Amador ledger., 1909-05-07

just can't marry, that's all. You're the
uselessest thing on earth now, epfi
married you'd be worse"
81 guess there's some use for me- in
the world, mother" Jim contendeS.
"If there hadn't "a been what do you
s'pose the Lord put me here forp
She looked him over as he stood IN
the doorway the very picture of care
less indifference and shiftless good
nature.
well" she replied, "he's the only
one that knows, and he amt told yet.
When Mary Candy discovered that
jim was beginning to "act foolish"
she promptly but kindly told him CT
the utter uselessness Of his suit.
"Why don't you want to marry me,
Mary" he asked in a dull, dazed way,
as if not comprehending the full pur-
port of her decision. "We've always
been friends, and you know you like
me-"
81 know, jim" she said gently, but
like is not love, and one cannot marry
without love"
"Do you love anybody elseT' he
asked, quickenng a little. "I've heard
that you thought a good deal of Jack
Murfn and him Of you"
Mary Candy was not cCquetting with
Jim Doty.
eyes, Jim, ! do" she answered
frankly, "and Jack and | are to be
married as soon as school closes for
the summer"
Jim choked, and the tears came to
his eyes.
"Mother said wasn't any use in the
world, and I guess | amt" he said
bitterly, hopelessly.
"Oh, yes. you are, jim" she encour-
aged him. Your chance hasn't come
yet, but 1t Will"
81 dunno" lie sighed dcsparingly,
and, turning away, he walked slowly
homeward alone.
The village knew what was the mat
ter with Jim for the next month or
more, but it was considerate of his
suffering, and he heard no jeering
word nor the laugh that hurts.
L
Jim was down at the railroad shops.
where Jack Murfn was foreman. He
was there chiefly because he did not
happen to be elsewhere at the mo-
ment, and he was sitting in the shade
whiting. Possibly he was somewhat
more active than usual and was think
ing, for he had just seen Jack Murfin
walking across the yards toward a
gap in the fence, and he knew the
date of Jacks wedding day. They
were not friends in the sense of asso-
ciates, but Jack did not care how
much Jim enjoyed himself about the
place so long as he did not interfere
with business, and Jim had never
been given to interfering with bust
ness if it did not interfere with him.
Intent upon his thoughts, Jim con
tinued whiting until presently he was
recalled to his surroundings by a shout
of alarm. 1t was Jacks voice, and
looking through the gap in the fence
he saw Jack lying across the rails with
his leg twisted under him and his foot
fast in a frog. He had passed out tC
the main tracks, and Jim heard a train
coming. Quicker than he had ever
moved before in all his stagnant life
he cleared the space between them and
stood in the track over his rivals
body. The heavy engine coming down
had been reversed, but too late, and
no power on earth could stop it. But
Jim never faltered. Lifting the pros
trate man to sitting position, he
wrenched his foot from the fatal
clutch, and with giants strength he
flung him outside the rails.
When Jim's body was picked up a
few minutes later a little life remain
ed-just fiuttering spark, but enough
to give the light that never fades.
"Jim! JIM" cried Murfin, taking
him in his arms.
"It's all right now, Jack" whisper
ed Jim, opening his eyes and smiling
MARY said l was some use in the
world and my chance would come
some time. Tell her.
His words had come painfully and
in gasps, and they stopped with the
sentence unfinished. But Jack knew
what to tell Mary.