The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-11-15

cou have no patience If q pertatie
Iwas b1f1 81 towel not that
smopth. You sent me out With the
might falling, Badlpek to 80 and
s your liksps
Then she pledded on again; but
the Woman she had lsft was not so
badas She had fancisd her. In her
thrift tidinesslshe could notiun-
Ederstand this unsidy5 carelese being.
shesknsw nothing ofthe misery lat
her heart, or theisorowqtHat made
her forget the pots and pals She
s y en
I'd % gat her ootoftthe house She
had felt it a great mistake to hire q
tramp from the road as it were, and
she had paid her and was conscious
of no cruelty. pa ~
The daylight fled apace, the moon,
risen long ago, became yisible-a
faint streak of new moon that set in
a little while-only the stars were
left-and Maggie, wandering on the
road with her bundle under her arm
"a little bundle Of rags and odds and
ends tumbled together in an old fan
mel petticoat-began to lose her
knowledge of it. Here and there
she saw lights in the window, but
they were no promise of hospitality
to her. Ifshe could get to the widow
Yarrow's, that parsonage, who took
the laborers on board, would let her
lodge while shecould pay; but where
was the widows cottage-to the
right or to the left? She could not
tell in the darkness whether she had
taken the proper turning. Hard by
was a rushing sound as of water.
Danger there, perhaps. The rail
road was somewhere at hand, and
though Maggie felt the world was a
poor place, she did not feel ready to
meet death yet.
@I'll just drop down in the grass
somewhere" said the poor woman,
"and God between me and harm. If
1 could find bit of hay now, 'twould
be u comfort
She stretched forward, peoting
through the darkness, and her foot
struck some loose branches that lay
Upon the ground, with a. cracking
sound.
"What's that?' said voice very
near her, in a sharp whisper"
It's an imp of a squirrel, said an
other voice. "Goon with your work,
Jim; the train will be along in ff-
teen minutes. Up with that rail.
Hill Wen have them this time"
"Hold your tongue, fool!" said the
first voice, you're half drunk | tell
you | thought it was step"
Aud now Maggie, who had sunk
fat upon the ground, knew all.
Those who whispered near her we're
train wreckers.
''I'll make no noise," said she.
"It's none of my business"
But, lying in the grass, the sharp
strokes Of steel smote on her ears.
She could not forgetthem, And sud
denly it came upon her that it was
neither more nor less than murder
thatshe was waiting there to Sec
that in lying quiet while it was
done she helped to do it.
"God forgive mel" said poor Mag
gle, "I'll do it; but what am l to doH
How am ! to stop themS It's my
own death; I'll bring about nothing
else"
And just then the sound of a steam
whistle far away caught the ear,
The train was coming.
SRcady for thom!" said the voice
she had heard before, "Come into
the bushes"
She heard them tramp away, and
rose to her feet and looked about her,
There was no house in sight and no
help near. Suddenly a thought
struck her She had matches in her
pocket, and her dress was a thin cal.
ico-it would burn like tinder. In
a moment more she had torn it of
and had the matches in her hand,
AS she struck a light she heard q
pistol click,
"They SEQ me-" she said, and held
the match against the old calico,
and, as soon as 1t caught, fourished
:. - lol CT Ga . ILL