The Virginia star., 1881-08-27

I'll take her, SAID l-and lifting
her up I gathered my coarse, warm coat
about her, and ] started for 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 the cold station
until the way train could call for her.
And when had left her safe in charge
of her aunt, I saw by the old kitchen
time-piece that it was ten o'clock.
"Polly will think I have slipped back
into the Slough of Despond, " / said to
myself, with half a smile; ''but I'll give
her an agreeable surprise u
Flowing down amid the snow-drift,
through grove of pine trees that edged
rayine at the back of my house, |
sprang lightly on the doorstep; the door
was shut and locked. went around to
the front. Here I effected an entrance,
but the fire was dying on the hearth,
and little BERTHE, tucked up in his crib,
called out {:
"Papa, is that you ?"
''Where is mamma, my son?" said l,
looking eagerly around at the desolate
room.
"Gone out with the baby in her arms
to look for you," he said. 'Didn't you
meet her, papa"
stood minute in silence.
sLie still, Bertie," said I. in voice
that sounded strange and husky even
to myself. 81 will go and bring her
back"
And I 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 ones way even in the
sunshine of MONDAY, and-worst of all
the lonely track, across which an
"express" shot like a meteor at few
minutes before midnight. Oh, heaven
what possible doom might 1 not have
brought upon myself by the wretched
passion in which I had gone away that
morning.
The town clock, sounding dim and
muffled through the storm, struck
eleven as I hurried down the hill!
Eleven-and who knew what length
of time might elapse before I could find
her? And like fiery phantasmagoris
before my minds eye, I beheld the wild
rush of the midnight express, anc
dreaded-I knew not what. For all thai
!, could realize was that the storm was
growing fiercer with every moment
and Polly and the baby were out in it,
fury
AS steadily as I could I worked M
way down toward the track, but mor
than once I became bewildered, and hat
! to stop and reflect before I could RESUME
my quest. And when, at length, I cam
out close to ruined wood and waite
station on the edge of the track, I kne,
that was full half mile below tn
White Blackbird.
. And in the distance I heard the long
shrill shrek of the midnight train
8 Some one else had heard it, too, foz
as stood thus, I saw, family visibl
j through the binding SHOW, shadow
figure issue from the ruined shed an
J, come out upon the track, looking with
bewildered, uncertain air up and dow
Il the form of Polly, my wife, with tn
y little baby in her arms
I hurried down to her as fast as th
: rapidly increasing snow-drifts woul
}. let me, but was only just in time t
y drag her from the place of peril, an
y stand, breathlessly holding her bacl
II while the fery-eyed monster of steal
swept by with rush and rattle thu
It nearly took our breath away
, "Pollyr' I cried, 'Polly! speak
8 mer
> She turned her wandering gaze towar
,. me, with her vague eyes that SCENE
u scarcely to recognize me.
l. "Have you seen my husband ?" sal
g she. zone Jacob Cotterel, brakema
l. on the local express?"
i "Polly little woman don't you kno
Q me-" I gasped.
t "And ] thought, perhaps, she added
I vacantly, ''you might have met hin
/ It's very cold here, and-and-"
= And then she tainted in my arms.
II The long, long brain fever that folloy
d ed was sort of death. There was
l. time whom they told me she never woul
y know me again, but, thank God, ST
k did. She recovered at last. And sine
l. that night never have tasted drop I
liquor, and, please heaven, never WI
k again. The baby, bless its dear lit
l. heart, wasn't harmed at all. 1t lay snu
Y and warm on its mothers breast all I'll
o while. But if hadn't happened to /
q close by them at that instant the nigl
y express would have ground them I'M