Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-07-14

| trouble. DO IAT got, Dut no IuTtncI.
How came she to be travelling alone at
that time of night, and with that look
on her face? What could it be that
she was holding pressed so closely to
her, and vet SO carefully kept out of
sight? From the size and uncertain
outline should have guessed it to be a
child but then, there was not the faint
est motion, nor could she have held
even sleeping infant long in that po-
sition | think that something of
curiosity must have been betrayed in
my look, for her own darkened and
deepened into a perfect agony Of doubt
and fear
Ashamed, l withdrew my gaze at
once, and, drawing out my notebook,
was about to make a memorandum,
when, with sudden forward move
ment, she fell at my feet, arresting my
hand by the agonized grasp of her
own, its burning contact sending
through me painful thrill.
Don't betray me Don't give me
up to him 0 don't / am so fright
ened p
/ 1t was but whisper, breathed out
rather than spoken, yet it shuodered
through me like cry.
81 can not always hide it | can
| not always bear it about with me; it
breaks my heart, and am so tired"
| And letting the hand which still held
pressed closely to her the mysterious
burden that so had raised my curiosity
drop heavily to her side, there lay at
her feet and mine a little dead baby,
tiny creature evidently not many
weeks old
Then the woman threw up ner veil
and, withdrawing her eyes for the first
time from mine. clasped her hands be-
fore her, her 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-robe
against the heavy Grape skirt on which
it lay--a pretty picture certainly for
a railroad carriage, and lighted by its
dim midlight lamp.
dead p was my involuntary ex-
clamation.
| She stretched her clasped hands
downward toward it with despairing
gesture, speaking with low, wild, rapid
utterance.
/ at was not his look that killed it, but
my love. He hated it, my baby, my
frst-born for all the love | 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,
my 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 traveller more
awkwardly placed the dead child;
the PROSTATE woman; the scene, pub
lie railroad carriage; the hour, mid
night. | am of a blunt nature. Mrs.
Merton often scolds me for my blunt,
straightforward speeches; but then she
has such pretty way of beating
around the bush, which it would be as
absurd for me to initiate as it was for
the ass to mimic the tricks of his mas
ter's lap-dog. must go straight to
the point rs soon as ever l see it.
did so now.
"How come you to be travelling
alone, and with dead child? Are
you going homer
| The question seemed to rouse her
once more to a perfect frenzy of fear.
She turned to me as before. cllnging to
my hand with small, hot fingers, and
the old heart-br oxen 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 / killed her
and she is dead; and he hates me and
| have no home-no home"
| was in perfect maze of doubt.
Could the pretty, soft young creature
at my feet be indeed murderess? and
could it be her husband of whom she
seemed in such ablect terror? My
blood boiled; | felt ready to defend her
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.
l jumped to sudden conclusion.
'Were you going to any friend in
London"
II know nobody in London"
"The poor little thing is either mad
or her husband is brute" was my
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 wee
dead thing was lifted up into the arms
that seemed almost too frail TO hold it,
ooI hidden away beneath the loDo