Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-10-30

men shouldered their tools and tumbled
out and we followed them. \ few hun
dred PAGES in front Of US was a railway
bridg,, over which Il road passed, and
under which the rail went ut q slaTf,
curve. The snow had drifted heavily
against the bridge with its high earth
embankInent, making manifest at a
glance the cause of the disaster.
The bridge was crowded with human
figures, and on the line below men were
working in the drift amid piles Of debris
and splintered wood. The wrecked train
had all been slightly draped in snow; the
engine alone, barely cold. lying black
and grim. like some mighty giant, for
midable in death. y sheet Of glass ice
near it showed how the boiler had burst.
Some of tie hinderinost carriages were
still standing or had fallen comparative
ly uninjured; but others seemed to have
ieaped upon their fellows AMI plowed
right through them into the drift. 1t
was well that it began to snow as we
reached the spot. There were traces of
dismal smears on the white ground
which it would be seenly to hide.
Our friend in black went forward and
asked a few questions of the man ii
charge and presently returned.
1.-THE remainder Of the passengers are
at the farm,"he said, pointing to Il house
at a little distance, and without further
delay we began to scramble up the steep
smbanknent and Chamber over the stone
wall Of the bridge into the road. Ny
mini was full Of other things. but re.
member still the number of people as
sembled IN the bridge, and how a MAJ
was standing up in his donkey cart tc
view the scene.
1t WAS Saturday, and there We're guam
titles CT village school boys sitting
astride on the low wall, or perched on
adjacent hurdles, evidently enjoying the
spectacle, jostiing, bawl1ng, eating
oranges and throwing the peel at the
engine. Some older people touched
their hats sympathetically, and one went
and opened a gate for Us into a field,
through which many feet seemed TO have
coine and gone, but for the greater
number the event was evidently IT.
garded as an interesting variation in the
dull routine of everyday life, and to the
school boys it was IN undoubted treat.
Ralph and Charles walked on in front,
following the track across the field. Il
was not particularly heavy walking
after what we had had earlier in the
lay, but Ralph stumbled perpetually,
md presently Charles drew his arm
through his W and the two went OF
together, the police inspector following
In a few minutes WS.reached the farm
and entered the farmyard, wnira Was
the nearest way to the house. A little
mot of calves ~intranclIed on Il mound OF
.traw i'll the center of the yard lowered
their heads and looked askance at us as
We came in, and Ii party of ducks re-
treated hastily from path with a
chorus Of ordinations. while a thin
colly dog burst ont of a barrel at the
Jack door and made a series of gym,
.,astics At the end of d chain, barking
.oarze,y, IS if he had not spared himself
fla.
A. II y woman with red arms met
Us at the door. and on a whisper from
the police inspector first shook her head
and then, in answer to a further whis
per. nodded at another door, and a voice
calling her from within hastily disap
peared.
The inspector opened the door she hat
Indicated and went in, I with him
1harles, who had grown very grave
lung back with Ralph, who seemed to-
much dazed to notice anything in heavei
.bove Or the earth beneath. The doc
opened into an clubhouse, roughly pavei
with round stones, where barrels, staves
md divers lumber had been put away.
There was straw in the further enf
f it, out of which a yellow cat raiscj
two cleaning eyes, and then few up {
ladder against the wall and disappeared
among the rafters. In the middle of tn
floor, lying a little apart. were three fig
ures with sheets over them. Instructive
~ we felt that We were in the presence
of death. / looked back at Charles an(
Ralph, who were still standing outside
III tho falling snow. Charles was bare
headed, hut Ralph was looking absently
in front of him, seeming conscious O
nothing. The inspector made me assign
He had raised of the sheets, and now
withdrew il altogether. Myheart seem
cd to stand still.
1t was Aurelia. Aurelia changed il
he last great change Of all, but still
Aurelia- The fixed artificial color in tbs
cheek consorted i'll with the bloodles.
allor Of the rest Of the face, which was
ct in Il look of surprise and terror. Sh,
"a altered beyond what should have
Zen. She looked several years older
lat it was still Aurelia. Those little
loved hands, tightly clinched, were thu
ne which she had held to the library
f~e as we talked the day before: ever
tbs dress was the same. Alas! she had
been in too great a hurry to change il
leore she left, or her thin shoes. Pool
Ii lie Aurelia.
md them don't know how it was
ll5 i'll another moment Ralph was
L. cling by her, bending over her
ting the stifened hands in his trem
h g clasp, imploring> the deaf ears tt
iie:c him, calling wildly to the pale lip:
- eak to him which had done with
hissan speech. l could not bear it. and
lined away and looked out through
Ii, pen door at the snow falling. The
in.p ctor came and stood beside me. In
t,la Hence which followed we could
r. Charles speaking gently from time
t. le, and when at last we both turned
toe.. / them again Ralph had flung
hLf down On an old bench at the
ft r end of the clubhouse, with hi
h- surned toward Us, his arms resting
on !, barrel and his head bowed down
upezl hem. He neither spoke mo moved
Ch.eles left him and anne toward us
ard Ia and the inspector spoke apart fol
ar3.l,ent, and then the latter dropped
OF, Ii knees beside the dead woman and
after looking carefully at q dark stair
on one of the wrists, turned back the
sleeve. Crushed deep into the round
white arm cleaned something bright
10 was an emerald bracelet which We
bot, knew. Charles cast a hasty glance
at Ralph, but he had not moved, and he
drew me beside him SO as to interpose
our two figures between him and the in
spector. The latter quietly turned down
the sleeve and recomposed the arm.