The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-01-01

night, | let myself be persuaded int,
drlnkmg something stronger than beer
ana my brain wasn't the kind that coult
stand liquid fire with impunity. Ane
toIly cried, and l lost my temper, anG
well l don't like to think of all these
tnlngs now. Thank goodness they're
over and gone
That afternoon, as stood on the back
platiorm OF my car, with my arms fold.
ed and my eyes fixed on the snowy
waste of fat fields through which the
iron track seemed to extend itself like
an endless black serpent, l looked my
own life in the face. / made I'D nv
mind that l had been behaving like q
brute.
What are those senseless fellows at
the White Blackbird to me-" muttered
|, "as compared with one of Polly's
sweet bright looks? 1 will give the
whole thing up. I'll draw the line Just
here now. We shall be off duty early
to-aight. I'll go home and astonish
Pollyr
But. as night tell, the binding drift OF
a great storm came with it. We were
| belated by the snow which collected on
the rails, and when we reached Earidale
there was little girl, who had been
sent on in the care OF the conductor, who
must either wait three or four hours
for way train in the cold and
cherries station, or be taken home
across snowy field by some one who
knew the way.
thought of my own little children.
"Pll take her," said land lifting
her up gathered my coarse, warm coat
about her, ana | started for the long,
cold walk under the whispering pines
along the edge of the river. I honestly
believe she would have frozen to death
if she had been left in the cold station
until the way train could call for her.
And when had lett her safe in charge of
her aunt, Il saw by the old kitchen
time apiece that it was ten O'clock.
Polly will think l have slipped back
into the Slough of Despond, ] said to
myself, with half smile; "but I'll give
her an agreeable surprisep'
Flowing down amid the snow-drift,
through grove of pine trees that edged
a ravine at the back of my house, /
sprang lightly on the doorstep; the door
VT chI1f opd 1Nnlyod T 70
the front. Here / effected an entrance,
but the fire was dying on the hearth,
and little BERTHE, tucked up in his crib,
called out:
Papa, is that youp"
where is mamma, my sonp" said l,
looking eagerly around at the desolate
room.
leone out with the baby in her arms
to look for you," he said. Didn't you
meet her, papap"
I stood minute in silence.
Lie still, BERTHE" said /, in voice
that sounded strange and husky even
to myself. 81 will 60 and bring her
back"
And / thought with dismay of the
binding snow-storm outside, the treach-
erous gorges which lay between here
and the White Black bird, the trackless
woods, through which it was difficult
enough to- find ones way even in the
sunshine of MONDAY, and-worst of all
the lonely track, across which an
"express shot like meteor at few
minutes before midnight. Oh, heaven!
what possible doom might I not have
brought upon myself by the wretched
passion in which l had gone away that
morning.
The town clock, sounding dim and
muffled through the storm, struck
eleven as | hurried down the hill!
Eleven-and who knew what length
of time might elapse before 1 could find
her ? And like fiery phantasmagoria
before my minds eye, beheld the wild
rush of the midnight express, and
dreaded knew not what. For all that
| could realize was that the storm was
growing fiercer with every moment,
and Polly and the baby were out in its
fury
AS steadily as could / worked my
way down toward the track, but more
than once became bewildered, and had
to stop and reflect before / could resume
my quest. And when, at length, came
out close to ruined wood and water
station on the edge of the track, knew
that l was full half mile below the
White Blackbird.
And in the di stance / heard the long,
shrill shrek of the midnight train!
Some one else had heard it, too, for,
as l stood thus, I saw, family visible
through the binding snow, shadowy
figure issue from the ruined shed and
come out upon the track, looking with q
bewildered, uncertain air up and down
the form of Polly, my wife, with the
little baby in her arms!
hurried down to her as fast as the
rapidly increasing snow-drifts would
let me, but was only Just in time tc
drag her from the place of neril and