ther was there. 1t didn't take more
than glance at his clothes AMI his
portly bearing to tell me that he was
a rich man. He sprang into the car
and would have pushed me out ot the
road. l knew who he was. and l held
on to him. and l said: Walt a mn
ute. Johnny was pretty badly hurt
He grabbed me like a wise, and said,
In a set voice. Can he live? l shook
my head, and he sasped, Is he
~ 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, slow
ly, is this-Jenny? And then he took
her very quietly in his arms and kissed
her.
Il went to the funeral the next day
That was the day before Christmas.
The old mans hair had turned white,
and his face WAS as lined and rigid
rs though he was mounting a scaf-
fold. He was twenty years older than
the morning / 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 wealthy banker,
got him place in 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 q
years good service on the road, ap-
pealed to him for money enough to
get married on the old man returned
the letter. l found 1t in JOhnny's coat
pocket the morning We took him home
The .rain whistled for a station, and
Joe" grabbing his lantern, escaped
into the night and the falling snow
New York Herald