Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-09-28
ARMSTRONG'S REVENGE.
The Secret the Engine-Driver
Never Told His Wife.

Never Told His Wife.
One bright June morning not many
years ago, big, ungainly farm-serv-
ant, holding by halter large and UNI
couth plow-horse, stood before the shut
door of battered wooden building, the
surroundings of which at once pro-
claimed it to be smithy, although
through the chinks in its weather.
beaten walls no forge-fire cleaned or
CHEEKY hammer rang. The plowman,
astonished to see the place shut at an
hour long after that at which the black
smith usually started to work, retired
a pace or two and gazed up at the
chimney; and not seeing even the faint
est trace OF smoke issuing thence, he
turned and looked about him with
puzzled expression on his face. A man
breaking stones on the other side OF the
road, noticing the farm-servant's be-
wilderment approached, and, after the
usual morning salutation, proceeded to
explain what had become of the black
smith. We will give that explanation
in our own words.
Hamilton Armstrong was the name of
the blacksmith in question. His work.
shop was situated close to a wayside
station on the main line of one OF the
great Scotch railways, but at consid-
cradle distance from any town or vii
lage. Being, however kept pretty
busy at work for the neighboring
farmers. and being consequently we'll
to-do, and having, moreover, as his
nearest female neighbor, very pretty
girl. the daughter of the porter at the
station, it was the most natural thing
in the world that he should wish to
make her his wife. Unfortunately, this
was more easily determined on than
done, for he had a rival This rival
was the driver of goods-train which
was almost daily shunted into the sid
ing near Sarah's house, to allow of a
passenger express passing. and who
took advantage OF this momentary
respite to chat with the porter s
daughter. Whether it was because he
was far-away bird that his feathers
seemed observation-disclosures sinSarah's
sight, or whether he was intrinsically
man Of more worth, the gossips-for
there were gossips even in those soli-
tudes-were not agreed. Rightly or
wrongly, however, Sarah gave him the
preference.
Having made up his mind to ask Sa-
rah to be his wife. Armstrong was not
long In finding an opportunity for do
ing so. Though he knew he had a rival,
he was hardly prepared to hear from
Sarah that she had already promise
to marry Duffy, the engine-driver. But
Armstrong was not going to yield with
out making a special effort to win her
he pleaded long and fervently with her
to retract her promise to his rival,
whom he was persuaded she had only
accepted because he had been the first
to ask her. But Sarah was quite sin
cere, Duffy being really the man of her
choice; and Armstrong pleaded in vain.
For the next week or two, the black
smith moped about and scarcely did
any work. On the day on which Sa-
rah's marriage was to take place he left
the smithy in the evening, and went
wandering into the country, returning
late at night Next morning, he went
away again, now walking with uneasy
step along the quiet country lanes, and
now sitting dejectedly by the roadside,
muttering to himself. The neighbors
soon came to hear of his strange behav-
Tor; and it was whispered that he must
have gone out of his senses, as an uncle
of his had done under a similar afflio.
ton.
THAT was yesterday the stone
breaker wound up, "and he's away
along the road by the railway this
morning. They should look after him,
or he'll be lying down in front OF some
train, or jumping down into the deep
rock-cutting and breaking his neck"
If Hamilton Armstrong had not gone
mad, as the people supposed, he cor.
tainly acted like mailman. Stung to
the quick by his rejection, he had nc
heart for his work. He shut up his
smithy, and went out to try to walk of
the fever that burned within him. Pro
ceeding along the path by the side Of
the railway, his heart filed with bitter
hatred, the idea of taking terrible
revenge upon Duffy gradually shaped
itself in his mind. At first he tried to
shut his ears to the suggestions Of the
tempter; but little by little he grew IA,
miIiarized with the idea, until he goI
40 demoralized that he began to think