Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-10-02
nobody this weather. 60 home to dry
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Maggie, however. could not look upon
the matter calmly. She had expected
to see her child down before her eyes.
She was trembling from head to foot,
and, after striving in vain to restrain
herself, she burst into g. flood of tears,
which ended in fit of hysterical laugh
ing and obbing.
"Oh, these women" said the French
man to himself. but he was too gallant
to express his feelings.
Placing Maggie upon his sketch stool,
be knelt beside her, applied little
smelling bottle to her nostrils, and
shortly restored her TO calmness.
"Now, little mother, do not cry any
more," he said. "you should laugh
because the little one is safe. All, good
heavens! how foolish"
And then, in Q perfectly paternal
crying out: "You good, good man I
life," kissed him again.
1t was all for the preserver of her
boy, of Ovens boy, and because she was
really out Of her mind for the moment.
But at this instant Owen himself, caught
sight of his wife. The child, perched
on a rock hard by, was playing uncon-
cernedly with his wet shoe, but Owen
did not see him. What he saw was q
stranger kissing his wife, his wife kiss
ing the stranger again; and all that was
fond and tender and loving flew from
his soul.
1.-THE dark man." of whom the gypsy
had warned Maggie, was her husband
now. He came rushing down toward
them, and the Frenchman, seeing what
he fancled, not without reason, to be a
mailman approaching, turned and fed.
His fighting days, if he ever had any.
were over. He was willing to risk his
life to save beautiful little child. but
this was another matter. AS for Owen,
he reached Maegle's side at three
bounds, and Selling her arm held it in
a grip of iron.
II saw you kiss him !" he Kissed in
her ear, "You play me false, do you
you?"
'.Speak; did you kiss him ? 1 can't be-
lieve it yet" said Owen. "Why, Maggie,
it cannot be. Say you did not; that the
sun was in your eyes; that I did not see
rightly. You did not kiss him ?''
81 did," said Maggie, Eyes, kissed
him. He"
Owen pushed her from him, so that
she staggered and fell And when she
looked up he was gone, he had followed
the Frenchman, or intended to do SO.
But the light-footed foreigner had been
careful to step aside as soon as he was
out of sight, and return 10 his hotel by a
devious route.
band, he said. When madame shall
have explained, all will be right. Just
now [ will be on the safe SIDE"
Meanwhile poor Maggie had gathered
herself up, taken her boy by the hand,
and gone homeward. A deadly fear OF
her husband possessed her; she remem-
bered the gypsy's prophecy.
He will kill me-" she said to herself.
He will kill me before ever | can tell
my story"
Then Maggie, terror-stricken, took
her boy and fed from the house. The
dread of being murdered by the zeal
Gus dark man" was strong upon her.
She knew of an empty hut, once
hagman's house, which stood beside
the road. Here she could de until
dawn, when Owen would be miles away.
Then she would fly where she could
meet him no more, for she had no hope
of proving the truth to him.
She had cause for her fear. Oven
meant to kill her. He tancied her one
ing of ali angel, and who mar the lives
OF the men who love them. He would
kill her and then die.
He had not had time to 60 home.
The hour for his return to the engine
had come upon him almost unaware.
He reached his post only by the great
est efforts, almost tempted to desert it,
in order to find and STAY the man who
had kissed his wife.
tt was 10 O'Clock. In the lonely hut
by the railroad track Maggie had put
her boy to sleep, when the sound of
voices caused her to creep to the little
window and look out. There she saw
sight that curdled the blood in her
veins. Train wreckers at work Three
vile tramps, who had already placed
across the track hill of obstacles which
would insure the destruction of any
train which came upon them in dark
ness.
They worked by the light of lanterns,
and she heard them chuckling in fend-
ish glee. 80
"Best get out Of the way now," said
one, land be seen at the tavern When
we hear the whistles we'll come and
"Yes, We'll help, good, charitable
souls that We are" said another. .'The
Il O'Clock express, going north, will be
delayed tonight
They laughed as they spoke, and
Maggie clasped her hands; the IL
O'Clock train was Ovens.
The engineer is always the first victim
in disaster. The man who was going
to kill her would never do it if this
train met the fate prepared for it. But
Maggie never thought of that. 1t was
only her dear Owen she remembered
now, her loving husband, not the jeal-
OTIS dark man from whom she had fed.
If the tramps returned her doom was
sealed; but that did not matter. She
covered her boy with cloak she had
brought, and lighting match, peered
at the little silver watch she wore about
her neck. The train was due in half an
hour. What should she do?
ssThank God for the candles" she
said, as she barred the door and went
out upon the road.
She would not waste her means. She
listened intently, moments seemed
hours; but at last she heard the far
whistle. She knew how fast the ex-
press train few. She must be prompt
or her efforts would be in vain.
How small the candle looked The
train did not stop, they did not notice,
a greater fame must be made. She
tore Of her gown. The calico would
make greater blaze, she tied the
Il L l. IL l.