The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-10-31

the two young people avoided each other
! That was the beginning To Joe, it was
all new and incomprehensible. He had
never loved until now, and he adored her
with every fibre of his being-with feel
ing, long pent up and restrained. Ada
thought of him by day and dreamed of
| him by night. Yet there had been moth
| ing wrong save an occasional look that
spoke volumes, or qulvering sigh or
two. At last, it seemed as though they
had gotten somewhat resigned to the sad
i situation. Mike was the same, trihe
more reserved; little stiff, maybe when
the two We're sitting about on the porch,
or in the dining room, reading and chat
ting. If Mike saw, he gave no sign.
He seemed to realize he counted for lit
| tie in their thoughts. Late one night
they came home from an entertainment,
Mike, who had been brooding over his
troubles, started down the hall with
murder in his heart, and-stopped. He
put the weapon in his pocket, turned
sadly back and, taking his hat, slipped
! away by the back entrance.
/ Out into the moonlight he went, away
from the house by quiet road leading
to the top of the hill. For miles he walk
ed. At last returning, he sat on road
side stone where he could look upon the
j sleeping town. Far in the distance he
could see the castles he had reared in his
dreams, in ruins about his head. The
home he had was but shell. Gone were
the visions of contented, hale old age,
surrounded by laughing childish faces
and curly heads. He had lived in vain.
His life was not to be crowne with the
happiness he had so hoped for; be felt as
an intruder in his own house. He hated
them, these two young people. He had
loved both-the boy as son and comrade;
the girl with the foolish doting love and
sensibility. He felt inexpressibly old,
and worn out, and useless, as he podded
/ back to the house, as in the east the
ashy dawn was beginning.
. Not word did he say to Joe or Ada,
but instinctive)y they felt that he knew
their secret. 1t was not his run the next
! Gay, yet he had been absent from the
house since breakfast time. Late that
evening he came in, gloomy and haggard.
He threw couple of documents in Ada's
lap.
! There's ten thousand on my life and
I've increased my insurance in the Broth
erhood-with what I've got it will take
/ care of you, if anything happens he
he said, almost gruffiy.
Mike clambered upon 776, backed
down and coupled onto the Limited.
Joe was on his seat on the left side of
/ the cab. After they had gotten out of
the city and were hitting fifty-mile
clip, Mike beckoned Joe to him. The
young man came, cycling him with sullen
curiosity.
Joe" said Mike, ''I'm losin' my
nerve-an' Teller never knows what's
! goin' to happen when he loses his nerve.
lift anything should happen to me, l
want you to look after Ada, will you?
Look after her as you would your own
wife,"
Eyes, SIR"
"Swear it," Joe held up his right
hand.
F.! 81 swear it, and hope God will strike
would have me do, so help me God, +"
That's all right-I'm just little
nervous, and kinder feel like something's
goin' to happen" said the old man, and
dismissed the subject.
They pulled into the division end all
right. On account of sudden illness
there was no engineer to take the Linn
tied on, and orders were given Mike and
Joe to take her through to the next d.
vision. They were on rather unfamiliar
track, and Joe felt uneasy and ratified
The end OF the run was not until 4.80 a.
m. Mike looked at his watck-he was
losing time. He had lost forty minutes
already and he must make it up, and
more besides. Out came the throttle a
few more notches. Old Betsy respond
ed with leap forward. She was doing
her sixty miles an hour, and more.
Suddenly there was wild blast of the
whistle; grinding of emergency brakes;
the jolt of reversed drivers-but all too
late. Bearing down upon them from
around curve was fast freight. The
two engines went to each other with
little diminution of speed. There was a
crash, Earring, swaying-then for a
second an awful stiffness. The tender
and mail car piled upon the cab of 776,
pinning Mike and Joe in there like rats
in trap. Mikes feet were caught
under the buffer of the tender. Joe was
free and tried to find an avenue of es-
cape;
this way" He squirmed and twisted,
but did not have room in which to get
his arms about Mike.
"Get out, quick, Joe. Betsy's got
two hundred pounds of steam in her
now, and no way for it to get out.
There is still fire in the box-her boiler
will go up in minute or so-get out.
II won't go without YOU"
Go on, you fool, do you want both of
US to die? Go on, then maybe you can
get help for me-" Mike was straining