Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-16

swer. So, whether for fear of hurtin his
feelins or because l couldn't keep away,
can't say, but yielded an went After
that went several times, an each time 1
got deeper an deeper in love with Johns
sweetheart aye, an what seemed worse, |
couldn t help KNOWN that Mary was trou-
bled the same way. But l will say this,
never tried to make Mary love me, an new
er word of love passed between us, but
sometimes I 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. TIL
kgine, OF on TIL tender, when we passed
he stile that summer an do as l would, /
couldn't help but look to catch her eye.
An l never missed, though she waved her
hand to old John.
Zone evenin, In the early autumn of
that year, we were goin at as good speed
as the incline would let us an just gettin
toward the cottage. John had sent me
round to tn front O. tn engine with my
oil can, an couldn't help lookin ahead to
see If Mary was standin waiting at the
stile. Yes, she was there as usual, right
| in front of us, for the line curved to the
right just at the stile, an was hidden from
| view behind a little wood. I could see her
| print dress, an the same white linen bon
net she wore when l first saw her in the
garden on that spring evenin. Oh, how
my heart went out to her, an how that old
wicked feelin toward John rushed through
me an made my nerves tingle from head to
foot.
Mary had her back toward us--a very
unusual thing-an l remember wonderin
why. Then the usual three whistles sound.
ed, 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 saw her eyes starin at
me, like Goals of fire set in II face as white
as chalk. She fascinated me.
"Just then old John shut off steam an
heard him dom thing he'd never done
afore-reversin the engine! All of sud
den Mary seemed to wake up an find hor-
rible dream true, for l heard, above the
| roar of the train, the grindin Of the rails,
| an the shrek of the brakes that had been
| jammed hard DOWN. heard one piercing
scream. 1t was word-my name-'Har-
| ry!'
"Of course, all this happened in u
| breathless second or two. Half a lifetime
| is sometimes squeezed into half min
ute, sir. took my eyes from Mary's face
| as we passed her, standin as if turned to
| stone, an | looked ahead. Heavens, what q
| sight! Bearin down on us at Il great speed
| was an engine an tender--a runaway! 1t
| was comm down the bank tender first, an
| we were timed to meet at the junction. I
saw it all in a flash. The train was jump
in like buckin horse, an, with my body
all of a tremble, I'd as much as l could do
to get back to the footplate.
"There stood John Wright of course.
l seemed to see him an naught else. He'd
done all man could do, an was standin
stock still, with one hand on the lever.
But it WASH t his stiffness that made the
tears start to my eyes. 1t was the look on
his face. Tt made me nearly forget the
doom to which we were rushin. l can't de-
scribe it. 1t was the look of man who
has nothin left to live for-whose hope
had been suddenly wiped clean out forever.
"The instant he saw me his face changed.
He sprang toward me, an Selling me by
the arm with grip of steel, spoke in
hoarse whisper that could be heard above
everything: Jump off, my lad-you'y We
time-you can do it. Jump off, for her
sake. She loves thee, lad she loves thee,
for her sake. Harry, for heavens sakep
II said, Nay, John.
"'Quiok, he says. Harry Harry!
Jump for your Mary's sake!'
II swung one leg off the engine-life
was dear-an prepared to spring into the
grass. Then great, surgin love for this
man came over me, and I turned sudden
like an took him by the hand and I says,
John, We'll stick together an die together
If it's Gods will--for her sake. An he
just gave me that sweet look an slept in
front of me, as if to put his great frame
betwixt me an DEATH an there came a
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 smt.
ten me, an knew no more.
II woke from a troubled dream that
seemed to have lasted a lifetime, an opened
my eyes, half conscious an not sure but
was still dreamin. Then / slipped off
again, an I remember thinkin that the
sweet eyes that mine had seemed to meet
were the eyes Of my guardian angel An
they were, sir, for, when opened my eyes
again all the past came back to me with
the fearful face of Mary Mathers.
81 put my hand out on the counterpart,
an she put hers gently OH the top of it, An
believe me, sir, that's the only way ever
popped the question. We'd been through
too much together to need much fuss.
"1Where Is he?' framed my lips to say.
don't know whether sshe heard, but she
understood, for she put her hand into her
BOSOM an drew out black edged card an
held it before nv eyes, while her own