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Little - Hallelujak is Convert
BsLVAH"
(Copyright by 8. 8. McClur Co.)
'HEN there was "old" Barrett
trainmaster, who Held that when
an engineer ha4 one gone,1 un
killed. through a head-end col-
. Helen. h was never ao much a man of
' courage afterward, remaps me grumpy
old chiefs contention wes grounded on
' ; fact, for what man. ha vim faced Men
monstrous peril, eould.be quite tha aama
again? But Nat Bbaadon's deed at Muley
. Fork gave Barrett's theory a reruiauon
ao marked that I. for one. never heard
'- the h 'M man" "chew", that , argument
. , more. . Doubtless Barrett would have
- felt tha contradiction leaa had he liked
tha young engineer better, for Shandon
waa a bit hard of control ao fond of
Xaat running, deed; that -Barrett- na
'- threatened to discharge blm mora than
once, ... '
it waa Bhandon, yen - know,' - who
r fcrought the Star route tta first fame for
' quick eerrieo-py driving tha 407, hooked
: to Governor "Graham's special, serosa
. The hostler ran tha engine into the
house, when tha hot dtp waa finished.
with her frame eracked and er anver
fiances whittle? to knife blades. sr-
. rett was' wroth, being tray and eon-
aervetlve: but Superintendent -joy,
younrer and of the new school of haste.
tanned Bhandon on trie naca ana praiaea
- - him. He was retting In soma new pas-
Sanger engines, Baldwin compounds with
seven-foot drivers, he said, and Shandon
would be expected to sea what sort of
, speed lay In the first ana .that should
arrive. That one oroed.-to be the
famous its. Shandon llked-the Idea lm
. ' measurably, but approved it quietly. He
would do bis best, ha said.'.
Prior to the Governor Graham run,
Abandon had wnapped" a dinky caboose
from tha tail of a wild stock train on
too eastern division, using me airing
. down a grade and around a curve so raat
. . that the little caboose flew the track,
-turned over and skated across a frosen
creek. Injuring several people. ' Bhandon
was charged with being-reckless from
Brink, but Investigation failed to make
the -accusation stick.
' Next came the sxperienoa In which
Shandon met tha monster face to face,
V that dementing thing --which Barrett
averred made cowards of engineers; for
It was hs who sat on the right-hand side
of tha . cab of tha old . going up
- Angel pass, when JerryyBurna came
down with the big TIJ and piled the.
gulch with ruin. . Jerry waa not at fault,
for ha couldn't hold IT cars of steel rails
, on a slippery mountain track when
something waa wrong with th brakes,
Jerry and tha firemen of the colliding
engines jumped, . with natural and
; calamitous results, but Shandon stuck
. ana eaw. me auprwme tibiuii. - -
- - Bhandon was a large man, "or per-1
tun. . u .nut .-, it - non . nreclaelv. a
', blg boy. Even such gravity as seems
" natural', to one - approaching lira's
, thirtieth year was rarely his. When hla
tiand waa on the throttle and tha ma-
chine going fast, ha waa sometimes sober
-'. and looked his ago, but for tha moat
!art ha was. "cutting up." was almost
dlaagreeably exuberant, indeed, espe-
; clally . when he , came . Into - tha dis
patcher's office. as. he sometimes did,
' and literally- stampeded us. with his
" pranks. At times he was as rough as
:' a grlssly, after ha had Indulged In a cup
:, too much of that which ha designated as
"most elegant boose." But ha had a
': great heart, a prodigal benevolence of
nature that leapt him always looking for
' tha paycar, and a . fearlessness of rail
road officials , which, to men who suf
fered the normal trepidation of beings
who might at any moment lose their
, Jobs, was fairly appalling. As I remem
tier him, ha stood something mora than
- six feet in flat-heeled shoes, waa power
, fully fashioned ' In body and limb,
j Slightly stooped In tha shoulders, with
head and race nearly nanaaome. out i-
nioiit too-aitaim for"-tila fiame, oaa
anedium-alsed gray . eyas that looked
. .aquare Into the eyes of other people and
- danced with bantering smiles.
' - Barrett could not understand him. and
ton that account, and for the - more
prickly treason that ha could force no
islga of subserviency from the man. dls
liked him. But Joy. who waa of larger
,. nature, liked him unreasonably. - At
least, ws dispatchers thought ao by tha
time be had Dashed Bnanaon. over tsar-
rett'a protests, to the best passenger run
. W . II.. . tin hA .11.1. MtllAV
rork settled It all.
Ufa In Bound Hill, tha division sta
tion was not a dry thing, sava in the
. higher social functions there It was
quite arid, full-dress - occasions being
almost unknown. Nearly every one was
active, and the building and repairing
of ears, tha overhauling of engines, the
. . , constant dispatching and returning of
cars and all that goea to make a pujae
" point on a great transportation artery
. are thinas of unabatlna Interest. These
we taa IB pieinors.
Round HlU, too, was a "wet" town, for
what town beyond the Una of the
Rockies could hope to excite tha envy of
Its rivals unless tta saloons outnumbered
- Ita stores T The place was wicked, but
chiefly In the way of recreation.- The
, men, largely denied, by the exactions of
their trade, the restraints of the church
' and tha refining niceties of polite life,
"broke loose" occasionally, being human.
- Perhaps it was for this reason, or be-
- of western railroad men could perforce
: not be else than In need of grace, that
int uruma alio Mmuvunnvi vi i iiv J obit'
,' tton Array startled Its main street
. '' habitues one February evening. The
To the eye and ear of the Round Hill
' populace the spectacle was not at all
reiigioua, oui, on cne contrary, aiaiinciiy
worldly, even rldlculoua They did not
1 - then know, what moat of the world has
, . . since learneo. mat Dark or tne noise ana
lay a mighty, benignant purpose for the
' upllftlna-of the weak and fallen among
mankind. Hence Round HlU, laughed,
th. lnnilfc,.nT. MnMllullv. Kilt 1. la.
these last showed their-teeth in differ
ent faahlon. -
Nat Shandon was passing, on his wsy
. to his engine that first evening and
paused a moment to see what waa going
."., Three persona, fronting a crowded
sidewalk, were singing In gleeful
fashion. Two of the singers were girls
and eerh of these ratUed a tambourine.
Tha third was a middle-aged man, clean
shaven and happy looking, but with the
' tracery of outlived dissipation thick
upon hla fane. At tlmea he belt a bass
drum with force and unction. Each waa
habited In the uniform of the Salvation
order. ... .. -i . ... .,
Shandon'a Initial Impression was that
afreet fakers were selling Wlsard OIL
rerbe ef Wonder or something after
1 .at ert, and he beaan cracking Jokes
; i he laughingly looked ever the heads
MILTON KERR '
of the crowd toward the singers. Even
when the three strangers knelt and the
man's voice rose in prayer, the crowd,
and Bhandon as well, continued to laugh
and jeat. But ' a moment later one of
the girls stepped upon a box at tha edge
of the sidewalk and looked around on
tha torch-lit faces of the curious eon
course. Instantly Bhandon was a seri
ous man. - - . --
The young- womsn was small and had
a face thin, faintly olive in tone, dell
cately featured, with big, dark, sorrow-
ful eyes that dominated the oountenanee.
As she looked down on the faoes ot the
crowd a little smile ran about her Hps,
an engaging yet pathetic gleam of ap
peal whiqh somehow mingled friendship
and- pity .ourlonaly. m, Bhanjloa ifslt-ihe
look and the spirit of the f see enter
htm as 'something that pasaea to the
heart ef matter and leaves no sign or
wound. Hs drew in a deep breadth.
danced at tha clear stars overhead.
dropped his eyes to the crowd and made
a movement as lr to go. : his worm ,naa
suddenly changed. Then he turned to
ward the face again. "Shut up!" he said
to noisy fellow at his elbow, uncon
sciously ending the gruff eommana witn
an oath. '
The girl waa speaking. ' Bhandon lis
tened a moment, then pushed on around
the crowd and In nearer the speaker.
Her voice was thready from hoarseness,
yet sweet with sympathy and tenderness.
She was - telling -why -they ha4 come
among the people of Round Hill, of the
work of love they hoped to ao, or me
friendship and help they craved. Then,
with lifted eyes, she began to tell the
story of the crucified and risen lover of
all life. Rapturously, with ineffable ap
preciation la look and tone, she told of
his compassion and the uplifting, saving
power that came-to men from loving
him. She told it, not a priest or preacher
might, but as only a delicate girl could,
with a subUety of feeUng and a spiritual
Intuition Impossible with men.
If any In the crowd grew quiet: others
continued stirring about,, scraping such
merriment as they . eauld from the add
situation. Bhaadon-listened, looking at
tha girl with level, earnest eyes. Old as
was the story, he felt It as something
almost-new, ' the beautiful resurrection
ot a tale worn well-nigh threadbare and
meanlnktess in his childhood years. Btllh
to Sbandoa tha personality of the epeeket
waa far more than the story.: Her deli
cate flcurer clad In plain brown; her
pathetic, tender face. In Its frame of
black bonnet and dark ribbons tied under
the chin, sent something, like a cry ol
pity through his great body. He had
felt the charm of more than one woman.
but It had never been as with this one.
Why should she subject herself to such
publicity? - Why should brutal people be
permitted to Jeer at her T A tipsy brake-
man-a few feet front him waa Interrupt
ing the speaker with loud remarks' and
drunken gestures. - Bhandon, with sudden
(Ire In his veins, reached In and drew
him out In a tigerlike clutch. With an
angry grip on the nape of the man's
nek he whirled him about and pushed
him roughly from the crowd, and almost
flung him Into ths mouth of a dark alley
near by. . The girt paused and looked
after them oddly, pityingly. The crowd
roared with laughter. - (
Bhandon looked down a moment at the
outline of the fallen man. "Get up and
go f your boardln' -house!" he growled.
"Don't - you disturb ths the . meetln'
again, He turned and came toward
the crowds but paaaed around It and
paused In the middle of the street and
looked toward ths speaker. The girl
stepped down from the box and took her
tambourine from the hand ot her sister
worker, a blonde young woman wearing
the Insignia of a cadet, while the lieu
tenant, the man who had beaten the
drum, mounted the box and began speak
ing. , ,
The little brown captain drew toward
a5xlBslsWlsfcfls?armPBFltff
rowful eyes. Then she came nearer to
him and put out her hand- Ha took It
timidly, feeling himself suddenly touched
with a kind ot -trembling.". Bystanders
were grinning and nudging each other,
but he did not consciously see them.
The face of the girl. sad. though, faintly
smiling, - and tha big, appealing eyes,
looking out of a shadowy half-circle' that
told of overwork and shaken health, en
thralled him. - "I want so much to thank
you, but I shouldn't." she said. - "It
wasn't right to use the man roughly, to
take him away. It is such as he that
Chiiat Is seeking: poor, blind soul, he Is
so mucn to oe pitied r' There waa some
thing like tears in her voice. -
The big engineer grew confused, shift
ing from foot to foot ss he looked down
upon her. '1 didn't know I didn't un
derstand I n l m aorry," he etam
mered. . "But, miss," with a sudden
clinching of his fists, "you can't expect
a man to let any one disturb or insult
you. . I won't stand that; 'taln't right
and proper..
"The Bavlour didn't mind such things,"
no saia soiuy. -He lovea the erring
when they maltreated him. He strove
the more te help them. . We try to feel
as ne oia. ...
- "Well, I'm not not religious; I don't
understand the feeling; 'taint hardly
human, seems t me. Anyhow, no no
man snail break up your meetings whsn
I'm 'round," he said, with a flame In
eyes1 snd cheeks.
8 he put out her' hand again and It
clung a moment In hla. while a grati
tude she. could not suppress shone In
her eyes. "Then you'll eome to our
meetingsf God bless you," she said, ber
tone botn a benediction snd caress.
'1 don't know; may be," he summered.
and nurriea away . toward the roundhouse,-.'''.
- - ' j';. , i.
When he had gone a hundred feet or
more he turned and listened an Instant.
Tha lieutenant was telling how, after
years or dissipation, he had elected to
end sll In suicide, .when the Salvation
ists brought him to knowOod's love.
snd -that had freed - and saved him.
"Hallelujah I" came the voice of the
little captain, and she and the cadet
broke Into pealing song. -
"Hallelujah Little Hallelujah." mur
mured, Shandon, as he went onward, and
again,' "Little Hallelujah," tenderly.
wistfully, as he crossed the main track
nd saw his engine steaming down to
ward the station. - I
"You eeid you -was comin' round to
look ths mschlne over. Nat, 'fore I
brung her out of the house, but I couldn't
wait." ssld the hostler, as he Jumped
ta the ground from the gangway of the
engine. i .-- -
-"She's all right," said Shandon, as
he swung himself up the 'step, but
whether he meant the mighty to of
"Little Hallelujah" waa not apparent
"Something wrong - with Nat," mut
tered Ridley, the fireman, an hour later
as they rolled away through the tnoun-
, W 1 1 If VX
? ( j Ji U U' I VWt u . -
i k- jl. . -v , rmr - -(
HI ' , .
Shandon'a face was grave, yet with a
kind of light In it His grimy left hand,
alwaya on the throttle lever, seemingly
did Its , work Involuntarily. - As they
rushed Into the echoing - gorges he
sroused himself and looked keenly ahead
and back at the swaying string of glow
ing coaches. But In the long open valleys
the dreamy light atola back Into hla face
and ha looked up wistfully to the great
dome of stars and the moon plowing
the silver fields of snow on distant
mountain tops. Something new ' hsd
coma Into his heart; he felt, but could
not analyse It a holy kind of tenderness
that had the little captain and the sem-
ing hardships of her Ufa at tha core
of It -
He wished thst she had not given her
self to such unwomanly labor, had not
offered herself as a target for ridicule,
gibe and sneer. She was one who ought
to have her life In a warm home-nest,
with a true man's lovs as a shield be
tween her and the brutal world. But In
what faahlon was It his affair he, big.
rough, sinful? His questioning and
solicitude were preposterous, he ' ad
mitted; yet they clung In his conscious
ness, sweet, disturbing. Insistent
. When he pulled Into Round Hill on
the return -trip the following evening, he
hsd his mind made up to let the little
h. did not - He passed down through
Main street when he might have gone to
hla. lodgingo by a shorter route. - He
found . the Salvationists, with a larger
and somewhat more respectful audience,
laboring at the point of their first at
tempt "Little Hallelujah" was preach
ing. He stopped soms distance away
and listened, a gloomy, brooding look In
hla eyes. At the end of 1 minutes hs
shook himself together and went onward.
In the morning, with an odd throb of
dismay, he found the little captain and
the cadet seated opposite to him at the
breakfast table In the dining-room of his
boarding-house. Later he learned that
the Salvationist had secured a small
hall on Main street which was to con
stitute "the barracka," and that the lieu
tenant like a true soldier, was bunking
on tne floor of the hall wlth.no more
eaaeful .thing than a blanket about him.
The "lasses" .would camp there later, in
a little room partitioned off at the rear.
They had come to make a campaign
against aln in Round HlU. The fight
promised to be long. When Bhandon
sat down at table, the little captain
Inclined her head to him In recognition,
but was quiet and reserved, leaving a
queer tremor at his heart , . .. - .
- After - that,- - events went quietly
through four evenings. Then a storm of
opposition broke upon ths hesds ot the
Salvationists, the three soldiers sent Into
the mountains from that atrange army
of love which haa covered the planet
with Its camps. The ealoonmen were In
a rage; the meetings of the Salvationists
drew the drinkers from the bars. Hired
roughs began to- pelt the girl-warriors
and the lieutenant with mud and divers
sorts of offenalvs missiles. Shandon
fought two bloody flghta In the streets
of Pound HlU in their defense. Barrett
discharged him, but Superintendent Joy
at once reinstated him and BarrVi re
signed, only to find that Joy would not
accept his resignation. In the faces of
tha three Salvationists grew a happter
glow, their preaching was more loving,
their songs more spirited, their prayers
more fervid. They were fighting to
save men; the battle was full of Joy. .
Then there cams a terrible night A
great crowd atood In a faint mist of rain
listening to the little captain's Impas
sioned pleading. The lights glimmered
along the aaloon and store fronts, the
flame of the army torches wavered and
smoked near the girl's head, the lake
of faces about her waa full of glinting.
With yearning and pity in every sesture
and tone, she poured out her meeeage of
love. Bhandon atood not far away,, pale
and suffering dumbly. Then there came
a rurfh of heavy feet, men lunged yelling
through the crowd, people were over
thrown, there was surging snd con
fusion, missies whistled through the air,
and tha little captain suddenly tonnled
and fell backward from the speaker's
box. a bleeding wound on her forehead.
With a gasping moan In his throat
Shandon leaped in and gathered the
llm fifure la Big arms. He rose up,
Shandon Leaped in and Gathered
holding her. a a one might a child.' "His
face was dead white and he swept two
biasing eyes over the confusion of faces
about him. "If I only knew the man
that did this you mob Of co warder he
cried, with hoarse, shaking voice. "This
girl is an angel she fetches you a mes
sage of love you - stone her In the
street! Til whip you man by man aa I
find you you that are puttln" up this
outrage!" . . r -., : ,
He turned" about and utterly unmind
ful of what might be thought or said,
strode across the street and down the
opposite sidewalk toward the boarding
house. -Little Hallelujah poor Little
Hallelujah" he muttered, aa he looked
down upon ber face lying pallid and
blood-stained - against . . his shoulder.
When he came to the house, he set the
door open with a big, impetuous foot
and pushed his wsy Into the halt The
landlady came out of the alttlng-room
with sudden paling countenance. "They
killed - her they've, stoned her." said
Bhandon chokingly. "Where shall I lay
nerr
They placed her on a bed in a room
off the parlor, and Bhandon rushed
away for the company's surgeon. When
he returned with the surgeon, the blonde
cadet .and the lieutenant with several
other . persons, were In the room.
,etl81iOdonnt out. and stood on the
porch b yThe mil n entrance,"' ATthe""end
or half aa hour the Burgeon came out
He looked 'at Bhandon understanding.
"A pretty bad concussion stunned her
but she'll be aU right If kept quiet
he said. - "She's a soldier, sure enough.
As soon as she -came 'to aha wanted to
go back Into the street and speak.' .He
enoea with an odd grunt or. laughter. -
Shandon'a lips moved, but he did not
speak. An aching lump sprang Into his
throat and he turned away and atrode
off to the roundhouse
At sunset the next day fee came softly
Into Hallelujah's room. The girt lay
propped up among he pillows, wan and
weak, a white bandage about har brow.
She laid a Testament which she had
been reading, on the counterpane before
her, and looked up to Shandon with a
welcoming - smile. The . big engineer
stood through a breath or two awkwardly
turning hla hat In his fingers, a swift
urge of emotion visibly, sweeping him
at eight of her. "I wanted to see you
to find out how . you was gettin'
along." he said, with apology In the tone.
"You are kind, so kind. Bring a chair
and sit here, won't your she ssld. - Her
voice was sweet and cool, and grateful
to hear. - -
He drew a chair near her by tha bed
and satHown. She put out her slim
hand and laid It on his. "Tqu are s
good friend snd I thank you. -There Is
something growing In your heart, 1
think aometbing thst concerns me, but
I don't want you to I am not worth 11
there la something so much greater,
o much sweeter you understand, don't
your' She turned ber eyes to his ap
paallngly. Shandon returned the look steadily,
yet his hand shook-under hers, "I only
understand that I that I love you," he
aid. "I want to take you away from
this thing you are doing to marry and
protect you."-. ; 'f - , ...
Her eyelids fluttered shut and aba Is
ln silence a little time, but she did not
take ner hand from hla ."You do not
really know who I am what I have
been." she said slowly, with eyes still
closed. . , .
"I do not cere,"- he said. .
Her lips moved. "Human love Is
a blind, atrange thing sometimes It I
good and aaving eometlmea. I have
tasted It It is sweet." Her eyes opened
on his sgaln. "I am older than, perhape,
you think. - I am It. I am ths daughter
of a minister. I revolted sgainat tha
seeming tyranpy of the the higher
duty. . Afterward I loved a man wor.
ahlped him ha led me aataay. Both he
and the child are dead.1-.
Shandon'a hand closed on her quiver
Ingly. "Poor little glrl how bad you've
been treated! Won't you come to me
I love you ser he said huskily.
"I have drained that cup peraonal
love. You your love would be differ
ent, I know. I 'would like to taate It;
but large as it -seems. It is a little thing
beside the Great Affection, the. Im
personal love that yearns for aU man
the Slim Figure in Hia Anna.
kind. Cannot you understand to . fix
the heart on only one it la a toy 1
side the splendor of a planet P Her big
yes, luminous with tha thought and
the ecstasy of It. dwelt upon hla. face.
' He aat looking down, a kind of numb
ness creeping- upon. him. "Then I am aa
the rest to you? I am but a part, aa
atom or tne. whole." , . .
Her. fingers tightened iSn - his ' hand.
"I would sin by aaylng that were true,1
she said caressingly. "Yet can you ask
me to take the cup? Once It would have
satisfied, me. now it would not I have
drunk at the fountain of universal love,
the great God -cup; it la strangely, in
expressibly sweet." .
- He felt flaccid, hopeless, gaslng at her
dumbly. N , -
"You would marry tne, -would try to
make me happy, only me. How much
sweeter, more unselfish, to . work for
the salvation and Joy of all mankind.
The object would be Infinitely-greater,
your' reward of happinass infinitely
larger. You understand, do you not?"
He stirred restlessly. I seem to see
somehow a little, but I cannot feel
It" he said desolately.- "I want only
you." '
Tou must enter Into God's love. - It
will fill xoa and then you will love aa
he lovea, earing tenderly for all Ufa
Love grows by use; even Jesus, I be
lleveTkepr Himself froWirenIT)yTSo
stantly doing good. . .Let ma help you a
little, let me lead you just one step."
Her eyes closed snd she began praying
for - him. - plaintively. . simply, softly.
When aha had finished, he arose, a
struggling aeexln hi throat She took
his band in both here and each looked at
the other through tears. "You will ,be
good," she said, "you will be great In
the best sense, won't you? ' I am' so
little only one almost nothing. Think
of the thoussnds of sick, the unsaved,
the fallen. Forget me In thinking of
them, because It is better for you. and
because I might loss myself In Irving
only you." - , , -
' "I will try," he struggled to say
and turned and went out, shaken to ths
soul. . . .. - :
That evening he " passed along Main
street on the less frequented side. A
larger crowd tbsn ever was at the Old
point of meeting. In their midst he saw
Hallelujah on the speaker's box, a whits
bandage across her forehead, preaching
with a glow of light on her face. The
town marshal stood not far from her.
a cordon ot blg-f lsted men from the rali-
roats inupi iiuva duu nor, nirn wno
had sworn thst Round "Hill should not
be again humiliated by harlng-a woman
stoned In its streeta Shandon tried to
listen, but could not for tha tender,
schlng, strangling thing at his heart
"God bless her; she is greater than any
man," he faltered, and went onward, 'out
through the town into the still valley,
tinder, the big white stars, facing the
sphinx ot silence in the moonlit fields.
At t in tne morning ne mounted tne ivo
and took the express east -and the drama
of Muley Fork was played under that
pan of the un. v ;
It was a stag for tragedy, that region
where the Muley river bored through the
mountain baaea and met th Grand. SO
mile east of Round HlU. . At the first
itep the larger river bent round a cliff
bottom and flowed' eaatward through a
gorge. The track, looking from the wet,
approached the gorge on the right aide
of the Grand, but at the mouth of the
past crossed the river by an Iron bridge
and curved eaatward at the cliff base.
A half mil east of the bridge the
canyon widened. - a - sloping mountain
lifting on the left a towering wall of
rock beetling- on the farther side of the
river. At the foot of the steep slope
the little town of Mldgley clustered.
above it the broad, slanting ..bosom of
the mountain. On thla beveled sweep.
which ran ..upward thousands . of feet,
were dark green clots of pine, dents that
were valleya and mighty snags of rock
poured, round, with . gleaming rrvera. of
now. Two mines opened mouths In
the mountain's white face, thrusting out
dark tongues of trestle-work and trail
ing gray beards of Waste. Between and
a little above the mines fell a depres
sion of the earth, closed - In the fore
ground with a dam to feet high and
nearly 100 i feet In length.. Behind the
wall bunc 10 aoreg of water, fore for
the machinery of the mtnes and the
stamp. mine and supply for the town.
On that day, at tha warm end of Febru
ary, a thin sheet of water 100 feet wide
flowed over the - top- of the ' dam' and
every heart in Mldgley was uneasy. Just
east of . the town, less than a quarter
of a mile from the railroad atatlon, the
opposite range opened ruggedly, letting
Muley Fork -into the Grand- through a
narrow gorge. Fronting the- opening
through which the Muley came, on the
railroad side of the Grand, the CkByon
broadened, leaving a clear half acre or
mora - through which tha track went
eastward.
Tht was the stage, with a setting
of stupendous scenery; uprushlng wall
or cnaotio atone, gigantto cleavage here
and there, soaring silvery necks -of dis
tant peaks, white sloping mountain-
shoulders, breaata of crags shaggy with
forests and tiny Mldgley down In the
canyon witn 100,000 tons or water bang
ing above-it " ' t ' ; -
The land hsd been warming for 1
week and we in tha dispatcher's office
and the crews of the road had been deal
ing with annoying earth and a now si Idea
not large, but ominous of disasters.
Upon a hundred mountains perhaps
thousand,, great and small eno w . lay
softening; ths fro sen streams began to
break; down in Midgley gorge and over
In Muley' bore there weie poppln g and-4
crunching noises throughout day and
night; then came the morning of Shan
don's eastern run. s-
A he aat at the throttle his aspect
waa that of an older msn; within a few
days his rollicking boyishness hsd gone.
Without understanding why, Ridley, the
fireman, looked at him with Increasing
respect - Grave but alert . Bhandon
watched the track ahead. - On - thwsy
to the Grand several bridges, spanning
swollen streams, had- to be inspected be
fore crossing with the traliu and th
to plowed through twonvid slides,
leaving gravel and atones wedged be
tween the slate of her pilot ' . The sun
seemed warm aa In June and the air had
the balm of late April In It. Here and
there on distant mountains Shandon
broad black streaks, showing ths wsy of
Avalanches. Early In December rain and
sleet bad fallen, leaving a steely coat
from ' which th melting snow now
slipped., when unrestrained by natural
dams, swseplng to canyon and valley In
boiling torrents.
Bhandon went carefully. . Hl train
should have been at Mldgley at 11:10;
It waa I In tha. afternoon when they
-made.-the Grand. A chaos of Ice lay
plied agalnat ths center pier of the
bridge. Shandon got down and walked
scross. Momentarily - tremors ran
through the Iron structure, but It seemed
firm. Above the bridge the river had
a heaped, swollen look and was ruled
With grinding masses of Ice," Shandon
mounted tne engine and puued eiowiy
across. The last coach had hardly left
the eastern span When, with a tearing
crash. . the span broke from the
crumbling center pier and plunged Into
the flood.
At Mldgley they found a red signal
out and a freight train on the aiding.
Looking eastward, they saw the cause
Muley Fork, mad with, its burden,' was
pushing a moving, grinding ridge of lea
clear across the track, into the northern
canyon wall. Looking up the mountain
side, they saw the whole front of the
reservoir streaming, a long veil Of gut
tering glass. Would the dam holdt
What If the snow on ths steep, open
slope to the left of it should break and
sweep into it. irresistible in rorce,. in
calculable In weight? - Here' and there
were email, black spots like spearheads
on th white, gleaming elope, atartlng
drops of th avalanche. The Grand,
freed In a measure at th bridge, waa
ellmotng its banks, momentarily backing
up from the loe- gorge at tha. moutbof
Muley Fork. Mldgley and the express
and the freight lay in a frightful trap.
Shandon, got down and. looked about
him. The conductor cam running for
ward. ' There were crying and hysteria
along the track. A hundred people of
more, the populace -of little Mldgley,
were waiting for the train.' Six or aeven
sick persons, - on Improvised stretchers,
lay on the station platform. There were
three sick people on the train. What
waa to be doner.. The hale and trongjjour Blb and find out at onoel.".
might possibly' escape up the - moun
tain, but the reservoir and the snow,
th woman 1 and th children and th
ick! -.. . . '-
"We must clear the gorge and take
'am ever Angel paaa into Peace valley,"
aald Shandon, half to himself. "Lot ot
folks going lose their Uvea here
She aald to think of the sick and help
less and any sort of people la trouble.
Bay, Phil." he shouted to the engineer
of the freight "run down ahead and let
me kick my train In on the siding; then
you hoek on to the cosohes and stand
ready to follow ma through. I'm going
to cut the tee pack in two.".
.The conductors Of the freight and pas
senger both protested. -Nothing hut de '
atruetlon for the engine and death for -
the man who drove her eould result. ,
mey aeciareo. Dili i-nii 1410, cnewinsj
hard on a piece of tobacco, aald coolly,
"All right Nat; only you'd better let tne
buck the Ic first . . . -. " ...... . . .
"No, I have the right of way; it Is
my duty, not yours. PhiL . Pull down
quick, and let -me kick In. -There will
be 40 feet of water in- thla gulch In 10
minutes If that orge ain't broken," aald
Bhandon. '
Than there was . wild hurrying, th -clashing
of drawheads and the hissing of
team,, rough shouting and hill crying
and moans from the sick who were be
ing carried aboard. The Grand wss
lapping the rails of the main line. It '
waters heaped with groaning and grind
Ing windrows of Ice, as Shandon backed
the great 0 for the charge. He sent ,
her back clear to the fallen bridge be
fore h reversed for the terrible plunge,
Ridley hsd got off at the station and
Shandon est alone aln the cab. There
waa a babble anT clamor of echoes
through all ths canyon. He drew In hi
breath and held it aa inatant-than threw.
tha throttle wlda Tha hure machine
leaped forward wltbi a roar from stack -
snd exhausts. Beautiful and mighty she -swept
down tha perilous stretch, her .
Iron skull sst for the mountain ridge ot
Ice. ' What the people heard aa shs
passed was a long. roar, of thunder;
what they saw was a glimmering
monster flash by with aray Iron face
at . the window. . Then' there waa a
booming crash, a great gush of water
and ice block in the air and th monster
was gone. - V
' Lyon opened his engine's valve and .
tha express rushed after her, plowing
onward through water and crashing Ice
into open ground. - What Lyon did not
see some- on the rear coaches saw. a
sublime end terrifying spectacle on the
mountainside the smoking rush of a
thousand tons of' snow into - Mldgley
reservoir. With the Impact half the
water of the lnclosure beemed to gush .
outward over tha dam' crest Ilk a
gigantic silver banner, bending down
ward as th structure burst And tiny .
Mldgley? : Well. - no , human Ufa waa
there. -
They found Shandon'a engine 100 feet
beyond the Ice pack, lying, on her clde.
Stack, bell,, aand tank, cab everything
waa gone. . Battered and stripped aba .
lay. a. hissing wreck They-. pulled
Shandon from some wreckage rearward
from the angina He waa hurt, beyond
mortal help. . A ha hung in Lyon s
anna he spok but ones. " "Tell Hallelu
jah." hs murmured, "the little captain
back in Round HIU--yott know tell .
her I tried to love snd save 'em all .
but I loved her the best" . --;
. Thai was all. They, laid htm on
cushions in the baggage ear and pulled
onward around the. curve, up Tudor
guloh, over Angel pas and down Into
Peace valley. - .. . . ;
., He waa burled there. .-.:.
Next week's atory in TbV Sunday"
Journal's great fiction erlea U "Collec
tor of the ; Porte." by Robert . W. -Chambroa.
".i.- ...-.-;.'.';'". .
A Paaena Physiolan's BAM et xaaita.
A famou New York physician, now
hale and handsome at 76. auma up his'
half a century of medical practice and
observation la theee simple rules of.
health: ' ' ' - ' '
L Be temperate In all things, in mat- .
tera ef amusement or study aa well a
In regard tot foods and drinks. To be
temperate in -all thlaga,- however, doe 1
not -Imply-that -one--rauat- be -a pro--hlbltlonlst
about anything. - '
. Don't be afraid to go to sleep, tor
sleep la. the best restorer of wasted...
energies. Sleep a certain number of
hour every night and then remember '
that a short nap during the day la .
safer rejuvenator than a cocktail. ,
I. Don't worry either about the past
or the future. To waate a single hour
In regret for the past Is aa senseless aa "
to send good money, after that which
baa been irrecoverably lost To fret -one's
self about what the future may.
hive In store Is about as reaaonable as
to attempt to brush back the tide of
the ocean with a broom. "Worry, ot
whatever kind, banishes -contentment.
and contentment Is a necessity of youth.
. Keep the mind youthful. Live in
the present with all the other young
people. .. Don't get to be reminiscent
Let the old people talk about the past, i
for the mere act of thinking about old
things reminds the mind of" Its years.
Remlnlscenae are dangerous whethet
they be soothing or sweet or sad for
thev characterise old age. abd must be
sedulously avoided by those who would
be ever young. '- .' 't :
.' Keep up witn the tlmea wil l ran
behind the procession. - To accomplish -
this learn on new f sot every day. xne
mind that la atlefled to live upon the -
lessons - it learned In Its youth soon ,
grows old and musty. To keep young
It must be fresh and active that la.
abreast with the times. The old methods
of thought and the old facts may have
been correct enough ones upon a time. .
but that time. baa passed. Today they ,
re obaolete and' only amuaing as relics
of antiquity. - To remain young, there-
for, on must keep the storehouse or
the memory clear of all such rubbish. ,.
Throw away one of the mildewed relics
every - day and replace - it with om
-newer, fresher end : more up-to-aat
fact-- - --.
Her, then. Is this Nsw Tork physi ¬
cian's secret of perennial youth ; la a
nutshell: ..-.. . .
Be temperate.- Don't be afraid to go
to sleep. - Don't worry. Keep the mind
youthful. - And keep up witn tne times.
It Is not a airnouit ruie 01 lire to fol
low. It is ever so .muoh easier than
wandering about strange lands in search
of hidden springs. . It is somewhat
pleasanter than atewlng.over ill-smell-,
ing crucibles. Moreover, It has the ad
vantage of being thoroughly prac
ticable, which , makes It well worth
trying. " - , t .
' Bebuked. - ' . .-. ,; ".
From" Llpplnoott's Magaslne. - .
"Father." said a boy of 11, "can yott r
tell ma who Shytock waT-
What I" exclaimed the father In an
aggrieved tone, "have I sent you to -
Sunday ehool for the lajt alx or seven
years only to have you aak me who Shy.
lock wasr shame
on you. boy I . Gat
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