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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (July 14, 1905)
SING WHILE My heart has boon singing ull Nip day long, Of sweetest happiness soundotli tbc song; Soon clouds may gather; the night, cometh on. Killed Is iny heart with the tondcrest dreamy And deeply I qdaff of .Toy's sparkling streams; Tel Sorrow stalks behind with' somber mien. Now I must bask in the bliss that Is mine, Hovol In gladness that sparkles like wine; Misfortune and grlof porno to all In time. I'll list while I may to this song In my heart; Oh! that Its melody ne'er would depart; Unheeding the stings of Kate's cruel dart. Carter's Monthly. JACK HALTS -RIVAL flrpIIW occupation of telegraph opor ator at Glllvtlle was of an almost slowly killing kind to a hand tioiiio, young and ambitious man llko Jack Hay. But the salary was too fair and agreeable to bo wilfully relin quished. "If I hud a wife, now," ho thought, with n contemplative) expression, "It might brighten a fellow's life some what. But what chance have I to go a-courtlng. And where- Is the girl in these parts, I'd like to know?" Then an idea struck him; his face brightened. "I'll try itl" ho exclaimed, In sudden determination. Turning to his instrument, ho began ticking off a message of inquiry to the operator at Margin's station, four miles distant. "Awake over there?" "All the time!" came tho prompt, erao reply. "Awfully lonely over here. Think of marrying, but no opportunity. Can you help me?" "Afraid not. No husbands worth having round Martin's, or I might have been married myself before this." Jack opened his eyes at this, ex claiming, after a while: "The deuce! I am talking to a worn--an!" Nevertheless he ticked away again. "Not looking for a husband. Am a man and want a good wife. Salary fair, habits temperate. Want a little bouse of my own, with a loving wom an. Can you put me In tho way of it?" Pretty Hester Fleming, at the other telegraph Instrument at Martin's sta tlon, murmured: "Mercy me! I am talking to a man. and somebody told me that the Glllvlllo operator was a woman." Sotne tlmo elapsed ere Jack received nny response to his last Inquiry. At last tick, tick, tlck-a-tlck came sound' Ing back, and it said: "Can't tell. Come over and see me in 'off hours.' Bring credentials." That exchange of messages between the two lonely operators was the be ginning of a courtship remarkable ns well for its brevity as its novelty. At his, earliest opportunity, Jack was In Martin's. Within a month the post f telegraph operator at Martin's was flllo.l by si successor to ITester Flem ing, who had changed her name to Hester Hay. The wedded couple wero very hapy. It dfd not requiro long to make the mu tual discovery that they were admir ably mated. Hester proceeded Industriously to the management of tho cottage, which Jn-ek had plainly furnished for their home, near the station, and ere tho summer had fully set in Its little gar 'den, under the magic touch of a wom an's hand, was a mass of vlny-green and bloom and beds of delicious scent and varying hues. Tho swift months that followed strengthened tho bond of love between the young husband and wife; and of ten, as he watched her at her busy tasks, he thought that not all the flow ers In the garden were as sweet as a ,klss from Hester's Hps, nor a color there as beautiful as the bloom of health on her dimpled cheeks. One day, however, a queer change seemed to have come over the happy wife; the color in her cheeks was not eo rosy as usual, the smile did not play upon her lips, and her violet eyes were restlessly thoughtful. "What Is it, Ilessy?" asked Jack, so licitously, as ho placed his chair at the dinner table near the window, where be could receive all the cool, fragrant air. "Something Is worrying you, pet. Chickens been at the dower beds? Cat pulled down the cypress vino?" She twined her arms round his neck. "lh, Jack, will you forgive me for keeping a secret from you " "A seerot?" "You were not the only suitor I had, Jack. Don't be angry with me for tell ing It now." "Why, tboro's nothing remarkable bout, that. A girl aa good as you are ought to have had. a dozen suitors, for that matter." "But there ytr one In particular." ; " Wats thore? WU, you dropped him YE MAY. and married me," said Jack, in a cheer ful, matter-of-fact way. "True; but I fear he has not dropped me," hastily rejoined the young wife, In a grave tone. He drew her gently toward him and looked, with a tender smile, up Into her pale face, "Tell me just what troubles you, dar ling." "Do you remember Brace Denver, who was at. our wedding?" "I believe I had an introduction to such a person." "Brace was persistent In his impor tunities for nio to marry him, but I had heard so much of his wild doings In the village barrooms that I knew him to be a dissolute if not an actually wicked man. It was only his father's money and Influence that enabled him to keep his place at all in the circle of tho better citizens at Martin's. The day you and I were married he came to my side and said, only loud enough for my hearing: . " 'So you've Jilted mo out and out, have you, Hester? All right. You'll wish you hadn't before a year goes round!' "I did not tell you about it, then, Jack, because I thought It might make trouble on that happy day. And I had almost forgotten about It after all these months. But a year has now nearly gone by, and " . "Well?" as she hesitated. "I saw Brace Denver to-day. He was here, in front of the house, leaning against the railing, pretending to be looking at the flowers. When he saw that I had noticed him an expression that was like a horrible grin passed "KVKHV LIFE l.V THAT THAIN IS 1M l'EHILED. over his face. Then ho strode, away I feel, Jack, that he meditates some harm to us " "Oh, pshaw! Don't worry about him at all, Ilessy. There, now; lot me fin ish my dinner and get back to the olllce. If Braco Denver comes prowl "lug around ask 1dm to wait until I can have a talk with him. If I sus pect that he means mischief I guess I can deal with him." Immediately upon Jack's departure Hester went up tho stairs to their bed room. She drew forth a small, glittering re volver from a drawer. "I do not feol as confident as Jack does," she muttered, carefully placing tho serviceable weapon in her bosom. "I used to keep this little deadly friend with me constantly when I operated at Martin's. Maybe I'll need it if Brace Denver does mean Jack harm.' Tho afternoon passed peacefully. Jack 'had been home to supper, and left Hester with a smiling kiss and as surance that all was well. Shortly after 10 o'clock Jack Avas summoned to his Instrument by a call from Martin's. Tlck-tlck-a-tick wont the message, and It read: "Stop 10:30 limited express at Glll vlllo. Have telegraphed to end of di vision for wreckers' car. Track tam pered with between here and your sta tion.' no wrote out tho dispatch as re ceived, in order to show it In explana tion to the conductor when he did tho unusual thing of stopping the limited express. "Every life In that train Is Imper iled!' he exclaimed, In some excite ment. "But I have full ten minutes to spare, so I will get tho signal lan terns ready." "No, you won't!" A deep and savage voice tittered the words behind him. Simultaneously he received a terri ble blow from a club which swept him from his seat to tho floor In a heap. Brace Denver, with a satanlc glare In his evil eyes, looked exultantly down upon his unconscious victim. "You won't stop any trains this night, Jack Hay!" he snarled, with a black scowl. "And after what Is about to hnppon you'll be lucky If you'ro not shut away from Hester for many a year. My plot has been too well laid to miscarry now." Hp shouldered the motionless body and carried It to the woody edge of an eminence not far from the track. When Jack recovered his senses he found himself gagged and securely bound hand and foot, and his captor was In tho act of tying him firm ana fast In an upright position to a great tree. 'Got your eyes open again, eh?" re marked Denver, roughly, as ho leaned closer in the starry darkness to peer Into the tortured face of his prisoner. The villain had wound a cloth about the lower portion of his face. Only his diabolical eyes wore dimly per ceptible. ' "You've about run your length, Jack Hay," he continued, fiercely. "There will be bloody work to-night, and tho operator at Glllvlllo will get tho blame. The rails are spread between here and Martin's. I know that, for a chum of mine reported It at Martin's at the hour we agreed upon, and you wore telegraphed tosavo the limited express; In fact, we spread open the vail our selves. The, train will go on to de struction. When It lias passed I'll loosen your bonds, and you can release yourself; but ha! ha! 'who will bo lievo tho story you will have to tell? They'll say you were neglecting your post. You can't prove anything. Hark! There It comes!" A locomotive whistle sounded faint and far. Presently could be seen tho gleaming "headlight along the nearly straight bed of the road. "Ah, there it conies! A few mo incuts more and the whole community will stand ready to lynch the neglect ful operator at Glllvlllo for causing the destruction and death!" Jack Hay stared at the swiftly com Ing headlight. Ills heart was chilled within him, and ' his tortured brain reeled giddily. Well ho realized what the popular verdict would be. He could not provo the strange talo he would have to tell; he could not even swear to his murder ous captor's idenity, though ho felt that no man other than Bruce Denver could wish him ill. no would bo promptly condemned as the cause of the awful catastrophe. And on, on that doomed train was coming, while he groaned and writhed In mental agony. As he struggled to burst his bonds ho realized that they wero loosening, lie might soon wrench himself free, but not oil, heaven! not In time to save those scores of precious lives! The rumble grew louder and louder: the ray of tho headlight was now nearly abreast on tho track! "They are going to their death, and the world will say I killed them!" poor Jack moaned in his soul. Then with a deafening, rattling roar tho train rushed to tho station, rushed past, its whistle piercing tho night air iu a prolonged note like a mingled wall and shriek. But, hark! Another sound breaks In on tho whistle's dying scream. Some thing has happened which brings the heart of Jack liny In his throat In a lump of Joy. Bang! bangi bnng! Three loud explosions quivered through tho night, nearly lifting the great driving wheels from the rails. Warning torpedoes had been placed on the rails. The wheels of tho car trucks sud denly looked like circles of sparks as the air brakes went down quick and hard. "Perdition!" hurst from astonished Brace Denver. "I am robbed of my revenge. But I'll know who meddled hero before that train can stop and back up!" He dashed forward to tho station, gripping the deadly club. Into tho oflice ho ran. The place seemed to bo deserted. But as he turned to run out again a sharp voice checked him. "Halt where you are, Brace Denver! What have you done with my hus band?" Hester nay confronted him with leveled rovolvor, resolutely barring his exit. "Lower that thing, Hester. I mean you no harm " "Halt, I say! Another step, and I Are! Answer me! Where is my hus band?" But by this time the train had backed to the platform, and conductor and flagman, lanterns In hand, caino hurrying to the olllce. "Secure that man!" ITester cried, pointing to tho sullenly cowering form of Denver. '"There's been some foul play here, and he Is at the bottom of it!" She showed to the conductor the warning dlapatch Jack had hastily copied off on the slip and left on the I operating table. "I came over to the olllce to night to lu'pn Jntk company," she said. 'He wasn't here, and t couldn't hud him. I saw this dispatch. In five minutes ! I knpw the train would pass. I won i dorcd where .lack could be; It was so strange that he shouldn't be anywhere i around, you know. I went to the tor- ppdo box, took out three torpedoes, and placed them on the track. Then t went to hunt again for Japk, and 1 saw that man come running In. Don't let hltn escape " At that Juncture thero was a sensa tion on the platform a cry from the doorway and Jack himself came reel- ing In, pitching heavily to the floor. As he fell, he gasped: "Broken track near Martin's! Don't move tho train!" When he recovered and told of the llendlsh -plot concocted by Denver that scoundrel was strongly bound and placed under guard In the baggage car. He waR Anally convoyed to the city, where, by some means, the otll clnls shortly found and ohtainpd a con fession from his accomplice, and both were safely locked up on the charge of attempted train-wrecking, with an ad ditional Indictment against Denver for murderous assault. Jack's salary was liberally raised by tho company. And Hester, tho savior heroine, received from the directors of tin railroad a grateful leter, accom panied by a delicately tendered mini of money, which enabled her to buy the cozy cottage In which she and Jack now live at Glllville. JSow York Weekly. "SEVEN AGES" UP TO DATE. Pessimistic Vlewn Veutilittcd by uii Killtor Out In MlsHOiiri. Man Is born Into tho world. He Is at once attacked by nettle rash, croup, measles and tho whooping cough. lie has the colic before his first teeth are cut and when he Is swindled we say he Is getting his eye teeth cut. If he escapes the scarlet fever and tho mumps, he finds directly iu his way scarlet rash and the seven-year Itch. If he Is not carried off in a hearse before he Is too large for short pants he still stands a show of cut ting off one of his toes, being kicked by a mule or getting shot with a tar get rifle In the hands of tho boy that "didn't know it was loaded." He gets his feet wet, runs at the nose and is scolded by his parents for going In swimming on Sunday. Ho goes to tho circus, rides on the merry- go-round and hits the dignified old gentleman In the back of tho head with a snowball before he Is well In his teens. : ' He now reaches tho stage where he gathers watermelons In tho light of the moon, eats green apples and lays out of night.s. The fuzz begins to grow on his upper lip and he blushes when he sees ii girl, until his hair scorches. Ho next develops Into a "smart Alec," and his parents are un decided whether to shoot him for smoking cigarettes or turn him ovor to an asylum manager as a confirmed lunatic. Man Is subject to typhoid fever, pneumonia, spinal meningitis, smallpox and his own intemperance. Ho is beset by disease, Indebtedness and breach of promise suits until It Is a wonder that any of us are able to score three score and ten. If he escapes a famine, pestilence and war, ho does his best to shorten his days by keeping his boiler overloaded with Inferior booze. Ho i subject to sick headache, lumbago and inflammatory rheumatism until ho cries aloud that his last stage is worse than his flrst. He wears false hair, false teeth and goes to Jail for getting money under false pretenses. Yet when ho has finally run tho gantlet and passes off the stage of ac tion, tho heavy Ananias for the coun ty paper says: "It Is well." Nevada Post. He Appealed to His Vanity. Justin McCarthy tells the following story of n New York bootblack In Ills book of reminiscences. "I wns stand ing on tho bridge one day studying the crowd, as was my wont, and wholly absorbed in the study, when a shrill, youthful voice accosted me with tho words, "Cap'n, shine yer boots?' At tluit tlmo the great Civil War was not long over, and the chance distribution of military titles was ready and liber al. 1$ pad no attenshrdlu shrdlues al. I paid no attention to the Invita tion, although it was many times re peated In tones of increasing earnest ness, and sometimes emphasized with an admonitory tap on tho boots which my young friend was anxious to shine. At Inst a rival little boy seemed to Imagine that ho saw where the cause of ray indiffenco was to bo found, and, pushing aside tho unsuccessful claim ant, ho gavo a military salute, and ap pealed to mo with the captivating words, 'Brlgadior General, shino yer boots?' " It is easier to bo the father of a 0-ycar-old girl than of a 10-year-old one; the former's only wish is that her father keep a candy store, and the tat ter's bitter sorrow Is that be la not a kin. W1 V m S.M m LD I! TheOIrl I T.ovcrt In Sunny Tennessee. On a morning bright and clour To niy old homo 1 drew near, .T list a village down In sunny Tonnes sou. 1 wns speeding on a train, That would bring uiu hack again To my sweetheart who was waiting thero for me. It was hut a few short years Since 1 kissed away her tears, As 1 left her at my dear old mother's side, And each day we've been apart She's grown dearer to my heart Thau the night l nskod of her to b niy bride. Ah the train drew up at Inst Old fnuiillar scenes 1 passed As I kissed iny mother at. the station door. And us old friends gathered 'round Tears en every faco l found, But 1 missed the dear one I'd been longing for to see. i And I whispered: "Mother, dear. Where Is Mary; she's not hero?" All tho world suemed lost and Madness panio to me, For she pointed to a spot la the churchyard's little lot, Where my sweetheart sleeps In sunny Tennessee. . . i Oliorus ' I could hear the darkles singing As she hade farewell to me, Far across tho Holds of cotton My old homestead I could see. And tho moon shone In Its glory, As I told life's sweetest story To tho girl I loved In sunny Tennessee. Souk. , Ho that Is down needs fear no fall; Ho that is low, no pride; He that In huuihlu ever shall 1 Have God to be his guide. "' t I am content with what I have, ' 1 Little he It or much; And, Lord, contentment still 1 crave, Because thou savest such. i Fullness to such a burden is That go on pilgrimage; Here llttlo, and hereafter bliss, Is best from ago to age. John Biuiyau. "GIVING IN." ' Muuy of Our Greatest Victories Are Won by JiiHt That. "Bul don't you think," Dr. Meredith said, gently, "that we sometimes win our greatest victories Just bygiving in?" "It's the prinelplo of the thing," Mls Mary Insisted. "That woman mean! to be disagreeable. If t let her rldrf over me In llttlo things " ".Maybe she's only tired too tired U take the longer way round the grasi to tho well. And as for having picket that daffodil did you never feel him gry for a flower, or tho sight and touci of some beautiful thing?" "But I wouldn't steal It!" "Steal It?" repeated the old man, hl eyes on the wind-tossed blossoms bo yond the gravel walk. "Steal it fron whom? it was God's earth and air God's rain and sunshine that brough' it Into being. That daffodil may havi meant much to your neighbor " "But It's the principle of the thing. Surely you don't advocate " ".Miss Mary," the doctor Interposed gently, "I've lived almost twice as lonf as you have, and I've come to bellevt that there is only one indlspensnbll principle and that Is love. Wo oai never really know the pain and weari ness of another's life. Only love pud understand a little." It was the next afternoon, when Miss Mary was weeding near the whitewashed fence, that voices sound ed on the other side. Was It Dr. Mere dith's? Yes, and "that woman's." "It lias done her a world of good just that one blossom. They used to grow In our old home, and It's been years Mince she's even studied one. I meant to ask the lady for It, but she seemed so kind of hard " "But she Isn't, when you really know her," the doctor said, and tears of grat tude sprang to Miss Mary's eyes. "Well," the other returned, "we'd had some words aliout the path, and, I'd made up- my mind not to speak to' her again, and " "And you wouldn't give Iu?" The doctor shook his head with a wistful smile In his Kind eyes. "My sister said I was wrong," the other returned. "She says as wo near the border-land, things like that don't seem worth noticing. Oh, if you knew how that flower has helped the time to pass to my sister! It lias-almost made me want to go to the lady and thank her, but of course she wouldn't under stand; she'd only think l was giving In to got moro, aud so " On tho other shift of the fence Miss Mary was gathering a great cluster of golden bloom. There was a new light In her eyes. Was it from tho bright ness of the blossoms before her or the radiance of the Joy of "giving In?"