The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-10-20

L Wdo luuuiuS, uOI Will tuc dldrIu, anu
that something more to me than life
itself hung in the balance, though
what 1 could not tell. l slipped and
stumbled On the pavement; l strained
and struggled, and my breath came in
great gasps and sobs, and still l could
not 60 fast enough.
"I've answered that box a dozen
times, and I've never thought of
going any other way than down Canal
street. l knew that was the quickest
way, but in spite of the desperate
haste that was dragging me on, l gave
that way no thought, but kept straight
on up Main street to East. l did not
pause, for my way seemed as clear as
though some one ran before me, beck
oning me on. Down East street 1
turned, and here 1 was all alone, and
my footsteps echoed loudly back from
the deserted building as 1 ran. Far
down the street 1 could see something
coming, and coming fast, and as 1 saw
it an overpOwering fear took posses
sion of me, and l knew that l must
meet it before something, what l could
not tell, happened.
"Then in an instant 1 saw what it
was, a great dray, probably that of
some belated teamster coming from
the ferries, but now without a driver,
with the reins on the horses backs
and the horses themselves tearing
wildly up the street, with the dray
bounding and laundering behind them.
"And then, only a short distance
ahead of the oncoming dray, 1 saw
some one crossing the street, and my
heart leaped up in my throat as 1 rec
ognized the trim little figure l knew
so well. All in a second 1 saw her
stop, hesitate, turn back, trip on
something in the street and 60 down
directly in the path of the maddened
horses.
81 gave q great sob of terror and
bent forward, striving to run faster as
the realization of what it all meant
came over me, but it was like running
in a nightmare; my feet were as though
anchored to the ground, and l seemed
hardly to move. l paid no attention
to the dray; my whole life and soul
were in reaching that little heap on
the ground before it, and I felt that
if 1 could not do that it was better that
l., too, should 60 under the oncoming
hoofs.
est was all wei In a second, although
it seemed years, 30 keen was my agony.
The horses were almost on me when /
stopped and, hardly pausing in my run,
lifted her in my arms. 1 made a bound
to one side, but as l did so the shoulder
of the off horse struck mine, and l was
whirled round and dashed to the
ground, stunned and bewildered, but
holding Kitty safe in my arms, while
the dray went laundering by almost
above us.
81 was on my feet in an instant and
lifted her from the ground. l leaned
against the building, holding her close
to me and shaking from head to foot,
while my teeth chartered as if with
ague. My whole being had been SO
racked and torn by the fearful strain |
had gone through that l was nearly out
of my head, and l shivered and cried
and laughed as l tried to tell her in
wildly disconnected sentences how
happened to be there and how thankful
l was and how l loved her.
"And she, brave little woman, only
cried a little on my shoulder, and was
then as calm and sweet as ever an6
tried to soothe and steady me, who
strong mar that l was, was far more
frightened and unstrung than she.
aSoon / became calmer, and as sooI
as l could think at all l felt IN over
towering th|ankfulness for our escape
thankfulness even that the thine
had happened, for in those few
awful moments before l picked he
from the ground 1 had realized, as
could never have realized otherwise
what she was to me. For l knew thel
that if I could not have reached her il
time there would have been nothing il
life worth having for me, and that
should not have tried to escape tn
death which was to be hers.
"She gathered from my disconnecte
talk that l was on duty at a fire, an
she would not hear of my leaving m
post to go with her. 1t was only a fe'
steps to her car, and so in a few mt
ments / was alone again, and she VIZ
, on her way home. Only before sh
got on the car she put her hand
. mine and looked up into my eyes.
"'Don't think that I'm not Thankful
DEAR she said, NOR that | don't fe
what you've done. Only l can't te
. Won ~nOw-here'