The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-01-20
NV MOther.in.Law.


We did not wait for large income
to marry on, little Kate and l. We
had no rich relations to leave us lega-
cies, or to send pearl necklaces, dia-
mond ornaments, or thousand-dollar
bonds for wedding presents. was
simply brakeman on the East Michi-
gan railway, long and lonely stretch
of rails over desolate marshes, steep
mountain grades and solitary sweeps
of prairie land; she was the bright-eyed
waitress in one of the restaurants along
the line. But when l fell from the
platform when the great accident hap
pened (you heard of the great accident,
l suppose, when there was such
shocking loss of life?) ii was Kate's care
and nothing else that brought me back
into the world 1 had so nearly quilted
for good and all
81 would have done it for anybody,
Markr' said she, when | tried to thank
her.
/" Would your" said l. But it isn't
everybody that would have done it for
me, Kate"
So asked her to marry me, and she
said yes. And I took little cottage
on the edge of the Swampscott woods,
a red carpet, cheese-cloth curtains at
the windows, real Connecticut clock,
and set of walnut chairs that made
myself, with seats of rushes, woven in
by old Billy, the Indian, who carried
his baskets and mats around the coun-
try; and Mrs. Perkins, the parsons
wife, made us a wedding-cake, and so
we were married Pretty soon 1 found
ont that X otto 1Uac pipinU a LITTLE
"What is it., sweetheart" said 1.
Remember, it was a contract between
us that we were to have no secrets from
each other Are you not perfectly
happy"
"Oh, yes, yes" cried Kate, hiding
her face on my shoulder. " But it's
my mother, Mark. She's getting old,
and if 1 could go East to see her just
once before the Lord takes her away!"
1t was then felt the sting of my pow
erty most. If l had only been rich
man to have handed her out check,
and said, ego at once!" l think could
have been quite happy.
6 Never mind, sweetheart" said l,
strOking down her hair. Well lay up
a few dollars from month to month,
and you shall go out and see her be-
fore she dies.''
And with that little Kate was forced
to be content. But there was hungry,
homesick look upon her face which went
to my heart to see.
" If l was rich!' I kept saying to
myself. "Oh, if was only rich!''
One stormy autumn night we were
belated on the road, for the wind was
terrible, shaking the century-old pines
as if they were nothing more than tall
swamp grasses, and driving through
the ravines with shrek and a howl
like whole pack of hungry wolves.
And the heavy rains had raised the
streams so that we were compelled to
60 carefully and slowly over the bridges
and keep long look ahead for fear of
accidents.
I was standing at my post, in front of
the second passenger-car, stamping my
feet on the platform to keep them
warm and hoping little Kate would not
be perturbed at my long absence, when
the news-agent came chuckling out:
Were to stop at Stumpville Sta
tion," said he.
Nonsense" said ], 81 know better
This train never stops short of Wau-
kesha City, least of all when we are
running to make up for lost time, as we
are tonight"
sob, but this is an exceptional oc-
casion," said Johnnie Mills (Which was
the news-agent's name). We're
going to put an old woman off. She
has lost her ticket, she says. More
likely she never had one. Goes on as
though she had had her pocket picked"
cts most pity, isn't it, to put any
one off tonight" said l. "Least of all
at such lonely place as Stumpville
Station, where there are only two houses
and blacksmith shop"
eyes, l know" said Mills, adjusting
the newspapers that he carried in a
rubber case under his arm. But the
superintendent of the road has got out
new set Of instructions, and he's that
particular that Jones wouldn't dare
overlook case like this, there's been
so many confidence games played on
the road lately"
Which is the one?n said /, turning
to look at the end window of the cal
which was at the rear.
4" Don't you see? The old party al
the back of the two fat women in the
red shawls. She's haranguing Jones
now"
&c see," said l. 1t was a little old
woman in black silk poke-bonnet, g
respectable cloth cloak, bordered with
ancient fur, and long green veil, who
was earnestly talking and gesticulatin!
with the conductor. But he shook hi
head and passed on, and she sank bacl
in a helpless little heap behind thu
green veil, and | could see her take ;
small handkerchief from a small baske
and put it piteously to her eyes.
might remember that he once had
he hasn't nova mother of his own"
g And lose his place on the road,
said Mills, A" No, no, old fellow; al
that sort of thing does very well to tai
about, but it don't work in real life"
So he went into the next car, and tn
signal to slack up came presently.
turned to Mr.. Jones, the conductor
who just then stepped out on the plat
form.
" Is it for that old lady?" said l. II