The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-05-19

in tho breeze!
II wish she would not stand on that
rickety plank" said to myself; and,
even as the thought rose in my mind,
she moved, started, lost her balance,
and, with one wild effort to save her.
self, fell with splash into the river,
and saw the water close over her.
With q wild cry sprang up and at
tempted to throw myself out of the
window; for-O Heaven! there was nv
wife battling for life in the dark, cold
water, and 50 near, and yet powerless
to save her.
"Nelly, darling" l shouted, "keep
up-I am coming!'
Then my arms were seized from be-
hind, and q voice exclaimed: '.Are you
mad?"
There was a short, desperate strug-
gle; but my companion was stronger
than I and held me fast.
'l4et me go!' cried. 'She has risen
again! l must save her! . Heaven,
she has sunk!''
Too late, too late! saw the white
arms flung upward wildly; caught a
Glimpse Of the agony of the terror
Y.>....i.,- face; and then she sank, and the
dark river glided on unrufled.
It was oil over in few moments.
The train went on with undiminishcd
speed; and my companion, still holding
me with q grip like iron, forced me
back into the carriage away from the
window.
Don't look" he said, excitedly, for
he. too, had seen all. "Who was
shc?'
Mute, helpless, with an awful feeling
of horror chilling my heart, l hid my
face in my hands, and, in the agony
and rcvulsion of feeling. felt must go
mad. To have been 50 near, to have
seen it all, and yet have been so utterly
powerless to save her, my sweet, gentle
wife.
The first half hour after it had hap
pened was blank, a complete, hope
less blank. Twas conscious of nothing
but an awful bewildering desire to take
my own life, to put an end to an exist
ence that would be filled with nothing
now but despair and misery; for what
was life without Nelly?
"Who was she?" repeated my fellow
traveller, who sat opposite to me.
"My wife," answered.; and then
| A0ldpSCO AulO SlA0uCCs
He turned very pale, and presently
uttered some well-meant words of COM
fort, but stopped him.
Don't" said; II shall have plenty
of time for consolation by and by"
was still trembling from the shock.
and could not realize my awful loss yet;
felt utterly desperate. yet was able to
do nothing. As long as l live I shall
never forget that terrible journey-that
hour and half; have often wondered
since that l did not go mad.
The train still dashed on; being an ex-
press, it stopped at few stations. My only
wish now was to get back again as soon
as possible, to see all that remained of
her, the Joy and very sunshine of my
life. knew l was bearing my trouble
badly, and felt it was unmanly to give
way like a woman; but l buried my
face and groaned when the memory of
the bright, sweet face arose, and l
seemed to feel her soft arms clinging
round my neck.
Again the desire to end my sorrows
at once returned to me, and would not
be driven away.
"What is life without her?'' The
words haunted me till at last the very
ciang and rattle of the train seemed to
repeat them. A kind of mist
rose before my eyes, and, for
getting that 1 was not alone, l at
last took out my knife and opened it.
1t was instantly wrenched from me and
flung out of the window.
"Heaven forgive you," said my fell
low-traveler, sternly, "for meditating
such sin! Bear this trial like man,
and not like a cowardr'
felt like some hunted animal at bay.
The horrible scene was being enacted
again and again in my memory, and I
! seemed to see the white face and the
struggling arms. Nelly was dead now,
floating to and fro with the ebb and flow
of the dark cold river.
The express still dashed on, flying
past green fields and peaceful home-
steads. Would it never stop? At last
it slackened speed and drew up at sta
ton. got out, feeling strangely giddy
and bewildered.
| LET may stay with you," urged my
fellow-traveler, the man who had with
in the last two hours saved my life
twice.
mo" replied. "You can do me
no good, thank you allthe same. Twill
wait for the down-train-I shall be bet
ter alone"
He wrung my hand, and tears stood
in his eyes.
"Promise me-" he said, "that you
won't think of doing what you thought
of Just now. don't want to preach,
but remember, He who sends the trial
sends the strength to bear it. too"
have never seen him since, and have
often wondered who he was. should
like to see his kind face and pleasant
dark eyes again.
promised what he asked; and those
few earnest words did more to quell the
desperate thoughts that were madden
ing me than any sermon.
Staggering like one just recovered
from a long illness, l walked up the
platform and asked when the next train
would be passing down. suppose
there must have been something strange
about my appearance, for little group
soon cOngregated about me, and some
one asked if was i'll.
"The next dOwn-train, sir?" said the
stationmaster, hurrying up, "2:15, sir. ="
1t was only ten n0w--more than four
hours to wait! Was he sure that was
the only trainP could never wait four
hours in the state of mind was in.
"Can driver" l asked, needless OF
distance, eagerly scanning the little
crowd around. II will pay any money
to get back to Morley at once"
| The station-master interposed again.
Couldn't get vehicle of any sort
to-day, sir, il you was to pay thou
sand pounds-all off to the races"
"Is there no luggage-train, or any.
thing? must get back"
"Sure there will be a cattle-train at
one, sir" volunteered porter. eli
your honor is in a great hurry. maybe
they would give you a lift 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 and.bless-
ings. All, but could the honest fellow
have known the nanr he rava mo whom