New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-13
TOM MIDDLETON'S WIFE.
, THE STORY OF A PLUCKY CALIFORNIA
WOMAN.
ny FLORA HAISEs LoUGHEAD.

hnr MN aS an awful warning 10 their little daugh-
tiers, while in her own home the question oi now
to subdue her buoyant spirits was wrcstieu over
with true maternal solicitudc. When she grew up
society frowned upon her as hoyoeh' anu
her way was bcset with thorns .
At eighteen she could row, and SWIM, ana rue,
and play lawn-tennis like boy. She was a
great walker, and upon one occasion had waiKeu
TO Mt Diablo and back IN two days o WIN 1b hs
alone would have suf1ccd to place her unuoI
ban in San Franciscos best society; mat she
sang like bird danced IKE S6na an" odr was was
q small offset for the sum OF her inquiries anu
although she was exceedingly popular amonS "
set of young and irresponsible boys conscrvaInc
circles frowned upon her. and 1t was gcncraiy
understood that she was young person Oh mOsC
radical and dangerous tendencies.
when the announcement Of her coming nnp,lals
with one of this s9mc CONSERVATIVE clrce Wos
received Tom Middleton t WAS and PrG prepreaebabe
manners 1t had been generally understood Inao
Toms ideal was of different type, ana more
after the pattern OF the elegant society women
Ills intimate friend and boon companion, JACK
Spencer who had always disapproved OF hate'
and echoed its sentiments in Toms unwilling car.
Tom stood stanchly by his colors, but ms 1rienn
words sank deep into 9 rs, i bs sake and her own
Kate must be toned down ,,..o
lie succeeded even beyond his hopes Nine
years after her marriage few would nave leoUsnrd
eu ;r'ed i"c cir Of former days Kate was fond Of
her husband and the alchemy OF love nau
wrought tho change put ~ Is a yC as the
forces Of the material world. and II Tom mao
known what pcnt-up longings ana reDei nus
inclinatons ragged beneath his WIGS quct ~ w
rior he might have rcpentcd his success buJ nc
went on callously and blindly rs men VIII mneH
dealing with DELEGATE forces wnGn Tme TO her
understand and Kate kept her grievances 10 s Ier
seif Two children camc-the elder girl, merry,
untamcd little creature, who made INC motnncI
.oIs abs other A boy sturdy, deliberate, like
hi. father When the children grew larger , am
needed room for exercise anu rord 3bcv took up
thcir residence in a little country nome, hot ~
far away but that Tom could travel PACK as"
forth daily and attend 10 MS Dusinco'' " " " 1900
One rrav, December day, Kate stood at ne, nef
window gazing out upon the Iahas 1 ,s hcfnre
IN, had started of on long promised vacation
which MAS TO be dedicated TO hunt IN inc Hnouh-
tains, in company with Iat!y "a iit Marty
was thinking, with envy, OF TINS huhulms p ao3.
and wondering half-bittery, why afnusei I,e1I
that were conceded 10 be proper ana heaItn t
for should not be healtniu. anu pr III" LONG
tramps over the hills, the excitement OF the num-
the JOY Of holding good gun on hef si"u ,itI
and IynovinC that She could sight ana sho0I WIN
the hest of them She felt a wicked soiacc as
she thought Of the showers That had 1aen III .Io
valley and the clouds that had huns cU dn ana
cross and chafcd against her hedsed IN ne, WIFI
its narrow boundaries, its senselcsS restraints.
There was n rush Of feet through ,ne mouse, Clc
door Of her room opened. and the chllurch ouIsC ~
Mamma, tho creek is up! lake Us uo"H ~
see itl7 , o;.or,o,t
The childish longing for novelty and eNcitemehe
found an instant echo in her heart. hey hau run
IN from outdoor play, and were bonneted and
cloakod with rubber overshoes 70 project mel
feet from the damp earth As Iof hel' ~ "" nd 20
frcsh,ng TO evadc Brdgets vlSllant eye anu W
steal ont of the front door in her loose houseues
bare headed, and with worsted slippers on ner
feet They followed garden pau ao 1oa,in. az
distance and then entered narrow lahe Ieauins W
A place where they were accustomed 10 Iord III .hc
simmer time. but over which now sWePt " eee'n
ing, tempcstuous Hood II, A..
this was no ordinary frcshet but the product OF
a heavy rainfall over the whole vast watershed:
which had accumulated It's forces IN thousands oA
tiny rivulets and, joining issue with the mountaIA
strSam. plunged down it's narrow channel mighty
and irresistible power.
Evcn MS they looked she wall OF water
suddenly rear up above and come down IoWaru
them like miniature tidal wave. ,- ,oa
The dam built by the new water company had
Thev ran back from the shore to higher ground,
and not a moment too soon. The stream rose
several feet IN a second. 1t cut into the sohu
banks on either side, and bushes anu youhs uIoeh
rooicd up and sucked in by the greedy curroht'
went spinning by. giant sycamore wa'ereu
lung out it's bare and skeleton Ilinps as IA IA
rhosIly protest, and fell far out INTO inc suream
interlocking its branches with sturdy evergreen
oak which stood on the opposite DahK' nline 10
trunk, loosely anchored by long, snaKe-ike foo'A
tossed helplessly In mldstTeahL . q,
Mamma Sec the big Doards coming oii'u
out her little daughter x
Kate looked lar up stream and saw greae
timber sailing lclsurcly along. Now IL caught on
a nroiecting snag and swung half about now III
struck on submerged island, ana ldIy olsehsaecu
itself and sauntered on Behind ~ was AS, dnI tem
and vet another-the stream was DlacK Win Cnc"
Oh nv God! The railroad bridge"
The railroad bridge, and the afternoon tram now
nearly due, soon TO rush down SseeR st"uo nI ~
leap INTO that yawnlng cEasm Her hrSI lIhpuIs93
was to start up the canon but she instantly check
herself What folly, when miles ol Overflow Id!
between her and the doomed Tram Wofd mus
be sent down 10 the station. ana from Ihere !"
telegram to the next stopping place above inc
bridge. But how? The hired man jim haa
gone an hour before TO the village TO GET inc
mail and have his daily gossip win the l0unSers
of the place. Even If he were here, neither horsc
nor man was fleet enough 10 cover the clrcutous
road that lay between Then She looked at .d Inc
PROSTATE sycamore. Down the stream, Ielsufcly'
but nearer and nearer STILL sailed the great tlmoers
Marian, take little brother and go straight
to the house and stay there till mamma comes
She had already pulled herself up by of the
roots and was creeping stealthy along the sway.
ing trunk. Here her dress caught branch !;
there she had 10 climb down and crawl along with
her feet under the water TO avoid upright
i;mh Once she slipped and lost her hold, and
mas nearly sucked into the cddying current but
she caught at stout projection and swung her
self up again.
.r.1rcam AZ they rocked lazily upon the water,
S Spt sb. did not dare to look Before her the
main trunk Of the tree was lost and She saw two
,S .ssi,b tbe oak in mid air. Which TO take
Shs dared NOT hesitate, but began perilous
Climb along the upper limb slippery and naked s
IL ~, evcs 10 keep from falling Aud. 80 lying
prone A' upon it, hand hand she crept the
entire length and tho great stick OF um nG sruSs
Wsto swung her elf into the branches OF tho oak
She felt her support give way, and WIN groan,
and crash, and wild up tosslngs OF l's sKeiec s
arms the old tree tore loose from It's moorlngs ahd
WAC swrpt down stream toward the bay.