Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-12-05

| they would give you llIt on the
engine -
In the relief of mind this intelligence
gave me | astonished the Irishman by
putting five shillings into his hand and
he was profuse in his thanks andi bless
ings. All, but could the honest fellow
have known the pang he gave me when,
in his burst of gratitude, he called down
Heavens blessings on my wife, if | had
one My wife Oh, Nellie, Nellie! [
turned away hastily, and commenced
pacing up and down the platform.
Three long hours How was | to get
through them? Up and ldown | tramp
ed, with no companion but my own
thoughts, under the fierce glare of a
July sun that rose higher and higher in
the cloudless blue sky.
One hour dragged slowly by. Eleven
o'clock Only three hours since I had
kissed Nellie and looked into her clear,
loving eyes She was dead now, and l
should never feel the touch of her soft
hand again, nor hear the sound of her
voice. 1t seemed an eternity since we
had parted, yet it was only three hours
ago since we had stood side by side on
the bridge looking down into the water.
Only three hours-and | seemed to
have begun new life Was this the
beginning of the life that was to be
without her-only the first of many days
that would dawn and bring me nothing
but sorrow and misery? No; all my
life there would be nothing for me but
the memory of white stone in church
yard-the grave where l would lay my
broken lily.
Up and down 1 paced, up and down
in the blazing sun, till the very sound
of my own footsteps on the tagged plat
form seemed to be driving me mad. At
last stopped, and, pushing back my
! hat. pressed both hands to my aching.
throbbing head. Oh, could | live with
the memory of that sight to haunt me?
The time crept on slowly; every min
ute seemed to be an hour, and the hands
of my watch appeared scarcely to move.
The heat was dreadful. Would one
o'clock never come?
Suddenly l caught sight of the poor
little bunch of flowers that Nellie had
given me-her last thoughtful act. l
broke down then. Hot tears rushed to
my eyes; and, leaning my arms on the
low wall bounding the station, l gave
way entirely, kissing the unconscious
flowers passiorately, and realizing how
much had loved and priced the treas
ure had lost. while the merciIess sun
shone down hotter and fercer, scorching
and drying up everything.
With swelling heart l placed the
fading flowers carefully in my pocket
book and then, lest any one should see
my emotion. drew my hat down over my
forehead, and resumed my solitary tramp
up and down the platform, envying Nell
lie, who was at rest. Her agony was
only for a moment, while mine wonld be
for years and years-as long as | lived.
A quarter to one. The train will soon
be in. These last fifteen minutes were
the longest of all; time seemed to make
no progress; but at last heard afar off
the rumble of the coming train. The
station began to get little more ami
mated, and then the long cattle-train
appeared in sight, and drew up slowly
at the station. | went up to the engi-
neer.
Here is sovereign. Will you let
me 60 on the engine as far as Morley ?"
Jump up. sir, and welcome |" was
his prompt reply.
1t seemed as though they never in
tended to start that train. l thought
they would never stop shunting wagons
and running the engine up and down.
1t seemed as if we were an hour waiting;
but at last the train glided slowly away;
and soon | had seen the last of the
hateful station where three of the most
miserable. the blacklist hours of my life
were spent
The cool air tanning my brow calmed
me. Motion was pleasant anything
was better than waiting; and yet the
two hours on that engine seemed inter-
minable. But finally we drew nearer to
Morley. A fearful fascination seemed
10 attract my eyes to the fatal spot.
Setting my teeth. l looked long and
steadily at the place. A little crowd
had collected on the bank. They had
found her then, all that remained of
Nellie? And kind of faintness came
over me for moment.
When | alighted at Morley, | felt ten
years older than when had left it only
few hours before. The first thing my
eyes rested on was the hamper of plants
still standing there; and the sight of
them almost unnamed me.
Slowly | went up the stairs. treading
softly. as though | feared to wake her
from her last slumber. l paused with
my hand on the handle. and struggled
for calmness, then opened the door soft