Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-11-14
THE RUNAWAY.
BY PATIENCE STAPLETON.

BY PATIENCE STAPLETON.
''Would they put her in the asylum, y
she wondered, ''if they caught her ?'
Folks would surely think she was
crazy She stopped at the stone wall
to rest, and looked back timorously
Far behind her stretched the meadow,
q symphony OF olive and green in the
ate fall. Here and there by suenkln
boulder stood soldierly golden-rod, or
berry bushes clothed now in scarlet
and gold At intervals in the long
slope stood solitary trees, where hutter-
ing, brittle leaves fell in the gentle chill
air. In summer time she remembered
well the hay.makers rested in the shade,
and the jug with ginger water she made
for the men was kept there to be cool.
She seemed, as she sat there to re-
member everything. The house was
all right, she was sure of that; the key
was under the kitchen door mat, the
fire was out in the stove, and the cat
locked in the barn.
She held her Work-hardened hand to
her side, painting little, for it was a
good bit of a walk across the meadow,
and she was eighty years old on her
last birthday. TIE COWS feeding looked
homeike and pleasant.
s'Good-by, critters" she said aloud !;
semeny's the time I've druv' We home
an MIXED We, an I allus let We eat by
the way, nor never hurried We as the
boys done.'
With farewell glance she went on
again, smoothing as she walked the
scattered locks of gray hair falling un-
der the pumpkin hood, and keeping
her scant black gown out of the reach
of briars. Across another field, then
on through leafy lane where the
wood was hauled in inter. then out
through gap in stump fence, with its
great branching arms like a petrifed
octopus, to the dusty highroad. Not a
soul in sight in the coming twilight.
John, the children and the scolding
wife who made her so unhappy would
not be home for an hour yet, for East
Mills was long drive.
Down the steep hill went the brave
little figure, followed by an odd
shadow of itself in the waning
light, and by tiny stones that rolled SO
swiftly they passed her often and made
her look behind with start to see if a
pursuer were coming.
They'd put me in the asylum, sure"
she muttered wildly.
At the loot of the hill she sat down
upon an old log and waited. Across
the road, guarded by big sign, Look
out for the Engine" ran two parallel
iron rails, that were to be her road
when the big monster should come
painting around the curve. At last the
dull rumble sounded, shril whistle,
and she hurried to the track, waving
her shawl to signal. This, in the con-
ductor's vernacular, was "a Crossroads
station" where he was used to watch
for people waving articles frantically.
The train stopped, and this passenger
was helped aboard. He noticed she
was a bright-eyed old lady, very
neat and precise.
How fur?' he aske d.
-f'Bostin.''
1E'Git there in the mornin'' he said
kindly, waiting for the money, as she
opened a queer little reticule, where,
under her knitting, wrapped in clean
cotton handkerchief, was her purse
with her savings of long years-the lit
tie sums Sam had sent her when
he first began to prosper in the West,
and some money she had earned her
,self by knitting and berry picking.
At a crossroads, as they went swiftly
on, she saw the old sorrel horse, the
rafting wagon, and John with his fami-
Iy driving homeward. She drew back
with little cry, fearing he might see
her and stop the train, but they went
on so fast that could not be, and the
old horse logged into the woods. ard
John never thought his old Aunt Han
nah, bis charge for twenty long years
was running away. At Boston kindly
conductor bought her ticket for Den
yer.
cts long journey for an old lady
like you," he said.
"But I'm pert for NV age,' she said
81
ness since | was gall
Going ali the way alone ~
'With Providence" she answered
brightly, alert and eager to help her
self, but silent and thoughtful as the
train took her into strange landscapes
where the miles went SO swiftly it
seemed like the past years of her Ii e
as she looked back on them. "Thy
works is marvellous" she murmured
often, sitting with her hands folded,
and few idle days had there been in
her world where she had sat and rest
ed so long. In the day coach the peo-
pie were kind and generous, sharing
their baskets with her and seeing she
changed cars right and her carpet-bag
was sale, She was like any. of the dear
old grandmas III Eastern homes, or to
grizzled men and weary women, like
the memory of dead mother as faint
and Tar away as the scent of wild roses
IN a hillside country burying- ground.
She tended babies for tired women and
talked Ia the men of farming and crops,
or told the children Bible stories; but
nevera word she said of herself, not
~one.
On again, guided by kindly hands
through the great bewildering city
by the lake, and now through yet 4
stranger land. Tired and worn by
nights in the uncomfortable seats, her
brave spirit began to fail little. AS
the wide, level plains, lonely and drear,
dawned o. her sight she sighed oft. n.
cts dre'ful big wurld, she said to