The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-09
A BELATED OPPORTUNITY.
IFrom the Buffalo News.l

gled lion, when Alonzo Jackson, the
stage driver, drew up in front of Miss
Jane Parmelee's gate and sat patiently
waiting until she should make her APP
pearance. The wind roared through the
leafiess trees, and Alonzo's rubber coat
resOunded with the beating of the heavy
rain.
Shouldn't wonder if she backed out,
after ALL, he unused, STOPPING to let his
hat brim discharge it's pent-up flood.
Amt many women would start out in
a storm like this, just to go a-visitin', if
they had made all their arrangements
and wrote they was comm"
But all doubts as to Miss Jane Parme-
lees strength of will to carry out what
she had determined to do were presently
dlSpeiled by the appearance of that
SpinSter at the door of her cottage, with
a large glazed travelling bag in one hand
and an umbrella in the other. She set
the bag down on the stone doorstep,
spread the expansive folds of the UNI
brelia over her head, took key from
her pocket and carefully locked the door.
The stage driver got down from his
wagon, opened the gate and came rust
ling up the gravel walk in his rubber
coat.
mo need of your comm for that
satchel, 'Lonzo," cried Miss Parmelee
through the roaring wind, as she turned
and put the key in her pocket, after a
final test of the locked door, I've got
a free hand, and I reckon I could carry
it all right
"Mebbe you could" replied Alonzo
cheerfully; of course you could, Jane
but faint my way to let lady passen-
gers tote their own baggage"
The quiet familiarity with which
Alonzo Jackson addressed Miss Parme-
lee as Jane and her quiet, unsur-
prised acceptance of it, bespoke a close
ness of friendship which was well under
stood in the community, and which had
now lasted for twenty years or more
ever since they were both young folks
and Alonzo had been said to be waiting
on pretty Jane Parmelee.
Everybody supposed that they would
get engaged and married in due time
like other young couples with a marked
preference for one another. But years
passed. and for some reason A1onzo
failed to get to the point
Some said it was because the awk-
ward bashful boy could not summon up
enough courage actually to pop the
question. Others declared it was be-
cause he was Jealous of young fellow
from the city, who boarded with James
aunt during the summer, and used oc
caSiOnally to see Jane home from
church take her to a Sunday school
picnic. At any rate, time passed with
out any formal declaration from AlOn-
20, and in the meanwhile James parents
died and she went to live with her wild
owed aunt.
Then her aunt died also. and Jane
was left alone in the world, save for
brother, who was a miner in the far
west. Jane converted the little prop
erty that had been left her into money.
and bought small cottage on the out
skirts of the village, where she now
lived in genuine old maid fashion.
Alonzo, who was AZ years old, still
lived with his aged parents, and cared
for them. For ten years he had driven
the stage between Gilead and Gilead
statiOn-where a remote corner of the
township was intersected by a railroad.
He had never been to see Jane Par
| melee since she moved into her own cot
tage, but they We're still "Lonzo" and
Jane" to each other whenever they
met, and the memory of a faded ro-
nance did not seem to embitter their
present friendship. Jane, indeed, some
| times wondered, with a choking sensa-
/ ton in her throat, why Alonzo Jackson
had never asked her to be his wife, but
| she had long since got over the keen
anguish of her girlhood disappointment
and sehooled herself to believe that
| since God willed it so. it was 'all for
/ the best
On this stormy March day Jane Par
| melee was going to Gilead station to
! take the train for Lancaster, where
! lived her lifelong friend Susan Rich,
/ in pleasant home whose welcome Jane
/ had often gratefully tasted. The day
! and train having been set, Jane would
J as soon have thought of betraying he..
| friends confidence as failing to arrive
| at the precise hour named in her letter
! Fidelity was the bedrock of her char
acter. It would seem as if AIonxo Jack
| son might have known this, as he sat
doubling in the rain before her gate.
Jane was the only passenger that
morning She sat on the middle seat
| under her big umbrella, and Alonzo
| chatted internationally with her over his
left shoulder. as they logged along
| through the storm. One would never
nave suspected that these two sober,
| mlddle-aged persons had been lovers in
! the sweet days gone by.
]
! over the river, it seemed as if all the
clouds of heaven had opened their siuice-
gates together. A perfect torrent of
rain was falling.
g 'Lonzo, can't you stop for a few
| minutes in the bridge, till the worst of
/ this shower is over? asked Jane. NV
new bunnit is gettin' awfuly damp.
The rain drives right through this UNI
| breP.''
''Lemme see,'' said Alonzo, consult
| ing his watch. yes, I guess so. We've
| got 20 minutes to spare, and it does
/ rain middling hard. N.Y. but the river
/ is high, amt it2 A little more, and it
would be over the floor boards of the
| bridge
Alonzo drove to the middle of the
] gloomy covered bridge and stopped his
/ horses. Then he and Jane sat listening
to the thunder of the storm over their
| heads.
The bridge kind of quivers, doesn't
| it?" said Jane.
Aes, II does seem to joggle some, %
| replied Alonzo. 1.-The waters up to the
floor beams and pushes kind of hard
against EN-. But 1 don't believe
Just then the steady vibration of the
| bridge increased to a sort of convulsive
| shudder. The structure suddenly
! lurched, gave a grinding slide, grated
off its stone piers, and went whirIine
down stream with the CURRENT
Jane uttered a cry of terror and
caught hold of Alonzo's arm. He could
| feel her whole body tremble The SEN
sation sent a strange thrill through
him. His lethargic nature at last was
| stirred
''Therezthere!" he said, soothingly
Don't you be afraid, Jane. There aim
any real danger. The bridge amt ago
ing to sink. Well ground against the
| shore somewhere. and then 1 can drive
right out again.
But the bridge tossed and spun ant
careened, and the muddy water raced
o =. -