The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-04-26


worn out with the hard liv;n' and rarin'
and losin' the children as he was when
was pu:ty g;rl, with cheeks like roses,
and he was boy courtin' me. Och, Pat,
where did you 60 at all2 You died in a
ditch like dog, maybe; for all these
hard-hear;ed gentle folks care we all
might die.''
she turned and shook her fist back at
the house sue had just left, only q bit Of
the roof visible over the rising ground
now.
"My heart was aching for the childer
and for Pat" she said; ''but you could
have no patience if peratie was burnt,or
towel not that smooth. You sent me
out with the night falling. Bad luck to
ye and all your iEe.;'
Then she plodded on again; but the
woman she had lett was not a. bad az she
had fancied her. In her th':::t and t;di-
ness she could not understand this u1; idy,
CARELESS being. She knew nothing OF the
misery at her heart, or the so:.ow that
made her forget the pos and pals. She
was actually half al:aid Of her, end anx-
ious to get her out of the house. She had
felt it a great mistake to hire a tramp
from the road, as it were, aud she had
paid her and was conscious of no cruelty.
The daylight fed apace; the moon,
r.sen long ago, became vjsible-a fa;ut
STEAK of new moon that set in a lille
while-only the sta"s were LELAND
Maggie, wandering on the road with her
bundle under her arm-a bundle OF rags
and odds aud ends tumbled together in
an old flannel penticoa; 10 lose
her knowledge OF it. Here and there she
saw lights in window, but they were no
promise Of hospitality to her. If she could
get to the Widow Yarrow's, that person.
age: who took the laborers to board,
would let her lodge while she could pay
but where was the widows cot;a3 a3e-to
the right or 70 the le.rt2 She could not
tell in the dark ness whether she had taken
the proper turning. Hard by was rush.
ing sound, 80 Of water. Danger there,
perhaps. The railroad wes somewhere at
hand, and though Maggie felt that the
world was poor place, she did not feel
ready 20 meet death yet.
"I'll just drop down in the grass some
| where" said the poor woman. "And Cod
between me ard harm. If could find q
bit of hay now, E.would be comfort"
She 8: s::e;ched forward, peeriug through
the dark 1e: :, and her foot struck some
branches that lay upon the ground with a
cracking sound.
"What's that2" said voice very nea,
her in a sharp whisper.
Its an imp Of a SQUIRREL" said anothe,
voice. "Go on with your work Jim. The
train will be along in fifteen minutes. Ur
with that rail. Hi! Well have then
this time"
"Hold yonr tongue, fool" said the
first voice. "You're half drunk. I tol6
you thought it was STEP"
And now Maggie, who had sunk fla
upon the ground, knew all. Those WIZ
whispered near her were train-wreckers.
"I'l make no noise," said she. sIt'
none of my business
But lying in the grass, the sharp stroke
of steel on steel smote her ear; she coul,
not forget them. And suddenly it cam
upon her that it was neither more nor les
than murder that she was waiting there
see-that in lying quiet while it was don
she helped to do it.
"God forgive mev' said poor Maggie
"I'll not do it; but what am I to do
> How will I stop them2 It's my ow
death; III bring about nothing else"-
And just then the sound of stea1
!, whistle far away caught the ear. Th
train was coming.
"Ready for them," said the voice sh
had heard before. "Come into IL
bushes"
She heard them tramp away, and 81
8 arose to her feet and looked about he
There was 70 house in sight and no bel
near. Suddenly thought struck he
2 She had matches in her pocket, and h
n dress was thin calico-it would bu,
S like tinder. In a moment more she ha
It torn it off and had the matches in b
y hand. As she struck light she heard
o pistol click.
t. "They see me-" she said, and held Il
match against the old calico and as
caught, fourished it over her head. 81
\ felt bullet whiz by her shoulder; a
Ic other struck her; but now the glare "
g. bright, and the train was close at han
. She rushed toward it, waving her burni1
h dress. Thank God! they saw her. T.
ID train slackened its pace-it stopped. n
I'd with lanterns in their hands sprarg frc
ID it and hurried toward her. And the q
dress, burnt to tinder. dropped To Z