Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-17

~ hAAN W AANo nAhohhAAhf hAAh NAU .nMNNNH
day evenings spent with the boys, az
ter my train was safely run on 10 the
side-track at the junction.
"Why, Polly, girl, )" said l, "where's
the harmP A man can't live by him
self, like an oyster In is shell, and q so
cial glass never yet harmed any ouo3
"No, says Polly, not . social glass,
Jake, but the habit And II you Would
only put every five-ceut piece that you
spend for liquor into little Berties tiny
savings bank"
"Pshawl" said l. tim not drunk
ard, and 1 never mean to become one.
And no one likes to be preached TO by
his wife, Polly. Remember that, my
girl, and you'n save yourself a deal Of
trouble.n
l kissed her, and went away. But
that was the beginning of the little,
grave shadow that grew on my Polly's
face, like a creeping fog over the hills,
and that she has never got rid Of since.
IL was sore point between us-whai
the politicians call a vexed question.
felt Polly was always Watching me; and
/ didn't choose to be put In leading.
strings by a woman. Sol shame to
say it-I went TO the White Blackbird
oftener than ever, and l didn't always
count the glasses of beer that l drank
and once or twice, of particularly cold
night, let myself be pursuaded into
drinking something stronger than beer
and my brain wasn't that kind that could
stand liquid fire with impunity. And
Polly cried, and l lost my temper, and
well, l don't like to think of all these
things now. Thank goodness they're
over and gOnel
That afternoon as stood on the back
platform of my car, with my arms fold
ed and my eyes fixed on the snowy
waste of fat fields through which the
iron track seemed to extend itself like
an endless black serpent, looked my
own life in the face. 1 made up my
mind that l had been behaving like a
brute. n. ....t. .
"What are those senseless fellows at
the White Blackbird to me-" muttered
l, "as compared to one of Polly's sweet,
bright looksP I'll give the whole thing
up. III draw the line just here now. We
shall be off duty early tonight. III 90
home and astonish Pollyi" .'.
But, as the night fell, the binding
drift of great storm came with it. We
were belated by the snow which col
lected on the rails, and when we reached
Earldale there was a little girl, who had
been sent on in care of the conductor,
who must either wait three or four
hours for way train in the cold and
cherries station, or be taken home
across the snowy fields by some one who
knew the way.
1 thought of my own little children.
"I'n take her. said Land lifting
her up / gathered my coarse, warm
coat about her, and started on the long
cold walk under the whispering pines
along the edge of the river. ! honestly
believe she would have frozen to death
if she had been left in that cold station
until the way train could call for her.
And when l had left her safe in the
charge of her aunt, l saw by the old
kitchen time-piece that it was ten
O'Clock.
"Polly will think have slipped back
into the Slough of Despond," said to
myself, with half smile; "but I'll give
her an agreeable surprised"
Plunging down amid the snow-drifts,
through grove of pine trees that edged
ravine at the back of my house,
sprang lightly on the doorstep; the
door was shut and locked. i went
around to the front. Here effected an
entrance, but the fire was dying on the
hearth, and little BERTHE, tucked up in
his crib, called out:
"Papa, is that youp"
"Where is mamma, my sonp" said L,
looking eagerly around at the desolate
room.
"Gone out with the baby in her arms
to look for you," said he. "Didn't you
meet her, papaP -
stood a minute in silence.
"Lie still, Bertie," said 1, fin a voice
that sounded strange and husky even
to myself. az will go and bring her
back
And 1 thought with dismay of the
binding snow-storm outside, the treach-
erous gorges which lay between here
and the White Blackbird, the trackless
woods, through which it was difficult
enough to find one's way even in the
sunshine of MONDAY, and-worst of all
the lonely track, across which an tex
pressn shot like meteor at few min
utes before midnight. Oh, Heavenl |
what possible doom might l not have
brought upon myself by the wretched
passion in which had gone away that
morning.
The town clock, sounding dim and
muffled through the storm, struck
eleven as 1 hurried down the hill!
Eleven-and who knew what length
of time might elapse before 1 could find
herP And, like fiery phantasmagoria
before my minds eye, / beheld the
while the rush of the midnight express,
and dreaded---I knew not what. , For
all that 1 could realize was that the
storm was growing fiercer with every
moment, and Polly and the baby were
ont in its furyi I''i| =
As steadily as 1 could, worked my
way down toward the track, but more
than once l became bewildered, and
had to stop and reflect before could
resume my quest. And when, at length,
came out close to a ruined wood and
water station on the edge of the track,
knew that was full half a mile below
the White Blackbird.
And in the distance heard the long,
shrill shrek of the midnight trainP
Some one else had heard it, too, for,
as l stood thus, saw, family visible
through the binding snow, shadowy
figure issue from the ruined shed and