The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-07-21

the agonlzed grasp OF her own, lts
burning contact sending through noe a
painful thrill.
"Don't betray mel Don't give me
up to him! Oh, don't I am so
frightened ~
1t was but whisper, breathed out
rather than spoken, yet it shuddered
through me like cry.
b" l cannot always hide it cannot
always bear it about with me; it breaks
my heart, and lam so tired"
And letting the hand which still held,
pressed closely to her, the mysterious
burden that had so raised my curiosity,
drop heavily to her side, theie lay at
! her feet and mine little dead baby,
tiny creature evidently not many weeks
old.
Then the woman threw up her veil,
and, withdrawing her eyes for the first
time from mine. clasped her hands be-
fore her, he1 figure thrown slightly
back, and looked down upon it. A
pretty picture-the poor young mother,
with her pale child's face and deep
mourning dress; the wee baby, gleam-
| ing so " hite in its death and baby robe
against the heavy Grape skirt on which
it lay, a pretty picture certainly for
railway carriage, and lighted by its dim
midnight lamp.
dead |" was my involuntary excla-
nation.
She stretched her clasped hands down
toward it with q despairing gesture,
speaking with low, wild, rapid utter
ance.
cit was not his look that killed it,
| but my love. He hated tiny baby,
my first-born; for all the love 1 gave
him, he hated it; and that his look
might not kill it, / held it in my arms,
so close, SO close, till it was dead. Oh,
my baby, ny baby"
The outstretched hands had reached
it now. and raised it from the floor to
the seat, folding it around until the in
closing arms and the down-bent face
hid it once more out Of sight.
Was ever luckless passenger more
awkwardly placed? the dead child ; the
PROSTATE woman; the scene, public
railway carriage; the hour, midnight.
am Of blunt nature. Mrs. Merton
often scolds ME for my blunt, straight
forward speeches but then she has
such pretty way Of beating about the
bush, which it would be as absurd for
me to initiate as it was for the ass to
mimic the tricks of his masters lap-dog.
l must go straight to the point as soon
as ever see it. / did so now.
Glow come you to be travelling alone,
and with dead child? Are you going
home?"
The question seemed to rouse her
once more to n perfect frenzy OF fear.
She turned to me as before, clinging to
my hand with small hot fingers, and
the old heartbroken cry:
"Don't betray me, don't give me up
to him His look would have killed
my baby it would kill me if had to
meet it. She is safe, for 1 killed her,
and she is dead and he hates me and
have no home-no home p
was in q perfect maze OF doubt.
Gould the pretty soft young creature at
my feet be indeed a murderess? ? and
could it be her husband Of whom she
seemed in such abiect terror? My blood
boiled; l felt ready to defend bel
against dozen husbands. But how?
1t was midnight now we could not
be far from London; the guard might
be popping his head in at any moment
| jumped to a sudden conclusion.
"Were you going to any friend IL
London ?"
al know nobody in London"
"The poor little thing is either mad
or her husband is a BRUTE" was the
mental exclamation.
"Then you must come home with me
to my wife; she will see after you"
An upward glance of wild, agonized
supplication:
"She won't betray me, or-take baby
from me?" And once more the wet
dead thing was lifted up into the arms
| that seemed almost too frail to hold it
[ and hidden away beneath the lonG
: mourning cape.
] I took her home. Mary received he,
with q look of amazement that mad,
? me smile, but that found no expression
( in words. WheG, taking her aside,
t told her all / knew, she wrung he
, hands in sheer sympathizing pity.
"Murdered her own baby--her first
born Oh, how sad, how dreadful T
t And involuntarily she glanced towarC
= the door that hid from us our own lit
+ tie ones, safely cradled and asleep
Then she went back to our strang
{ guest, who sat huddled up in my owl
i big easy-chair, the dead baby sill at he
3 bosom.
ST must get her to bed," raid Mary
: with q quick, determined nod; and sh
| really did contrive to do so by soft, ten
der. cooing words, and solemn assul
ances of safety for herself and baby
t whom she kissed and cried over, an
/. considered as she might some livin
t object of solicitude, much to the littl
I mothers comfort,
t "And you won't betray me; and h
won't come and take her from me, O
o hurt us with his angry look? Oh, deal
e how nice it is to lie down! am S
|, tired, and baby is so cold; but 1 thin
:. 1 can sleep now little aLd-forget."
t She was half asleep already; the heav
IS lids had dropped together, the small
>. pale face had dropped downward upo
q the little downy head that lay againi
(, her bosom.
If "Her husband must be sent for"
e said, resolutely, when we found ou
4 selves once more alone; and 1 glance
d at an envelope I had taken from I'll
+. strangers pocket:
1t "Mrs. TREMAYNE, Granite Lodg
n Grantley.
rs Mary stared at me aghast.
d "Her husband, who hates her, ar
/? would have killed her baby Oh, Joh
I YOU would not be so cruel She seen
4 - f.;ob+onad Of him moor thinOt VI