Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-07
THE RUNAWAY.


She stopped at the stone wall TO rest, and
looked back timoroiisly at the old familiar
scene
Far behind her stretched the meadow, a
symphony OF olive and green in the late fall.
Here and there by n sunken bowlder stood
soldiery golden rod, or berry bushes clothed
now In scarlet and gold At intervals in the
long slope stood solitary trees, where iutter-
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 ade for the men was
kept there 30 be cool
She seemed, as she sat there, TO remember
everything Tho house was all right she
was sure OF that the key was under the kitch-
en- door mat, the tire was out in the stove,
and the cat locked In the barn
She held her work hardened hand to her
side, painting little, for II was a good bit of
awalk across the meadow, and she was 10
years old on her last birthday. The cows
feeding looked homelike and pleasant.
'Good-by, Critters she said, aloud;
'msny's the time I've druv ye home an
MIXED ye, an allus let ye eat by the way,
nor never hurried ye As the boys DONE
With farewell glance she went on again,
smoothing a. she walked the scattered locks
Of gray hair falling under the pumpkin
hood, and keeping hor scant black gown out
Of the reach of briers. Across another field,
then on through "A leafy lane where the wood
was hauled in winter, then out through a
gap in a stump fence, with Its great branch
ing arms like IA petrified octopus, to the dusty
high road.
Not n soul In sight In the coming twilight.
John, the children, and the scolding wife
who made her s) 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 a start 10 see If a
pursuer were coming
They'd put me in the asylum, sure,n she
muttered wildly as she trudged along.
At the foot Of the bill she sat down upon an
old log and waited for the train.
Across the road, guarded by big sign,
Look out for the engine, ran two parallel
iron rails, that were 20 be her road when the
big monster should come painting around the
curve
At last the dull rumble sounded, a shrill
whistle and she hurried to the track, waving
her shawl 20 signal
cross roads 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 asked.
"Bostinn
Cit there ia the mOrnin',n he said kindly,
waiting for the money, as she opened queer
little reticule where, under her knitting,
wrapped In "a clean cotton handkerchief, was
her purse with her savings of long years-the
little sums Sam had sent her when he first
began to prosper ia the west, and some money
she had earned herself by knitting and berry
picking
At a cross roads, as they went swiftly on.
she saw the old sorrel horse, the rattling
wagon and John with his family driving
homeward. She drew back with a little cry.
fearing he might see her and stop the train,
but they went ON 50 fast that could not be,
and the old horse logged into the woods, and
John never thought his old Aunt Hannah,
his charge for twenty long years, was run
ming away.
At Boston kindly conductor bought her
IA through ticket for Denver
Its a long journey for an old lady like
you" he said.
iously, II never he'd a days sickness since
was gall
"Going all the way aloneF'
with Providence, she answered brightly,
alert and eager TO help herself, but silent and
thoughtful ms the train took her into strange
landscapes where the miles went so swiftly it
seemed like the past years of her life as she
looked back on them.
Thy work Is marvellous she murmured
often, sitting with her hands folded ana e.,
Idle days had there been in her world where
she had sat and rested 50 long
In the day coach the people were kir.Ii and
generous, sharing their baskets with her and
seeing she changed cars right and her carpet
bag was safe She vas like any one of the
dear Old grapSnas in eastern homes, OF to
grzzlss1~men and weary women, like the
Memory of dead mother as faint and far
away as the scent OF wild roses In n hillside
country ground. She tended babies for tired
women and talked 70 the men of fErming and
crops, or told the children Bible stories but
never n 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 n stranger land Tired and
worn by nights in the uncomfortable seats,
her brave spirit began 90 fail a little. As the
ON her sight she sighed often.
"It's n dre'ful big wurld" she said TO a
gray bearded old farmer near her; $50 big
feel e'enmOst lost In u, but" hopefully.
across them deserts like this long ago Prov
idence sent n star 10 guide them wise men
Of the east, an haintt lost my faithp
But n the day wore on, and still tire long,
monotonous land showed no human habita-
ton, no oasis OF green, her eyes dimmed,
something like sob rose under the black
kerchief ON the bowed shoulders, and the
spectacles were taken of with trembling
hand and put away carefully in the worn tin
case.
BE ye goin fur. motherF' said the old
farmer.
He had brought her a cup OF coffee at the
last station, and had pointed out on the way
things he thought might interest her
ITO Denver"
wal, wal; you're from Nw England III
be boundr'
Prom Main>," she answered, and then she
grew communicative, for she was always
chatty old Indy, and she had possessed her
soul In silence so long, and IL was n relief TO
tell the story Of her weary years OF waiting
10 kindly listener.
She told him all the relations she had were |
two grandnephews and their families. That |
twenty years ago Sam flor she had brought |
them up when their parents died of consiinp- |
ton, that kills 70 many of our iolks) went |
out west. He was always adventurous, and |
for ten years she did not hear from him; but |
John was different and staady, and when he |
came Of age she had given him her farm,
with the provision she should always have n |
home, otherwise he would have gone away, |
too. Well, for Eve years they were happy, |
then John married, and his wife had grown |
to think her burden ms the years went on,
and the children when they grew big did not |
care for her, she felt she had lived too long.
growed 80 lonesome" she said patheti- |
cnlly, lit seems | couldn't tnkn I'M henri 70