Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-06-02
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came the Stamford victoria just as the
young man had succeeded in forgetting
its existence.
Generally there is an old man on
hand to loosen brides when horses are
driven up to drink, but he did not ap-
pear on this occasion, and so the liverted
footman cot down to perform this SER
vice. AT this m the dancing
horse began to tread another measure.
even more lively than that which he
has executed on the avenue "Jeems,"
the footman, took him by the bride. and
what subsequently happened vas some
what confused in B~laisdell's vision by
the rapidity of the action.
1t seems that the dancing horses
knee struck Jeems in the solar Fiexus.
lie emitted a strange, gasping groan
and fell forward against the horses
legs. The animal sprang to one side,
carrying its mate and jerking the car
riage so violently that the coachman
fell headlong from his perch.
Blaisdell was standing astride his
wheel when this happened. Before the
coachman had struck the ground Blais-
dell was on his wheel and headed for
the western drive. He knew instinct
lively that the horses would run that
way. If he could go down with them
he might clutch the bride and win a
fortune.
When his feet were Cd the pedals. it
seemed to him that he was electrified.
He Is lean why. powerful fellow.
with a chest that expands like a bal
loon and a heart that will stand any
thing. Without any especial training
or attempt to excel, he has become n
expert rider. His wheel was a racer.
geared at 100. He nearly lifted it off
the ground when he covered the dis
lance between the point where he had
stood and the mouth of the driveway at
one leap.
Indeed, he somewhat overdid it, for
he was ahead of the horses. AS he
swung into the narrow road he heard
the thunder of their hoofs behind HIN.
The thought came into his mind that
they would run over him and that he
would not be able to get a hand upon
their brides.
AS to injury or death for himself, he
thought of it only as a loss OF oppor-
tunity. Ii the horses ran over him. he
should not stop them, and the n
chance of his life would be gone. 1t
is hard to say that one thinks at such
a time, but one may feel a great deal.
Blaisdell felt that the entire incident
was in the nature of a miracle; that the
moment of fate's relenting, long eagerly
desired, had come. II he should fail
this time, 1t would be useless to live,
for no a. has two chances.
He was so full of fatalistic foolish
ness and ~extravagant desires, his
hearts blood was clogged with the ashes
of burned air castles, that he failed to
take a human view of the situation.
He did not see a young woman, with
everything to live for, in danger OF
death; he had not a thought for the
agony of her father II she should die,
but only for the mans gratitude il she
should be saved.
This is n great chance" The
words were not spoken by the voice of
his mind; they were written in letters
Of fire before his eyes. Life and limb
of his counted for nothing. Indeed, be-
of his creams he always survived
these heroic experiences and was never
hurt beyond the breaking OF a collar
bone, sacred to the purposes of ro-
mantle fiction, he had no fear of the
present %exigency.
Only he must not fail to stop the
horses. Fortune was in his grasp. and
he must hold on hard. AS to this hope,
there was some grain of sense mingled
with it. Mr.. HORACE L. Stamford had
in one conspicuous case rewarded ser
vice in a more than princely fashion.
No mans Imagination is quite ade-
quate as an instructor for desperate
emergencies. The rush and the swirl of
real adventure defy the arts of the
mind. Blaisdell had never dreamed Of
anything quite so thrilling as that mo-
ment In the driveway when the crazed
horses were rushing down upon him.
and he dared not turn his head to look
at them.
At n instant a team might swing
into the road ahead OF him. and then
ne must either be crushed between the
two or plunge out of the way in among
the trees and risk death to no purpose.
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