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

down TO the nver bank and see yol
as the train passes! Be sure an,
look out"
The railway line ran almos
through Sunnyside, but the statiol
was mile off. 1t was rather pre-
voking to be SO near and yet so far
We exchanged a last kiss; and thel
l hurried away, turning every nov
and then to wave my hand to tn
slight girlish figure on the bridge.
l reached the station ten minute
too early. / might easily hav
staid longer with Nelly. So 1 go
my ticket and walked up and dowr
wishing the train would come
Morley was a dreary little countr,
station with nothing to look at, anC
not even a newspaper to be procur
ed. Seeing a hamper done up il
straw and basket mating, l walked
up to it and read the direction.
was little startled to seethat it wa
addressed to myself, till l remem
bered that it must be the hamper o
plants l had ordered down for Nelly
SO, calling a porter, / bade him taxi
it down to Sunnyside at once think
ing it would amuse her to be ar
ranging them in the conservator,
during my absence.
When the express came in, got
into a carriage, the only occupant o
which was a gentleman, young
man, with very sunburnt face ano
dark eyes. / Immediately station
cd myself at the window, with my
handkerchief in readiness to wave
to Nelly. Very soon we came with
in sight of the river, and-yes, there
she was, standing on the little rus
tic plank that ran across, waving
her hand and smiling, with her
muslin and ribbons fiuttering in
the breeze!"
Il wish she would not stand on
that rickety plank" l said to my
self; and, even as the thought rose
in my mind, she moved, started, lost
her balance, and with one wild eff
fort to save herself, fell with a splash
into the river, and | saw the water
close over her.
With a wild cry 1 sprang up and
attempted to throw myself out OF
the window; for-oh, Heaven
there was my wife battling for life
in the dark cold water, and l so
near, and yet powerless to save her.
Nelly darling" | shouted, keep
up-I am coming"
Then my arms were seized from
behind, and voice exclaimed:
'Are you mad?"
There was short desperate
struggle; but my companion was
so much stronger than l that he
held me fast.
LET gop / cried. "She has risen
again! ! must save her! Oh, Heav-
en-, she has sunk !"
Too late, too late! saw the
white arms flung up wildly; l
caught glimpse of the agony of the
terror stricken face; and then she
sank, and the dark river glided on
unruffied.
1t was all over in a few moments.
The train went on with undiminish-
ed speed; and my companion, still
holding me in with a 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
she?n
Mute, helpless, with an awful feel
ing of horror chilling my heart, |
hid my face in my hands, and, in
the agony and revulsion of feeling,
felt / must 90 mad. To have been
SO near, to have seen it all, and yet
have been SO utterly powerless to
save her, my sweet, gentle wifel
The first half-hour after it hap
pened was blank. l was conscious
of nothing but an awful bewildering
desire to take my own life, to put
an end to an existence that would
be filled with nothing now but de-
spair and misery; for what was life
without Nelly?
"Who was she?" repeated my fel-
low traveller, who sat just opposite
to me.
"My wife," l answered; and then
relapsed into silence.
He turned very pale, and present
emily uttered some well meant
words of comfort; but L stopped
him.
Don't" l said-"I shall have
plenty of time for consolation by
and BY"
l was still trembling from the
shock and could not realize my aw-
full loss yet; / felt utterly desperate,
yet was able to do nothing. As long
as / live / shall never forget that
terrible journey-that hour and a
half; have often wondered since
that | did not 60 mad.
The train still dashed on; being
an express, it stopped at few sta
tions. 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 1
knew / was bearing my trouble bad
ly, and felt it was unmanly to give
away like woman; but l buried
my face and groaned when the men,
ory of the bright sweet face arose
and / seemed to feel her soft arms
clinging round my neck.
Again the desire to end my sor-
rows 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 clang and rattle of the train
seemed to repeat them. A kind OF
mist rose before my eyes, and for
getting that was not alone, | at
last took out my knife and opened it.
1t was instantly wrenched from me
and flung out of the window.
Heaven fergive you," said my
fellow traveller, sternly, ''for medita-
ting such a sinl Bear this trial like
a man, and not like a cowardp
l felt like some hunted animal at
bay. The horrible scene was being
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