The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-11-15

| lantern above her head made her way
| through the rain to the stable. The
| horse which her husband had ridden
stood at the door waiting to be let in,
but she could see nothing Of his rider.
She listened q moment and then again
| called-low at first and then with all
her might
.John! Ooh john
The weary. drenched and mud-bo-
spattcrcd horse lifted his head and gave
low whinny. but no answer came to
her call
John. O-o-oh john
She listened; but only the swish of
the rain, falling in literal sheets, and
the dull roar Of the swollen waters in
| the ravine below. reached her ears.
/ And now she noticed that the horses
bridle-rein was dragging. Had he
thrown his master, or had John dis
mounted in order to better keep the
road. and by some means permitted the
animal to escape him?
She examined the bride rein and
found it broken. aid she felt certain
| that the horse had thrown her husband
and afterwards stepped upon the rein
and broken it.
/ COHu WIS he Vi
her crippled boy, her companion for SO
many years, was drowned, it might be,
in the angry waters that even now We're
pouring through the gorge with the
| roar of demon. Or he was lying in
the road, cold and stiff. with his lifelcss
eyes staring up into the blackened heav-
ems, the pitiless rain beating upon his
| face.
Such were the thoughts that burned
their way through the brain of Martha
Parsons as she stood dumbly looking at
the broken rein by the dim light of the
lantern. The impatient paving Of the
horse, demanding to be let under
shelter, recalled her to knowledge of
her surroundings. and quite mechanic
ally she opened the stable door. The
horse entered. rubbed his nose against
that of his fellow and began at once 10
eat from the bin in front of him. Mrs.
Parsons followed him in, removed the
saddle and bride, and taking the Ian
tern from the floor where she had set it,
retraced her steps through the storm to
the house.
Fortunately, Johnny had not wakened
sufficiently to note her absence. and was
unaware of the return of the horse
without his father, and she could sit
down and think what to do What
could she doo Over and over again
she asked herself this question. 1t was
two miles to the nearest neighbors, and
,, between ran the gorge, in attempting
to cross which, perhaps, John had lost
his life. 1t was too dark to see more
than n few feet ahead of one, even by
, the aid of lantern, and if that were to
go out, it would leave her in utter ina.
bility to return. Besides, there was
the sick child, who would scream him.
self to death if he Weakened and found
himself alone in the house. And just
then he did waken. and she went to him
and gave him the water he asked for,
and induced him to again close his eyes
and sleep, doing it all without showing
the terrible agony at her heart. or say
J ing word about the return Of the
horse without his rider.
When she thought Johnny asleep,
she arose and went into the kitchen.
She did not dare to remain in the room
with the child lest he should suddenly
open his eyes and see the agony which
she felt she could no longer suppress.
There was nothing she could do for her
husband, living or dead, except to keep
the lamp burning in the window as a
beacon, in case, as was just possible,
he had been thrown after crossing the
gorge, and was now wandering about
in the darkness.
But for Johnny she would have Sc,
town, hoping to find some trace of her
| l,,e hut n I'll
when there was so little chance of any
good coming of it, was not to be scri-
ously thought of. She must wait until
!. daylight, and then-eyen then what
could she do? If the rain should cease
it would still be DAYS and may be weeks
before any one would be likely to visit
the cottage But this fact did no,
change matters. There was positively
, nothing she could do except to wait and
keep the lamp in the window burning
: IS brightly as possible.
0 For many moments she sat motion
less, and then stole quietly to the side
{ of her child, whom she found much as
he had been for some hours past-sleep
: ing uneasily and with considerable
t fever. As she was slipping from the
$ sick room again, she heard noise a!
/ il some one were fumbling at til.
q kitchen door in vain endeavor to fine
4 the latch. She listened with feeling
t of returning hope, mingled with a hor
e rible, superstitious dread; the latte
/ born of her excited condition and tn,
O terrible drearincss of her surroundings
The sound continued until she coult
$ not be mistaken; it was some one try
! ing to open the door, and who els,
. could it be but her husband? With
e feeling of faintness, as if she had sud
e denly been caught as she was about t,
e drop into . horrible abyss, she hastenet
: to lift the latch. As she did so, a form
: covered with mud, hatless and with
u look of death upon his face and in hi
O eyes, entered. For an instant she dit
: not recognize the form as that of he
husband, but when he staggered for
u ward into the light and sank upon
il chair, she saw that it was he. and in al
y instant she was at his side, striving Il
f remove his storm soaked garments.
: "Tell me where you are hurt, John
s tell me what to do, quick she said
. "Are you wounded anywhere, or onl.
$ terribly bruised by your fall? Tell m
. quick. SO l can help YOU"
h But he only stared at her and mad
o no reply.
: 'John, Johu,' she cried, now doubl.
: alarmed, ''what is it? where is it? tel
me. dear Is it your head that hurts2'
S He looked at her so strangely tina
Il she thought he must have been craze,
It by blow upon the head.
Slowly he raised his hand at last an
e drew it across his forehead.
l. Il dknow, Marty" he said. in
r hesitating tone, Il reckon know
II exactly what is the matter"
IS He still sat gazing at her with tina
n strange look in his eyes, as if he wa
d not certain of where he was.
re Mrs. Parsons hurriedly placed th
lie tea-kettle back on the stove, where
% instantly began to sing. and q momer