Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-01-28

ravine az the back OF my mouse, 1
was shut and locked. I went aronhffQ QI
the front. Here | Effected an entrance
but the fire was dying on the hearth
and little Bertiei tucked up in his crib
called out;
Papa, is that youP"
Where is mamma. my sonp" said I,
looking eagerly around at the desolate
room.
"Gone out with the baby in her arms
70 look for you, he said. Didn't you
meet her, papaP"
stood minute in silence.
Lie still, Bertie,'' said /, in n voice
That sounded strange and husky even
to myself. Il will go and bring her
back"
And / thought with dismay of the
pllndlng snow-storm outside, the treach-
erous gorges which lay between here
ana the White Black bird, 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 meteor ut a few
minutes before midnight. Oh, heaven
what possible doom might / not have
brought upon myself by the wretched
passion IN which l had gone away that
morning.
The town clock, sounding dim and
mu1hed through the storm, struck
ggl.eVen as ! hurried down the hill !
Eleven-Rnd who knew what length
OF time might elapse before [ could find
ner And like fiery phantasmagoria
before my minds eye. beheld the wild
rush OF the midnight express, and
dreaded-I knew not what. For all that
could realize was that the story, ont ont.
ana IPsooffiy and the baby were out in its
furyl
As steadily as 1 could / worked my
way down toward the track, but more
than once | becam bewildered. and had
to stop and reflect before l could resume
my quest And when, at length, | came
out close to d ruined wood and water
station on the edge of the track, knew
that | was full half mile below the
White Blackbird.
And in the di 'tance / heard the long,
shrill shrek of the midnight trainl
Some one else had heard it, too, for,
as stood thus. saw, family visible
through the binding snow, a shadowy
figure issue from the ruined shed and
come out upon the track, looking with a
kill UP anu 0ON
the form of Polly, my wife, with the
little baby in her armsl
hurried down to her as fast as the
rapidly increasing snow-drifts would
let me, but was only Just in time to
drag her from the place of peril, and
stand, hreathlessly holding her back,
while the fiery-eyed monster of steam
swept by with rush and rattle that
noarlu foOky nt1,. hraof d a axuouf
"Pollyl" l cried, "Pollyi speak to
mep
She turned her wandering gaze toward
me, with her vague eyes that seemed
scarcely to recognize me.
Have you seen my husbandp" said
she. lone Jacob Cotterel, brakeman
on the local cx pressP"
POLY little woman! don't you lnow
mefs i gasped.
"And / thought, perhaps" she added,
vacantly, you might have met him.
It's very cold here, and-and -"
And then she tainted in my arms.
The long, long brain fever that followed
was sort of death. There was time
when they told me she never would
know me again, but, thank God, she
did. She recovered at last. And since
that night l never have tasted drop oi
liquor, and, please heaven, never will
again. The baby. bless its dear little
heart, wasn't harmed at all. 1t lay snug
and warm on its mothers breast all the
while. But if hadn't happened to be
close by them at that instant the night
express would have ground them into
| powderl
And the white stripe came into my
hair upon the night of that fearful snow
storm. That's how it happened, sir.