Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-10-15
LITTLE KArE ANpI.


marry on, little Kate and /. We
had norich relations to leave US leg
aeie5 or to send US pearl necklaces,
diamond ornaments, or thousand
dollar bonds for wedding presents
! was simply brakesman on tht
Eastern Michigan Railway, a long
and lonely stretch Of rails over des
olate marshes, steep mountain
grades, and solitary sweeps of prai
rie land she was the brighteyed
waitress in one Of the restaurants
along the line. But when | fell
from the platform, when the great
accident happened-you have heard
of the great accident [ suppnse,
When there was such Il shocking
loss of life-it was Kate's care, and
nothing else that brought me back
into the world [ had SO nearly quit
ted for good and all!
81 would have done it for any
body, Mark !" she said, when !
tried to thank her
"Would you ?'' said I. "But it is
not everybody that would have
done it for me, Kateg''
! So I asked her to marry me, and
she said yes. And | took little
cottage on the edge of the Swamp
scot woods, and furnished it as well
as could with a red carpet, cheese
cloth curtains at the windows, a
real Connecticut clock, and u set of
walnut chairs that / made myself,
with seats of rushes, woven in by
old Billy, the Indian, who carried
his baskets and mats around the
country, and Mrs. Perkins, the Par
sons wife, made us q wedding-cake
and so we were married. Pretty
soon / found that Kate was pining
a little.
"What is it, sweetheart ?" said 1.
Remember, it was a contract be-
tween us that we were to have no
secrets from each other Are you
not perfectly happy ?"
"Oh, yes - cried Kate, hiding
her face on my shoulder. "But it's
my mother, Mark. She is getting
old, and if l could only go East to
see her just once, before the Lord
takes her away.'
1t was then that l felt the sting of
my poverty most. IF / had only
been a rich man to have handed her
out a check, and said "Go at once!"
I think that l would have been
quite happy.
ttNever mind, sweetheartr' /
said, stroking dow, her hair, "We
will manage it, after little. Well
lay up few dollars from month to
month, and you shall go out to see
her before she dies !''
And with that little Kate was
forced to be content. But there was
a hungry, homesiek look on her face
that went to my heart.
eff / was rich" /" l kept SayiHsg to
myself, "Oh, if 1 was only rien!"
One stormy autumn night we
were belated on the road, for the
wind was terrible, shaking the cen
tury-old pines and oaks as if they
were nothing more than tall swamp
grasses, and driving through the
ravines with shrek and howl,
like pack of hungry wolves. And
the heavy rains had raised all the
streams so that we were compelled
to go carefully and slowly over the
bridges, and keep look ahead for
accidents.
was standing at my post, in
front of the second passenger car,
stamping my feet on the platform
to keep them warm, and hoping
that little Kate would not be per-
turbed at my long absence, when
the news agent came out.
"We're to stop at Stumpville Sta
tiOn," said he.
Nonsense" said 1. ST know
better. This train never stops short
of Waukensha City, least of all
when we are running to make up
for lost time, as we are Tonight"
"Oh, but this is an exceptional
occasion" !" said Johnny Mills (Which
was the route agents name). 1--WE
are going to put an old woman OFF.
She has lost her ticket, she says. I
More likely she never had one.
Goes on as though she had had her
pocket picked"
"It's most pity, isn't it, to put
any one off tonight ?" said /.
"Least of all at such lonely place
as Stumpville Station, where there
are only two houses and a black
smith shop"
"Yes, I know" said Mills, ad-
justing the newspapers that he car
ried under his arm. "but the road |
has got a new set of instructions,
and he's that particular that Jones
wouldn't dare to overlook case
like this. There's been so many
confidence game played on the road |
here of late"
(which is the one ?''Isaid I, turn
ing to look in at the end of the car. |
"Don't you see +? That old party |
at the back of the two fat women |
in the red shawl. She's harangu-
ing Jones now"
81 see," said I. 1t was u little |
woman in black silk e-bonnet, |
a respectable cloth cloak, bordered |
with ancient fur, and long green
veil, who was earnestly talking and |
gesticulating with the conductor.
But he only shook his head and |
passed on, and she sank into a help
less little heap behind the green |
veil, and I could see her take a
white handkerchief from her small |
basket and put it piteOusly to her
eyes.
"It's too bad" said I. "Jones
might remember that he once had |
IF he has not got nova mother
of his own"
"And loose his place on the road, |
said Mills. No, no, old fellow, ali |
that sort OF thing does very well to
talk about, but don't work in real
life"
So he went into the next car and |
the signal to slack up came present
Iy. l turned TO Mr.. Jones, the con-
ductor, who just then stepped out on |
the platform.
"Is it that old lady ?;' / asked.
"Yes," he answered.
"How far does she want to go ?" I
inquired.
ito Swampscot." was the re-
ply.
HYou needn't stop, Mr.. Jones,u
said 1. "IU pay her fare"
"You !" he echoed.
"Yes, /. I'll take her to my
home until she can telegraph to her
friends or something. My wife will
be good to her, 1 know, for the sake
of her own old mother in the
East"
"Just as you please" said Mr..
Jones. ''But when you have been
on the road as long as l have, you'll
find that this sort of thing doesn't
pay.
4. L. g. nj