The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-23

went up to the engine driver.
Here is sovereign. Will yol
let me go on the engine as far a
i Morley ?"
j Jump up, sir, and welcomew wa
t his prompt reply.
, 1t seemed as though they neve
, intended to start that train.
thought they would never stol
l shunting wagons and running tn,
!. engine up and down. 1t seemed a
. if they were an hour waiting bu
at last the train glided slowly away
and som l had seen the last of tht
e hateful station where three of tn
t most miserable and blackest hour:
: of my life were spent.
The cool air tanning my brow
: calmed me. Motion was pleasan
, anything was better than waiting
; and yet the two hours on that en-
. gine seemed interminable. But Fl
/ nally We drew nearer and nearer t.
Morley. A fearful fascination seem
: ed to attract my eyes to the fata
, spot. Setting my teeth, / looked
long and steadily at the place.
| A little crowd had collect on thu
bank. They had found her, then
all that remained of Nelly ! And a
/ kind of faintness came over me fol
t a moment.
When l alighted at Morley, l fell
ten years older than when / hac
left it only a few hours before. Th'
first thing my eyes rested on wa;
the hamper of plants still standing
there, and the sight of them mos
unnamed me.
A gentleman, friend of mine
came up and put his hand on my
arm but, breaking away before ht
could utter word, l left the sta.
ton, and walked hastily along the
} scorching, dusty road scarcely able
to drag my limbs along. and wish
ing l could Just lie down and die.
Over the little bridge l went, and
across the lawn that we had travers'
ed together that morning. The door
was wide open-the dogs welcomed
me noisily but their joyous bark
ing and caresses Jared upon me,
and l repelled the animals. In the
dining room l found Mr.. Sinclair,
the rector, sitting silently and grave
| ly at the table. He started when
he saw me, and took both my hands
in his without speaking.
"Where is she ?" / asked hoarse-
ly.
1Up-stairs," he said gently. 'But
you must not give way like this.
Calm yourself before you go up
stairs"
The door opened, and Mrs. Sim
clair came in, with her face showing
the sorrow and pity she felt.
"My husband has told you then?"
she said.
'.Yes," l answered, bowling my
head /; II am going up to see her"
Slowly l went up the stairs, tread
ing softly, as though l feared to
wake her from her last slumber. l
] paused with my hand on the han
die, and struggled for calmness, then
opened the door softly and went in
with dreadful feeling of awe and
strange, hopeless misery.
The room was darkened, and the
sun shone softly through the closed
venetians all was dreadfully still.
The curtains of the bed were drawn,
and l paused again ere with trem-
bling hand / drew them back.
Nerving myself, l raised my eyes
with an effort and saw-oh! Heav-
en- was / dreaming? Was it but
a cruel mockery, delusion, or was
it really Nelly lying sleeping calm
ly and peacefully, with the warm
blood mantling her cheek and the
waves of brown hair, damp and wet,
pushed off the peaceful brow -?
With beating heart | bent for
ward, and, STOPPING, kissed her.
Yes-she was breathing /; my darl-
ing was net dead, after all Il The
dear eyes opened, and loving voice
said
Frank !"
clasp her tightly to my breast,
and felt as though she had been CIV
en- back from the dead then hold
ing her soft hand in mine, | sank
down upon my knees and thanked
Heaven for preserving my darling.
/ did not know how she was saved ;
it was enough for me to know that
she was alive, to hear her voice
again. and to look into her eyes
which filled with tears when l told
her what had felt and suffered
since we parted.
When the first glad surprise was
over / asked how she had been saw
ed, and the mystery was soon ex-
planned. Some men working on the
line had heard her cry, and just as
my fellow-traveler forced me back
from the carriage window they had
hastened to the rescue. They car
ried her home at once, and after
ward went for the rector and his
wife.
A good many years have passed
since then but 1 often stand muse
on that terrible journey on the $50
express, and afterward turn with
deep thankfulness and look at Nell
ly, fair and beautiful as ever, sitting
with our children clustering around
her. And as / hear her loving voice,
1 am lead to confess that l am a
happy, contented man, and that
my lines have fallen in pleasant
places.
Just as / had written these last
lines and was closing my desk, Mel
ly came in, and, laying her hand
upon my shoulder, looked over the
pages / had written, with her
bright eyes full of tears, and said,
softly:
"Yes, Frank, we are indeed hap
py. Heaven has been very good to
us.
Then we both turned simultane-
ously and looked out into the gar
den and listened to the merry voices
Of the children at play under the
lime trees.