St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-07-16

'"' h'tlh Intlt ne WIS, coming mp the
road. | could hear the rapid rlatter of
his horses hootS in full "allop. and
though ! rather wondered at such un-
usual speed, | knew from the direction
III which it came i. could hr no other
than my husband returning home. Near
er and nearer came the rapid splash
dash of the hooiS in the muddy soil. II
was almost at the gate before | had
wiped AWAY my tell-talc tears. and
turning to the window again, saw brown
Katie, my husbands handsome blood
mare indeed, but with no rider on her
back. her sides SplaShed with mud and
foam, the saddle twisted under her, and
the reIms dangling Loosely from her neck
as she painted and whinnied outside the
NIcIra%c gate.
| stood for one moment spccchlcSS.
never doubted. even for one llcrtim
second, that my husband had been
thrown and killed killed 81 soon aud
:" aWfullN. within one month of his
mtn ia"c
Ii seemed like Il Judgment on me af-
ter my umgrltclul repiningS. on like
some horrible nightmare from which |
could not wake: and. II, Ia Il dream. my
mind SpIang back T." all the errors and
mistakes of the past month. and passed
verdict against me accordingly. had
nothing on me, neither hat nor mantle.
hut after the first minutes stunned and
h"rr"rStIuck hewildcIlmcnt. | dartcd
from the house down the narrow. rose
hedged garden walk. and out into the
wet. lonely country road. The thought
had struck me he might Vet hc alive
stunned. mlimcd. even diving. il might
hc. but >till alive and bN great haste |
might yet Ice III time. In imc tol W hat
only To kiss him. To beg his forgiveness ::
II II might hc. to lie down and die with
hm my poor boy. from whom hid
parted in the morning without one ten
der word. Til death do Us part"
had said it one month ago. and was the
parting come already! !
1t WAS still raining: the road. narrow
and rugged. wound up Il hillside. and
presented Il drcarH variety of rough
stones and pools of mud. Onc side wa>
bUrdcrcI 10y Il high bank: the other
sl"pcd ,toWn prccipitou~ll hundred
feet or more int" the valley below. and
WAS clothed hN Il thick grow h of maple.
huttrlnut. aud hickory trees. whu>,
autumn foliage of Mingled orange. red.
and yellow formed Il strange pIc-lta-
plIacIIic contrast to the lc:idrd vault Of
sky which closed heavily dow II on every
side. my self. III my cNcnlu" dress.
last becoming Il mere limp rag in the
small soaking RAIN. tcaling;Iluug through
mud. brake. and hIiaI>. with Il W Whilr.
dc>palrimG face and dank m;i>>,.> "i Wet
hHn hanging round my shoulders al
:" must have made Il strange" contrast
T." the primitive stiffness "f that laml
autumn evening.
Om IAN. needless ut rNrI\ thin" but
the f"nl-IIack> "t the lIlnawaN horse.
lest. ~ more than dreaded, thee might
dlNcl"r tI"m that steep Woo,i,d slope
among the stones and hldmhl.> ut
Nhl"h Fred Eudrc"lt might even then
hc Ing hIui>,d and ScII>,l,>> Whcic
the Road went knew not. save that it
led away from the Village. y" house.
II" sign "i human hahItLlinn WAS ii,
sight Yet on | ran. stumbling" often.
wet. mud stained. raIrlcS> of every
tiIIu" hut that Sought. ill ~ TUNED
i corner "i the road. -.ln Il man com
toward me. his figure show img niIG black
against the Wauiu. NcllnN nt the west
can holiI-h.
y ~"rI "t FAINT hope seized me that he
might help me-: mi.hl cihIp> even hc
comm" {" fetch me-: aud exhausted ~
Wt~. Il ~"it nt liN >lrIIr.ll scream liilrd
my threat. and | rushed toward him.
lie To-" qmlckrrcd his pace at the sight
of :" >tI.tn"r an object and the u"\t
moment We stood i.l", to face.
II WL> my husband Fred Fred
himself alive aud uuiniurrd and in
the iII~l agony "i ImcIrduItN | almost
staggered bach from him. Then the
muddy r"nd. Tia" yellow hurrcrnut> aud
Ird NAPLES: even Frrd'> tail. manly
ii"u,r ~o"mrI /" WhiIl and SWAY hct"rr
~, eyes: and Wa~ uuk saved from
falling 10y lciu" caught in his strong
arms. u al hrid There tight. | had m,N rr
tainted III my lite l".l"rc: hut think |
did ~ then: at least | seemed To hear
Frrd'> Voice suddenly. and ~ il wcIc
fium 4 daIk cloud tar away. Ihru my
mind came with Il rush. and in ar~W cI
I" his Inrathlr>> pru.S' IONS. only chung
L. hiu tighter and tighter. with Il sob
hin" cry. "OIi, Fred Brown Katie -
aud then cam, Il burst OF tears. blessed
tears | think they saved my reason
that evening. and WAS able, To >tam-
mcI. Erred. Fred. | thought N"u we've
killed -
Fred said nothing: nothing that
heard at least. don't think he could
lie has told mr since that. >hockrd and
alarmed Ia he WAS In see me III such Il
place and such = plight. the lr>ulsinu
"t ircliu" from his previous gloom io
the know ledge that hc WAS an object oi
anxiety and love !" the being he Io> c,l
best IN the world. made him happier
than IIr had ever been in his life. -
he said NcIN little indeed. only folding
me CLOSER and closer IN his arms. press
/ in% my head down on his breast. and
/ hrulin" his own above rs though I,
| shield me from lain. wind and terror III
/ once and forever. Once or twice II,
pressed his lip> tcudcrly to my wet brow
and VuiNcriu% mouth. mIIimuring. M Y
| little Nrtlic. my own little wife" But
i"r the rest he let me cry my heart ont
| in his arms. waiting till WAS calm lol
Il fuller explanation of my strange APP
/ pCaIance. Not that he WAS calm him
self: mine were not the only tears that
! %littcrcd on my face that evening: and
a> leaned against his heart | could
hear the heavy, irregular beats. tacl
sending Il responsive thrill through
mine. | had never seen Fred 50 agi-
tatcd before; indeed, fancy it WAS hi,
strong mind and apparent st"iriSn
which tilst cmdearrd him to my fearful
impulsivc little self. All true womcI
love to recognize power and sclf-contr"
| glcatcr than their own III the men they
call their friends and even now. mov-
ed as lie WAS, lac soon commanded him
self, and still holding me tcmderlN. TOLD
me that Brown Katie had slipped lcl
birdie while he WIS speaking to II Slcb