Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-03-07

away nom the ONCE. 20 c0oe i might
forget her. But drew . long breath
Of relief the next time she appeared,
and answered her questions about this
and that thing journalistic, and listened
to her blissfuily when she told me what
a glorious profession she thought 1t and
me.
"She sounded me frequently on my
and I told her freely what
were my hopes.
"'You are welded to your work. she
said to me one day.
Il am.' replied.
Then she looked at me with an ex-
and changed the subject 1 never saw
her outside OF the Office. l was prac-
tically penniless. and she was accus-
toned to luxury. l was not In society.
Our lives had little in common. loved
her. The thing for me to do. as a sensi-
BILE person. was to make the best Of it
and l did so Did do right.
Perk?'
Precisely. Billy. Get along"
well, after a while her engagement
to one of the great men of the city
name Jones-was announced, and 1t fell
upon my narrowed soul with much the
gentleness of thunderclap. felt bad,
Perk, but at the same time l felt glad
glad that l had not made an ans Of
myself.
Il had been sOrely tempted, heaven
knows. At the first opportunity-she
had dropped into the office to reload her
In the coat closet-I shook
hands with her and told her as clearly
as l could-not knowing what to say
how delighted l was. and. sir. she turn
ed sQuarely about without a word and
left me high and dry. looking every bit,
I doubt not. as foolish as felt. That
was in January. The wedding was to
occur in June.
II worked like q cold weather fly and
tried to forget her. l succeeded pretty
well. Her visits to the office had ceased
with my well-meant congratulatOry
performance, and this made 1t easier
for me. although my heart beat like
shorthand whenever I heard q female
voice from the private office. and the
sudden swish of skirts caused me to
jump violently. But l did not see her
again until May-three weeks before
the wedding. She had been In Chicago,
believe. paying a farewell visit to u
and Incidentally"
"Never mind that. Billy" interjected
Perkins. You don't know what she
was doing incidentally. Come to the
point"
Widger bowed grayely "An right,
Perk. thank you. l was alone in the
office one stormy night, fixing up a
string Of airy falsehoods for the next
day, when the telephone bell rang like
forty fires. put the receiver to my
ear. held 1t there for perhaps a minute.
yelled yes into the transmitter, bOlted
into my Overcoat and turned out the
light.
Il was at G., 8. and x. shops fve
later. and. swinging onto the
to a wrecking train. In an hour l was
on the scene Of the worst railway
in the history Of Minnesota.
Ever see a splintered passenger train
at night. Perk-white faces staring at
you by lantern light, groans seeming
to rise out Of the earth. steam. smoke,
horror? never realized until that
night what an awful thing darkness IL
darkness to which there is no limit
that almost suffocates a man and
strikes him blind. Time and again I
passed my hand before
my face to clear a way in the black
ness for my eyes.
There was a station not far away,
and after getting what information /
could took my way in that direction
to get or some disptches for the first
editions of the morning papers. STUN
bling along as best I could. yearning
for light. light. light. And. Perk, IL
there was light.
Celestial fire. BillyT'
something like It, 1 stumbled over
4 body finally. had been dreadine it.
clear of that sort OF obstacles. 1t gave
out the faintest kind Of a moan when
| struck II, and ], recoiled as much as
fifteen feet. I think. Then l took
firm grip on myself and approached II
again, because that seemed to be my
duty.
THE man or woman, whichever II
was, had evidently crawled out Of the
wreck and tried to 60 somewhere. II
mad failed wretchedly. 1t was lying in
the long, wet grass at quite a little dis
tance from the track. 1t might not be
found for hours II passed 1t by. New
ertheless, hesitated. confess it with
shame.
Then I knelt by its side and passed
my hands over its cold. rain-washed
face and bedraggled hair. II was
I put my finger to its pulse.
1t was alive.
The fiutter Of the straining heart
acted like a strong stimulant upon me.
I lifted the limp form in my arms and
felt my way onward to the station. II
was n long walk and q hard one, not
with danger. for there was
a bridge to be crossed, but 1 reached
the end at last and passed into the
light Of the waiting-room. and-and-
ANU GIN. IL WIS sut udu Uccu
carrying her in my arms all that dis
tance.
Il believe they considered me insane
when laid her upon the operators bed
and looked into her face. For an In
stant my strength went from me to the
last ounce and all but collapsed: then
II came back in mighty wave. and
suppose did act like a maniac.
''She had an old-fashioned locket In
her hand, fastened about her neck by
a ribbon, and she held 1t to her lips
rigidly, as she had held II when she
was faintfng in the long. wet grass.
Perk. I cannot tell you how I felt.
-
"Don't try. Billy. Keep 10 your
story"
"a train arrived shortly with doc
tors. and one Of them pushed me from
her side by force-he had to use force
and cut the ribbon and removed hes