Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-10-01

l, ''as compared with one of Pollv's
sweet bright looks? l will give the
whole thing up. I'll draw the line just
here now. We shall be off duty early
tonight III go home and astonish
Polly
But, as night fell, the binding drift Of
great storm came with it. We were
belated by the snow which collected on
the rails, and when we reached Earldale
there was q little girl, who had been
sent on in the care of the conductor who,
must either wait three of four hours
ior way train in the cold and cneericss
station, or be taken home across
snowy field by some one who knew the
way.
thought Of my own little children
"I'll take her." said land lifting
her up gathered my coarse, warm coat
! about her, and I started for the long,
cold walk under the whispering pines
along the edge of the river. l 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, saw by the old kitchen
| time piece that it was ten o'clock.
"Polly will think have slipped back
into the Slough of Despond," l said to
myself, with half smile 'but I'll give
her an agreeable surprise y
Flowing down amid the snow-drift,
through q grove of pine trees that edged
a ravine at the back of my house, 1
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 en- the hearth,
and little BERTHE, tucked up in his crib,
called out
Papa, is that you?'
Where is mamma, my son ?" said I,
looking eagerly around at the desolate
| room.
"Gone out with the baby in her arms
to look for vou," he said. "Didn't you
meet her, papa ?"
| stood minute in silence.
''Lie still, Bertie," said I. in voice
that sounded strange and husky even
to myself 'I will 60 and bring her
back"
And / thought with ,iismay Of the
binding snow-storm outside, the treach-
erous gorges which lay between here
and the White B1ackbird, the trackless
woods, Ahrough which it was difficult
enough to fnd ones way even in the
sunshine of monday, and-worst Of all
the lonely track, across which an
express shot like meteor at few
minutes before midnight. Oh, heaven
what possible doom might I not have
, brought upon myself by the wretched
passion in which 1 had gone away that
morning.
| The town clock, sounding dim and
; mufled through the storm, struck
eleven as I hurried down the hill
Eleven-and who knew what length
of time might elapse before could fine
$ her? And like fiery phantasmagorit
before my minds eye, beheld the wild
, rush of the midnight express, an6
9 dreaded knew not what For all tina
/ could realize was that the storm wa.
growing dercer with every moment
:. and Polly and the baby we're out in it
/ fury!
AS steadily as l could | worked N,
!. way down toward the track, but mor+
than once | became bewildered, and hat
Il to stop and reflect before could resum
' my quest. And when, at length, cam
out close to a ruined wood and wate
: station on the edge of the track, knew
). that was full half mile below th
' White Blackbird
' And in the distance heard the long
u shrill shrek of the midnight train.
Some one else had heard it, too, for
: as l stood thus, / saw, family visibl
= through the binding snow, a shadow
figure issue from the ruined shed an
: come out upon the track, looking with
!. hewildered. uncertain air up and dow
: tile form Of Polly, my wife, with th
: little baby In her arms
: hurried down IL her as fast as tn
T rapidly increasing snow-drifts woul
;, let ne. but was only Just in time ,
;. drag her from the place of peril, an
7 stand. breathlessly holding her bacl
;. while the ierv-eved monster Of stea,