Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-10-26


yon hear iip II will thunder ! am
afraid Of q storm"
In answer 10 pressed her hand and
lei lier tswafl the carriage,
The driver was q stranger he knew
that evil work was af0ot, hut not what
that work was, Paid heavily by hls en'
plOyer Il was not his business 10 make
inquiries but ~ he closed the d0Or he
asked q question
"Can mistake tho roadY It's like
pitch, aud never drove over II be'
fore"
keep to your right" said the man,
In q husky whisper, "lhe station ii
straight on you'll aee tho lights soon
Drive ~ fast ~ yon dare don't lose the
train"
lilo had made q mistake he should
have said keep 10 the left" For once
his memory deserted him, Satan, who
had been his friend 80 FAR left him 10
himself iie sat IN the carriage clasp
ing hia new love In his arms, In tho
darkness he kissed her madly, but even
then his wile's fair face seemed TO rise
before him,
lilo thought how she would awaken in
the morning and discover the truth,
lie thought Of his daughter, who was
young enough TO wonder whore papa
had gone, OF his son, old enough, per.
haps, 10 understand q little Of the truth,
"Will You love me always, Adclina Y
he asked. And she answered IN she
would have answered any lover;
"AlwayS until ] die, Forever, my
own, foreycrW
Aud II seemed to him that his soul
was we'll lost for the world ho had gain.
cd,
But now the storm burst upon them,
Forked lightning flashed from the skies,
II seemed to enter tho ground, The
thundcrpcals were terrible, There was
no cessation TO its crash and roll. Tho
ruin beat down wildly, Adclina shrek.
cd. aud clung to him, and called upon
the unsmirched saints and the pure and
perfect Madonna as II she had right TO
their protection. Even the man who
had never trcmblod before storm,
trembled now,
"I'vc been driving u long while and |
sec no light shouted the driver from
his box. "Suro we've mistook the road,
Did 70 say TO tho right always|
His voice was drowned by tho tumult
of the elements,
"Yonder is n light Of some sort" said
his companion.
"It's the depot, them" said the
driver ",rhered DO no other light ut
this hour
They were laying new railway in
that neighborhood, and u great mass of
rock had been blasted away. and lay in
jagged heaps at one side Of the road.
The workmen, as they loft, had hung n
lantern over the spot as u warning to
unwary travellers.
This light, swinging to and fro in the
wind, blurred by the rain, and blotted
ont by every brilliant flash Of lightning,
was that toward which the mistaken men
upon the box now guided their horses.
The depot was four miles away, in the
opposite direction. The madman with.
in the carriage was too bewildered to
notice anything but the storm and the
clinging arms of his terrified companion.
And now Il blaze of light, more fearful
than any yet seen, flashed in the faces oi
the already rcstive horses. They plung'
ed wildly and dashed forward. All that
the driver could do was to endeavor to
turn their heads toward what he believ
ed to be the right road. Another mo-
ment and they were amongst the rocks
The carriage overturned, the horses
furiously struggling to be free.
The driver, hurt and bleeding, still
kept his senses. He felt for his knife
and began to cut the traces, at the risk
of his life as he did 80. The door of the
overturned carriage burst open, and the
woman crept forth, shrieking.
keep back, for your life" cried the
man, who had freed one horse, and was
fast freeing the other. Back back =
1t was useless. As he sprang out o.
the way of the liberated creatures fly
ing hoofs, escaping simply by miracle
the woman struggled forth upon the
rocks. Shrieking for help within, will
q broken limb, her companion lay help
less, unable to lift himself.
She started into the darkness. A
blaze of Lightning revealed the rugged
surroundings-the fallen man on the
road, the coachman waving his arms to-
wards her, and-what was it?-a great
black, snorting demon close to her
upon her
God grant that she, had time to uttel
a PRAYER for pardon ere she fell !
Night again. A fair woman, worn
with watching, sat beside couch or
which man lay with closed eyes. Two
children have kissed her and stolen
away. The nurse has gone to rest
"To-night is the turning point" the
lady has said to her. 81 must be with
him to night" And so the fire burns
low, and she sits looking dt the sleeping
man.
It is Charlotte, and her husband lies
before her. Two weeks ago they brought
him home, and brought also the signor,
ina. The woman was dead. She lies
now under the turf of the little church.
yard. Her trinkets -. the Jewels for
which she had given more than life
have fallen iuto the hands of the driver
and his comrade, who suffered only a
few bruises. They were mon chosen be-
cause they would ask no questions, and
they rightly judged themselves quite
safe. .-@ ,tt
People believe that the sick man, now
lying at deaths door in his own splendid
dwelling, was only escorting the signor-
ina on her way to the depot, from which
the driver turned by accident in the
darkness of the night.
A few women have no doubt that
Charlotte, "after that evening"" dis.
missed her guest without apology
Charlotte knows the truth, Of course,
but does not deny the story of escort
duty with her knowledge. Great awe
possesses her soul; she remembers her
prayer. 1t has been answered, and this
is how Not as she meant it should be !;
prayers seldom are. Hnmbled unl anx.
ious she waits the end. She has forgiv-
en- utterly.
"Charlottel" In the small hours to-