OCR Text |
Show SAVED MIMED Ralph Walters Also Won Girl He Loved, and Outwitted a Miser. BY GEORGE ELMER COBB. A little Incident like the crossing of two pins on a railroad track was the starting point In a new destiny for Ralph Walters. It was at a little tation where he -had been waiting for a train for Warbnrton. The through train did not stop. He could hear It coming now. The local was not due for an hour. All alone on the bench outside the depot, he caught sight of the "through" coming around the turve. Then, chancing to glance Uie other way, he sprang to his feet with ft cry of horror. A little urchin not over six years old had been placing two pins crosswise cross-wise on the outer rail, to make "scissors." "scis-sors." A sight of the coming train . itartled the youngster. In his trepidation trepida-tion he slipped over the rail and rolled directly into the middle of the road bed. He was too far away for Ralph to reach him in time, and the latter saw at a glance that the ourushing train would be upon the lad before he could get clear of the tracks. The young man knew that on the turn of a moment mo-ment hung a precious human life. His leisure waiting had given him, from observation, a practical idea of the switches. There was one thing to do, and that quickly. Ralph acted. Ke Eprang at a switch and pulled it over to outer clear. The fast Limited with a Jerk and a toot swung over to a siding, the little boy rolled from tils bed of danger, and, half, frightened fright-ened to death, ran, from the spot, screaming out his terror. There were explanations due the switched train, Ralph well knew. Before Be-fore he could make them, however, something happened that neither he oor the crew of the Limited had expected. ex-pected. Around the east curve came a locomotive with full head of steam on; it flashed on its way, and Ralph realized that somewhere there were crossed orders. The conductor of the Limited came rushing up to Ralph, his face white and excited. In a word he gathered an explanation of the motive of Ralph in switching the train. Then he dashed into the station, to find the operator away for dinner. He rushed to the telephone inst.-ument, 'Realized That Somewhere There Were Crossed Orders. was busy there for two minutes, and came out swiftly. "The biggest thing you will ever do," he said In a strained tone, "is what you've done in switching our train." "It was an impulse. The sight of the child " began Ralph, almost apologetically. apol-ogetically. "If you hadn't," went on the conductor, conduc-tor, "you can guess what might have happened. We had no notice of the special that just dashed by. The ab sent operator here was expected to signal us. Say, you've saved the Limited Lim-ited !" The switched train stood stalled where it had halted. It seemed that the minute the engineer struck the siding be put on the brakes so quickly that a connection was broken. brok-en. The train hands were trying to adjust this now. The passengers, startled and curious, had come from the coaches. Ralph observed a group of them now surrounding the conductor. conduc-tor. He pointed at Ralph, and from the actions of the group the latter knew that they were discussing him. Being a modest young man, he walked down the track to find the Scissors" beside It where the wheels i of the great steam giant had weldei the two pins. Ralph could not very wtJl evade a group which met him They congratulated him on his action in saving the train. One among them, a bright-eyed miss, plainly indicated in her grateful glance that she considered consid-ered him something of a hero. When the train was ready to start up, by chance, it seemed, she found a scat beside him. "That must be a cherished souvenir," sou-venir," she remarked, as she noticed the baby scissors in Ralph's hand. "You may have it, if you like," he said. ''Oh, I shall value it so greatly! What a story I shall have to tell my friends concerning It!" They became quite friendly during the trip. She told Ralph she was on her way to the home of a relative who had adopted her, Mr. Morris Del-mar, Del-mar, and she was Lucy Delmar. In sheer astonishment Ralph learned this, for Morris Delmar was his employer. At the terminus he was separated from the young lady, but not until she had shyly asked him to call some evening, that her friends might thank the man who ha saved the Limited. Now, all this was a prelude to a closer acquaintance, and inside of a month of an engagement, and that in its turn, led to a stormy interview with purse-proud Morris Delmar, in which he angrily informed Ralph that he was presuming beyond his station, might draw what was coming to him, and was forbidden ever calling at the house again. Ralph had one staunch friend in the city, his dead uncle's lawyer. He always went to him when in trouble. He went to him noui. "Glad you came, right in the nick of time," declared Walter Moore. "I was just thinking of sending for you, to see if you didn't want to go into business for yourself," "That's a fine question to ask!" retorted re-torted Ralph bitterly. "What capital have I got?" "Oh, I was thinking of finding the capital for you," explained Moore. "It won't take much. A sure, brisk business from the start will provide for the rest. I propose to lease the store directly across the street from Delmar, and put up a sign reading, 'Jonathan Walters.' " "But that is the name that Mr. Delmar Del-mar operates under now!" exclaimed Ralph. "Precisely until next Saturday night. After that no." "Explain that!" gasped the bewildered bewil-dered Ralph. "You remember when your uncle failed, two years ago?" "Indeed I do," assented Ralph, gravely. "I had just come here, expecting ex-pecting to find a good position in his employ." "Well, to satisfy his creditors, he sold out to this shrewd speculator, I Delmar, at a sacrifice. The latter j was keen enough to value the good wi.'l ' of Jonathan Walters, built up through thirty years' business. That name j was a magnet, so he made your uncle i sign a contract, agreeing, for himself ! and his heirs and assigns, not to reenter re-enter business under two years. The two years are up next Saturday." "Well?" "And then, as his heir, you are the owner of the trade name, 'Jonathan Walters.' " - "See here, Moore," demurred Ralph, "you are pushing me into a hold-up game." "Not at all," laughed the young attorney at-torney "diamond cut diamond, that's all. I Intend that you shall win that little girl you love and outwit this gruff bear of a miser. Leave it to. me." The following Monday morning, Morris Delmar, in mingled rage and amazement, stormed Into the new Btore having above its door a great gilt sign bearing the name of "Jonathan "Jona-than Walters." He demanded to know what It meant. Moore told him. Mr. Delmar chewed the bitter cud of chagrin for a short time. Money counted against pride. "Jonathan Walters is certainly a good trade name," gently insinuated the lawyer. "Yes," acknowledged the moneymaker, money-maker, grudgingly. "I guess I'll have to keep it In the family. Tell young Wralters it's a partnership and a wedding." (Copyright, 1913. by W. G. Chapman.) |