The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-11-25
ROMANCE OF A LEG,
By 8. HUNTER HALSEY.

not spoken. i ne OLD, Inc mlOdie dSeu,
the young may experience it. 1t is
not confined to any class. 1t is seri-
GUS, pathetic, yet there are times when
it is ridiculous.
When Mary Ann, who had served
Us faithfully for twenty years, an
nounced that she was about to be
married to Peter, the hired farm hand.
we were astonished. Never had We
seen the couple spooning or incoming.
On the contrary. We had observed
what we considered evidence Of ami
mostly. They were continually max
ing complaints Of each other. But we
knew Mary Ann was good woman.
and we had little interest in Peter. for
he was with US only for the harvest
season.
How long, Mary Ann" we asked.
have you and Peter been engaged:"
''Since yesterday at sunset"
"And had you thought much about
marrying before that:"
81 had and / hadn't" replied Mary
Ann. That was because / didn't
know what Peter was a-goin' to do
But a week ago when l gave him a
piece OF pie l had made and he said,
Mary Ann. have you the receipt for
it, so that if you should leave the
farm you could make it without the
cookbook" l knew there was mean
ing in the observation. And when 1
| said. Never fear. i have the receipt
firm in my head | saw by the look
in his eye il wouldn't be long before
he'd ask me-
One would suppose that in such a
genuine case he course OF true love
would run smooth. bur it didn't. Peter
walked with Il hIitin" gait Being a
woman. | am blessed with woman's
traits. including animo>ity Mary
| Ann" / said TO her "ne day. what
makes Peter walk 81 siueerI?:"
"Pm sure ! don't knew" was the
reply.
ooh" 1 added. Il surpassed you
would know. Of course
From that time | noticed there was
something wrong between the lovers
l asked Mary Ann about IT, Its the
| leg" she said. Il axed him. He said
there was something on his mind about
it. I begged him to confess but he
wouldn't and he wouldn't till at last
lost patience with him"
You shouldn't have done that"
replied. We women don't need to
lose our patience with men. We have
only to keep at them and they are
sure to come our way at last. They
are not as enduring as We. But it
would not be prudent for you TO marry
Peter with a secret between you and
him. 1t may be there is a story con-
nected with his limp. He may have
been doing something unlawful and
got caught in a trap"
I've thought that myself" said
Mary Ann, panied expression cross
ing her face.
After this the relations between Pc
ter and Mary Ann went from bad to
worse. l said nothing more to her. for
I knew that when a woman makes up
her mind to learn a secret she'll know
it in time. l noticed bounded look on
Peters face. but l did not realize the
depth Of his tribulation. If there was
nothing disgraceful connected with his
halting walk. why should he not tell?
II there was. Mary Ann would best be
rid Of him.
One morning | was standing on the
porch looking down toward the rail-
road which runs past the other end
Of the apple orchard. The express
was due in a few minutes. and I al
ways liked to see it 60 by. There is
something about a passing train to
wake US country people from our ac-
eustomed lethargy. Presently l heard
distant whistle and a moment later
saw Peter walking briskly as his halt
would permit toward the track. He
climbed the fence dividing it from the
farm. dragging his stiff leg over after
him and stood between the rails At
that moment the train shot out Of the
wood I heard succession of sharp
whistles and saw Peter. instead Of get
ting out of the trains way. lie down
on the ties I shrieked and covered
my eyes with my hands. but before
shutting out my vision caught a
glimpse of Mary Ann wildly running
toward the would be suicide
heard the train stop. kissing of
steam and a confusion Of voices One
of the farm hands came along. and
when I asked him If Peter had been
killed he told me that he would prob
ably die. since he had lost leg. He
had tried to get of the track at the
last moment and had removed all Of
his body except one leg. which had
been crushed under the wheels.
"Oh. that legr' groaned. "T'ye been
sure it would ruin Mary AIMS happi-
ness. I hope he's lost the one that
has been the cause Of the trouble"
saw an opening in knot Of people
crowding around something beside the
train, and two men emerged carrying
another on a stretcher. Mary Ann
walking beside them wringing her
hands. They were bringing Peter to
A. - r,b~o