Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-05-15

wus like knives in me.
"Then he pressed me to go again an
spend q Sunday at the cottage. put
him off, but he wouldn'ttaale mo- for an
answer So, whether for fear of hurtin
his feelfn's, or because couldn't keep
away, 1 can't say, but 1 yielded, an
went. After that went several times,
an each time l got deeper an deeper
in love with Johns sweetheart, aye, an
what seemed worse, 1 couldn't help
KNOWN that Mary was troubled the
same way. But will say this, never
tried to make Mary love me, an never n
word of love passed between us, but,
sometimes, l thought saw trouble in
Johns eyes, an then I'd vow to myself
to go no more.
"Often enough I'd be on tn front o
tn engine, or on th' tender, when we
passed the stile that summer, an do as
1 would, 1 couldn't help but look to
catch her eye. An 1 never missed,
though she waved her hand to old John.
"One evenin', in the early autumn of
that year, we were goin' at as good
speed us the incline would let us, an
just gettin' towards the cottage. John
had sentme round to he front o. then
gine with my oil-can, an L couldn't help
lookin' ahead to see if Mary was stand
in waitin' at the stile. Yes, she was
there as usual, right in front of us, for
tle line curved TO the right just at the
stile, am was hidden from view behind
little wood. couh see her print dress,
an the same whte linen bonnet she
wore when 1 first saw her in the garden
on that spring evenin'. Oh, how my
heart went out to her, an how that old
wicked feelin' towards John rushed
through me, an made my nevres tingIe
from head to foot,
"Mary had her back towards u.s.. q
very unusual thing-an' l remember
wonderin' why. Then the usual three
whistles sounded, short an sharp. She
turned instantly, an threw up her
hands like one demented. We went
thunderin' down to the croSsin' where
she Stood an 1 saw her eyes starin' at
me, like Goals of fire set in face ais
white as chalk. She fascinated me.
"Just then old John shut off steam,
an heard him doin' a thing he'd ne er
done afore-reversin' the engine! All
of sudden Mary seemed to wake up,
an find a horrible dream true, for I
heard, above the roar of the train, the
grindin' of the rails, and the shrek of
the brakes, that had been jammed hard
| down. heard one piercing scream. 1t
was word-my name-'Harry!'
"Of course all this happened i'll a
| 6,.aotb1oSc caoonl nv
time is sometimes squeezed into half a
minute, sir. 1 took my eyes from
Mary's face as we passed her, standin'
as if turned to stone, an looked ahead.
Heavens! what a sight! Bearin' down
on us at great rate of speed was an
engine an tender-a runaway! 1t
was comm down the bank, tender first,
an we we're timed to meet at the juno
ton. saw it all in flash. The train
was jumpin' like buckin' horse, am,
with my body all of q tremble, I'd as
much as 1 could do to get back to the
foot plate.
There stood John Wright, of course.
I seemed to see him, and naught else.
He'd done all man could do, an was
standin' stock-still, with one hand on
the lever. But it wasn't his stiffness
that made the tears start to my eyes.
1t was the look on his face. 1t made
Inc nearly forget the doom to which we
were rushin'. I can't describe it, 1t
was the look of a man who has nothing
left to live for-whose hope had been
suddenly wiped clean out forever.
THE instant he saw me his face
changed. He sprang towards me, an,
seizin' me by the arm with grip oH
steel, spo,.e in hoarse whisper, that
could be heard above everything:
Jump off, my lad-you've time-you
can do it. Jump off!-for her sake
she loves thee-for her sake. Harry
for heavens sake!'
81 said: Nay, John
"'Quick,' he says. Harry! Harry!
Jump for your Mary's sake!'
81 swung one leg off the engine-life
was dear-an' prepared for spring
into the grass. Then great surgin'
love for this man came over me, an !
turned sudden-like, an took him by
the hand, an l says: John, we'll stick
together, an die together-if it's Gods
| ncI StNe- AL ut JllSI gave ult
that sweet look, an stepped in front OF
me, as if to put his great frame be.
twiXt me an death, an there came u
crash as if heaven an earth had met
an seemed to roll over an over, an
then it felt as if the whole earth had
risen up an smitten mean / knew nc
more.
81 woke from a troubled dream thai
seemed to have lasted lifetime, an
opened my eyes, half conscious, an not
sure but that was still dreamin'. Then
1 slipped off again, an remember
thinkin' tnat the sweet eyes thai
mine had seemed to meet, were the
eyes OF my guardian angel. An they
were, sir-for, when I opened my eyes
again, adj the past came back to me with
the fearful face of Mary Mathers.
II put my hand out on the counter
pane, an she put hers gently on top o.