Iron County register., 1888-05-31

tennis practice. When a woman puts ner
strength to such q use-and such a strain
| as 1T must have been, by Jovel Why,
Kate, doubt if you could so much as
walk to town and back. But when a wom-
| an saves two or three hundred lives at
| one stroke! My goodness, Kate
What have you been doing to your foot?"
For Mrs. Middleton had unconsciously
| pushed the wounded foot into sight, and
| its load Of bandages, piled up by Brid-
gets clumsy fingers, and finished with a
red flannel swathing, was indeed calcu-
lated to strike terror to the beholder.
sI-I took a little walk to-day" replied
Kate, guiltily, trying to hide the foot
again beneath the hem of her dress.
"But don't let us talk about that, Tom.
Pm sorry seemed queer and cold when
you came in. 1 wasn't feeling well, and
you-you looked SO. 1t made me shiver."
Like many people who are dauntless in
the presence of real danger, Kate had all
her life been shy of praise. If she could
have kept the knowledge Of her escapade
as the mentally termed it, from her hus-
band, she would gladly have done it. But,
stupid as he was in some ways, obtuse as
he was, he was not to be put off in this
way. He was already on his knees be-
side her, cutting threads, removing pins
and undoing cloths, sin spite of her pro-
tests, until he disclosed little foot, pur-
pie with bruises, and with an ugly gaping
cut on one side.
mo wonder you are not yourself to-
night A little walkv I should say so.
Kate, what have you been up to now?"
81 had on my slippers" confessed the
culprit, "and-there wasn't time to change
them. Let it alone, Tom. It'll be all
right Tomorrow"
IL
"Great Caesar, Kate, you are not to be
trusted alone any more than two-year-
old babe: Pll never dare to go off and
leave you again."
"If hadn't taken my little walk, you
you-mightn't have had the chance"
cried poor Kate, cOrnered at last.
''My soul!" cried Tom, light dawning
upon him at last. 'It was youw
/ think he kissed the little lame, bruised
feet. I am afraid he did a great many
foolish things, and humbled himself
most lamentably to show his love for his
brave young wife, his pride ID her, and
his contrition.
There was purse made up by the pas
sengers on the overland train that fateful
day, to reward the plucky woman who had
saved them from such a frightful disaster,
but they were never able to find her out.
The station master and Jack Spencer
kept their secret we'll. The only SUBJ
scriptlon that ever reached it's destina-
ton was Tom Middleton's. His wife
some times wears very ugly bracelet set
with couple of very large and ponderous
gold. coins. When people question her
about it she replies that it is a medal Tom
once awarded her for a race she won. 1t
is generally understood that she refers to
some rowing match or hors seback ride, for
there are boats on the pond now, saddle
horses in Toms stable, and a tennis
court on the lawn. But even as she an
swers Kate sees again the railroad train,
with its precious living freight, thunder
ing on to destruction, and a woman. bare
| headed, wild-eyed, with draggled dress
and bleeding feet. racing desperately
| across rough country, in mad effort to
avert the impending danger-Flora
Haines Loughead, in Argonaut.