The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-12-26

tie of swiftly moving wheels over the
brick pavement, the shouting of men
and the sound of scurrying feet.
Then Robert Lane beheld a spectacle
that drove the blood from his temples,
that made him clench his fists and
stare with cold lips pressed together.
Along the thoroughfare frightened
team was madly dashing, dragging a
carriage that whipped from side to
side as the animals swerved this way
and that. A frail young girl chung des-
perately to the rear seat, her face pale,
her hair flying in the wind.
As the team dashed toward Robert,
the child's frightened eyes fell on his
freckled face. Perhaps the innate
strength and courage of the man i'm
pressed her childish mind-perhaps it
was but a desperate hope of succor.
! At all events she partly arose and
reached out her hands towards him,
while into her eyes there flashed an APP
pealing CLEAN, awful in its intesity.
"Help!" she cried. "Oh, save mel"
Robert Lane could never listen with
deaf ears to the weak's appeal. To
him, womanhood and childhood were
the most sacred things on earth. For
ever he would have despised himself as
a coward had he hesitated at time like
this.
And so it was, that almost before the
bystanders had realized what was
transpiring, he had leaped directly in
the path of the team and had clutched
the horses by the bits in grasp of
steel.
The maddened animals dragged him
roughly over the hard pavement in
their headlong fight. His legs were
bruised and mangled by their hoofs;
his head was battered by the buggy
tongue. But he did not relax his grip.
He had spent all his life with horses;
to handle them-to master them, was
second nature with him.
He eXerted the whole of his giant
strength upon the bits. The muscles
on his arms, from which the coat and
shirt sleeves had been torn, stood out
like hickory knots. Slowly but sure.
| ly he drew the horses heads down,
down, down, until their necks were
all but broken. He pressed their muz-
zles beneath their breasts and held
them until they knew that they were
conquered-until they stopped and
groaned for mercy.
| After that he had faint recollec.
ton of being pulled from beneath
the horses feet. Then he knew moth.
ing more until he awoke in a hospital
and saw a bright-eyed nurse with
snowy cap and apron bending over
him.
| He was covered with cuts and
bruises. Every inch of his body
seemed to ache and pain. But, look
| ing into the bright eyes of the nurse,
he forgot all this. For, somehow,
those eyes reminded him of the sweet.
faced girl in the farmhouse in the
Iowa hills.
The nurse smiled and smoothed the
pillow under his head.
you have been delirious," she said
softly, "but you are not seriously in.
| jured. In few days you will be
quite recovered
Il have been delirious?" he re.
piled.
eyes, you have talked a great deal.
Mostly about Annie and the Iowa riv-
er, and, let's see-Marietta. Is that
the name?"
"Yes," he laughed. 81 live on the
Iowa river near Marietta, and Annie
Annie has eyes like you"
There" she said, brushing LIS dark
hair back from his temples, 'you
must be quiet now"
Then she moved away, and he
watched her with dreamy eyes until
she disappeared through the door.
On the third day he had visitor
He was an elderly man with eye
glasses attached to gold chain. The
nurse conducted him to Roberts cot
and he took the boys brown, rough
hand in both his soft, white ones.
young man." he said, in a manner
intended to be matter of fact, but in
voice that trembled in spite of him
self, young man, it is needless for
me to try to thank you for saving my
daughters life. Nothing that l can
say or do will sufficiently express nv
gratitude. But will say this: MY
wealth, my influence and my expert.
ence are at your command. | am
ready to further, to the best of nv
ability, your most cherished ambi-
ton. Tell me, my son, what is your
most ardent desire?"
From the kind face of the grateful
father. Robert shifted his glance to
the bright eyes of the smiling nurse.
wistful look came into his face and
his lips trembled. Then again he
looked into the eyes of the aged man.
MY greatest DESIRE" he said. ooh
sir, want to hear the wind whisper.
in in the corn; 1 want to see the
starlight fallin' in the river, and ]
want to look at Annie and to hold An.
MES hand"