New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-22
Under THE MIDNIGHT LAMP
FOUNDED ON FACT.
Jrom TiasleYs EdQG>fRe.


train counting the hours thus galhed as u inin'n
does his gold Upon this point, uniort4n5tey' ny ny
little wife and do not sgroe ana IL 10, t"n ~
naiv mint upon which we do not. Eight hoCTs III
n comfortess railway compartment, rolled up III
your plaid like IA snake In Its blahKet lhSteSu "a ~
your comfortable sheets, stretched oyer 80 s
3le ttress-nO she cannot he lnadt " see
the prcpri,ty of the exchange, nor VIII Shc och.No
that sleep quite as well, If not disturbed ia Tic
plaid rs III the sheets. 1870, :; op5 tbc
shock Of the start landed Inc in my seat. heue oi
slow. placid nature. was III no hurry 10 resSSe[
from the shock ana Enc vi e ~e1U can Sd eo
locked round. l had not the carriage 10 li5H 81
as had at first supposed iady "e'uf, c DIM
i;Cht and the fact of her veil being down. fN 'hal
her eyes unnaturally large and intcISc III tcI "a,
preston were fixed upon me al all times piT I
carriage 10 myself, and II companion mus. ~,
let II be a gentleman, not lady but there "S no
help for il the lady was there ana moreover, ~
was looking at me- So she may, SAID tp hlys'4t'
that shall not prevent my making ny SCI a. COIL
Portable rs circumstances VIII allow. SLOWLY anu
deliberately, therefore. removed my hat sH'su.u'
inc for il q cloth cap, which drew well down over
nv ears; then folded my arms, and composed my
seif to sleep But in vain: the eyes OF my fellow
passenger haunted me; saw them a. g 'inC s; ~
Inyoluntarily looked mp and round, ana my l"'X
met hers full, burning, intense, Win lar NOR ol
meaning in it than could at al! lathoni ~ AS
getting decidedly unpleasant and L was growing
decidedly uncomfortable; try rs might %ou4
not keep MY eyes closed: hers were Oh mt ana
meet them must
In her attitude too as well as IN her look. there
was something strange and mystcrl0us huoucd
M in the corner, she seemed to be hold ing some
thing close pressed to her henea'n !hc oil1 i""S'
mourning cape bending low over II III cr"nehiilg
posture. Once or twlce, her eyes sun Ikea upon
mine. saw her shver; hut for that slight conyui-
siye movement she sat perfectly still and noilo'icSs
Was she cold | offered her my plaid. glad az an
opportunity 10 break the ominous silence. II sue
would but speak make some commonplace rcnrLk'
the spell might he broken.
m uOfc
A commonplace remark enough; but the spell
was not broken. The mystery that lay Ill hcr eyes
Law also in her voice.
What should try nexti ! looked at my watch
1l:3O; our train speeding on al furious r'ir Il"
chance of stoppagc for some time 10 come. ana Inc
full wide-Open gazc of my mOtIonicSs companion h"t
for one moment removed from my lace. IL was
unpleasant certainly. II changed my POSITION
faced the window instead Of her she must remove
her eyes frnIn my face at last. But there sort
of fascination about her and her look, Which pre-
ferred meeting TO shirking, knowing 1t was On ine
all the time.
There was nothing for it, then. but TO give MP MI
hope of sleep and make the best of my position and
companion, whom | now observed more closely.
That she n lady there could he httlr douht I;
there was that i'll her dress and appearance that was
unmistakablc. That she WIS pretty, there C0uld c
little doubt either those great dark intensely darE
eyes, the thick coils of warm FURNISHED iiaIr, the
small pale features seen dimly beneath thc ven
yes. she yOnng. pretty, lady and III troihc.
So lar | got. but further. How came she 20 I've
travelling alone at that time Of night and With that
look on her facet What could il be that she Wa
holding pressed 40 closely ~ her. and yet ~ care
fully kept out Of sight From the size and uncertain
outline ] should have guessed it to bc a child :;
bet then, there not the faintrst motion. nor
cOnld she have held even sleeping infant long IN
that position think that ching of curiosity
must have been betrayed III my look. Tor ler own
darkened and decpered into a perfect agony OF
doubt and fear
Ashamed | withdrew my gaze at once, and draw
ing out my nOte-h,.ok wac about Ia make n Inrmu
raIduin when, with sudden forward movement
she fell at my feet. arreetng my hand 10y the aR0n
through me painful thrill.
Don't betray me Don't give me mp to him o
don't! | am 50 frightenedr
1t was bat whisper. brcathed ont rather than
spoken yet it shuddercd through me like cry.
Il canno. always hide it! cannot always bear
ii about with Inc it breaks my heart anG-i AIN 70
tired
And letting the hand which still held pressed
closely 10 her, the mysterious burden that had 50
raised my curiosity diUp heavily 10 her slde there
lay at her feet and mine LITTLE dead baby, tiny
creature evidently not many weeks old.
Then the woman threw up her veil; and with
claspcd her hands before her, her figure thrown
slightly back. and looked down upon it. pretty
picture: the poor young mother, with her pale
ehId's face and deep mourning dress; the wee
baby cleaning so white III it's death and baby robe
against the heavy Grape skirt on which it lay-a
pretty picture certaDa for a railway carriage. and
lighted by its dim midnight camp.
'Deade was my involuntary exclamation.
She stretched her clasped hands downward to
ward it with despairiug gesture, speaking with
1t was not his look that killed IL, but my love
lie hated il, my baby. my tIst-boIn; fol-, all the
love gave him, he hated it; and that his look
might NOT kill it, held il in my arms, so close, d,
close. till it was dead. Oh my baby, my baby?
The outstretehed hands had reached il now. and
raised II from the floor TO the scat folding 1t around
until the enclosing and the down-bent face Ind
II once more out OF sight.
Was over luckIcss traveller more awkwardy
placed THE dead child; the PROSTATE woman; the
scene. a public railway carriage: the hour, mid
might. l anu Of blunt nature, Mrs Merton often
scoids me Tor my blunt straightforward speeches
but then she has such pretty way of beating about
the bush. which il wOull be as absurd for me 10 mi-
tate AZ u was for the ass to mimic the tricks OF Lis
soon as ever l sue it l did so now ' '''''' -
How come you to be travelling alone and with a
dead cilildt Are you going home
The question seemed TO rouse her once Inerc to n
perfect frenzy of fear. She turn To ma before
elmging TO my hand with small bot fingers, aud the
'Don't betrsy me don't give me up to him, His
look would have killed my baby; it would Kill me
sfe II dead and he hates me- and have no homo
no homer
was In . perfect maze OF doubt. Could the
etetty eeft young "reature at my feet be indeed
she seesned 10 such abject terrori My blood boiled
felt ready 70 defend her against q dozen hus
banda but howl
IL was midnight now; could not be far from
any moment. jumped to sudden CONCLUSION. -
Were yon going 70 any friend in LondonP
know nobody In London
The poor little thing IL either mad or her has
eand 10 brute.' was my mental exclamation
me, you must come home with inc to my wife
sne WI see alter you
an upward glance OF wild agonized application
enc won't betray me. 0E-takc baby from
mL ana once moro the wee dead thing was lifted
Up into ne arms that seemed almost too trail TO hold
~, soa hidden away beneath tie long mourning
III too 20 her home Mary received her with broad
sok "a amaze mat made me smile but that foun
,nS expresson "a words. When taxing her aside 7
Umpathixing pity. -, -'''-'~' - '"eo'
Murdered her own habvh. &c.. ~, n,