Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-13

monition seemed to possess tho air. and she sat beside the sleeping child a long time thinking of the future and the past. All her life seemed very close upon the present; her childhood in the old Vermont town where the bonny Scotch youth who won her heart had found her; their marriage, the death of her widowed mother, the selling of her husbands business and all that she was heir to, and their coming here into the West; then of her elder sister, her only near relative, who was married away back in her childhood and ere long went with her husband southward; then of the unknown path that lay be- fore them. What was in the wayP With all its promises of change and ease, she could not feel it else than dreary. At length she rose and went out upon the broad porch, and leaning against one of the vine-wound pillars, listened. Overhead some dark clouds were moving across the stars, with the young moon like a far off silver shallop floating and dipping among them, few soft drops of rain were pattering among the leaves, and a slow wind was breathing through the trees, sounding not unlike a swarm of bees.
 After awhile she went back and sat down, looking intently into the fire, then suddenly sprang up with low cry of pain and fear pressing her hand upon her heart, and sank shud- dering and covering down into the chair again. 70 God! O God! what is itp" she cried, looking around the room in terror, then ran blindly out face, and down the hillside to the NnthinO fhnPa fhp shadowy meadows divided by the whispering river. Then back she came calling for Absalom. who came run. ming from the kitchen. ''Go for your master" she cried; '.wake the men and go for your master! Oh, something | has happened! something has hap pened!" Then down to the gate sh0 l ran again, and straining her eyes from under the trembling archway of her hand, looked up the lane. Present.. 1 ly she started, the sound of a galloping horse could be heard far up the road. Faintly it came, then was 1 lost; then came again louder and loud CT, nearer and nearer, while the slen. der woman clutched the gate and shook and swayed like reed. Down came the horse along the lane and went flashing by, but wheeled in a circle and swept neighing up to the gate. The saddle was empty! and the woman 1 slipped moaning down and was silent. In a moment Absalom with the men came hurrying from the barns, and finding the limp figure lying beside the gate. with frightened whispers they carried it up the pathway to the house. When they laid it down, and the light l fell on the horror-whitened face, the rough farm men drew back with grave averted faces thinking she was dead. But in a breath her eyes tlut tered open and she started up with { strange sound looking wildly around but seemed to remember it all then and sank back with hel hand against her heart, moaning in low far away voice: Bring hin home to me! bring him home! fcl him die; it struck him here in the heart and it has killed me!''
 Half the night men were searching along the dark road OCT which thu fated horseman must have come, whil
 Elizabeth Barking lay in a great chai
 beside the sleeping child turning he
 wan still face from side to side. A midn fight they found him, lying be side the roadway in the dark skirt O the wood. Life had gone out of hi
 strong frame forever. Slowly the,
 bore him home, and when the mel
 came into the porch with their helples
 heavy burden, Elizabeth Earling arose
 and like one grown old and feebl
 and bent, went out to meet him.