The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-09-02

spend o. Sunday at the, cottage. l put
him off, but die wouldn't take mo- for an
answer. SO, whether for fear of hurtin'
his feelm's, or because / couldn't keep
away, l can't say, but l yielded, an
went. After that l went several times,
an each time got deeper an deeper
in love with Johns sweetheart, aye, an
what seemed worse, l couldn't help
KNOWN that Mary was troubled the
same way But L will say this, l never
tried to make Mary love me, an never
word of love passed between us, but,
sometimes, l thought l 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 engine, or on tn tender ,"hen we
passed the stile that summer, an do as
| would, 1 couldn't help but look to
catch her eye. An I 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 Il
speed as the incline would let us, an
Just gettin' towards the cottage. John
had sent me round to he front o then
CINE 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 lis, for
The line curved to the right just at the
stile, am WAS hidden from view behind
little wood. / could see her print dress,
an the same white linen bonnet she
wore when / 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 Jingle
from head to foot.
MARY had her back towards us-a
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 ] saw her eyes Starin' at
ne, like Goals of fire set in face as
white as chalk. She fascinated me.
"Just then old John shut off steam,
an heard him dom a. thing he'd ney er
done afore--reversin' the engine! All
of a sudden Mary seemed to wake UP,
an find a horrible dream true, for l
heard, above the roar of the train, the
grindin' OF the rails, and the shrek of
the brakes, that had been damned hard
down. heard ONE piercing scream. 1t
was a word-my name-'Harry!'
of course all this happened in a
breathless second or two. Half q life
time is sometimes squeezed into half a
minute, sir. L took my eyes from
Mary's face as we passed her, standin'
as if turned to stone, an l 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 were timed TO meet at the juno
ton. I saw it all in flash. The train
was jumpin' like a buckin' horse, am,
with my body all of tremble, I'd as
much as 1 could do to get back to the
foot plate.
There stood John Wright, of course.
1 seemed to see him, and naught else
He'd done all man could do, am was
standin' stock-still, with one hand on
the lever. But it wasn't his stiffness
that made the tears start to my eyes.
It was the look on his face. It made
. me nearly forget the doom to which we
were rushin'. | 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' Inc by the arm with a grip Of
steel, spoke in Il 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'
Il 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 s,ldden-like, an took him BY
the hand, an I says: John, We'll sticl.
together, IN die together-if it's Gods
will-for her sake An he just gave ne
that sweet look, an stepped in front Of
NE, as if to put his great frame be
twixt me an death, an there came {
crash as if heaven an earth had met
an / seemed to roll over an over, an
then it felt as if the whole earth haf
risen up an smitten mean l knew n
ore
Il woke from a. troubled dream thu.
/ seemed fO bo1o 1or+oJ - l:fo4.-.