Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-03-01

| mere, she said, and at first a rebel
lious feeling took possession of me;
but after I saw your dear, motherly
face, l was glad came; and 1 mean
to be contented if I cannot be happy"
"We mean you shall be happy,
dear,' said ], kissing her tenderly.
You are tired now, and a good
nights rest will do wonders for
you. Goodnight, now, and pleasant
dreams"
Goodnight, auntie, and thank you
for your kindness.
1 closed the door softly, and went
down to where Roger sat in the deep
ening twilight.
"Why, Roger, she is nothing more
than a childl l don't believe she is
hardly day over sixteen years old"
eyes, she is, Linda; she told me
she was nearly nineteen as we came
from the station"
"Rogerr ~ I said, after a pause.
"Wel, dear?"
"I think she looks as our Daisy
would have looked at her age, if she
had lived.
"I don't know, Linda--perhaps, =
said Roger. with deep sigh.
For old man and woman that we
were, the memory of our three-year-old
darling, buried so many years ago, was
still very tender spot in our hearts
and, strange as it may seem, we rarely
spoke of her for it seemed SO hard to
part with our only one, and gloom
would settle over us whenever her
name was mentioned.
So the days came and went and the
pure mountain air seemed to breathe
health and rosiness into Bessie's cheeks
and wide-open eyes.
1 called her child, for child she
seemed to me; and Roger took her at
once into his great, loving heart. All,
there was no one so good and kind as
Roger in all the world to me. AL
though our heads had whitened to-
gether and the storms of life had
beaten hard upon us both, still we
loved each other with all the fervor
of youth, for our hearts could never
grow old.
Many were the rambles that Bessie
took among the surrounding hillsides;
for in that season of the year the hills
were crowned with flowers and all ma
ture seemed at its best. Night after
night she would come home, her
basket laden with rare blossoms or
some curious leaves or stones which
she had picked up where the railroad
had cut its way. One spot in par
ticular was her favorite resort. Just
at the left Of the house stood a high
hill, and the railroad curved directly
around the base; nothing could be
seen beyond the curve from either di-
rection. Above the track, on the side
of the hill next our house, was huge
tree that had stood there for years.
There Roger had constructed for Bes-
sic rude seat beneath the spreading
branches, where she would take her
book and sit for hours at time, un-
seen by all, yet having fair view of
everything for miles around.
A brook gurgled below, beneath a
bridge over which the line was laid.
Although but an Insignificant stream,
the banks on both sides were high and
steep, and single misstep would lead
to destruction.
Bessie sat one day in her favorite
retreat under the old tree. l had rung
the bell for dinner, for Roger was at
work in distant field. Bessie began
collecting her books, preparing to GO
to the house, when she heard the
whistle of the noon express.
She thought: 81 will wait till the
train goes by, just to see the people,
perhaps 1 shall see some one 1 know;
at any rate they cannot possibly see
me-"
So, turning her eye toward the
bridge, she nestled back against the
trunk of the old tree, when what was
her surprise and horror to see the rails
which spanned the bridge entirely
gone, and nothing but certain death
awaiting the inmates of the coming
train.
Roger had spoken that morning Of
several rough-looking fellows who had
been seen hanging around the station
and who seemed to be inspecting the
line in both directions, and undoubt-
edly to select place where they
might, from motives of revenge, re
move portion of the rails and wreck
the train. This last was eonjecture(
by us after all was over, although nc
particular notice was taken Of them at
the time.
To think was to act with Bessie
and she knew if the lives Of the people
were saved, it must be through her in
strumentality.
The train was but little distance
off, and what she did must be dons
quickly.
Hastily untying the broad sash o.
red ribbon which encircled her waist
L . ~ -.-.4 - : !.