Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-03-04

and scarcely half happy at the pros
pect which had been opened before
her.
In the pale gray and green light OF
early morning they drove to the rail
road crossing Trains stopped at
Green's Corners only when an anti
quated man, who lived in n closet,
came out and frantically waved flag
at them. He came out now, and
leaned on the flag handle, while Ser
ena tried to look back at the farm
house
Don't you be worried, Serena" said
Joshua, cheerfully. "I'll prosper all
right, unless get sick along of eatin'
all them pies and fxin's You must
hev thought I'd hcv sight of com
pany. Wen, good-by; take good care
! OF yerself!'-for the 1agman was wav-
ing for all he was worth, and although
Serena privately hoped that the diabol-
/ cal-loolxing,,engine would refuse to
stop, it stopped In a moment more
/ Joshua and the flagman and the farm
| house were as the cinders which were
1 ierl1ed past the car window by an un-
/ seen hand.
|
of travel had shown "A glimpse of itself
| to Mrs. Fry that the morning passed
swiftly, on account of the rapidly
changing scenes through which the
train fed along, and Serena was more
nearly like herself than she had been
since the invitation came. But noon
brought a dismal rain, which drizzled
| down the windows and put the coun-
try in drab mourning, and discouraged
nearly every one, especially Serena.
Not thinking that she had changed her
place, she felt certain that it was rain
ing thus dismally at the Corners, and
that Joshua would have to look after
the cows in the chilly wetness, and re-
turn to an equally chilly kitchen and
stove. Presently the interchangeable news
agent, who had been all the morning
firing alternate caramel packages and
books at the passengers, threw a PAM
phlet into Serenas seat, and she idly
picked it up and began to read the ad-
vertisements on the cover As she did
So she let the book fall and gave lit
tie cry of despair
1t was only an advertisement of some
patented rat destroyer which had met
her eye, but it threw her poor heart
into deep distress. Only the night be-
fore, when she had been arranging
Joshua's provisionsin in tho pantry, Mrs
Slemmons, the grocer's wife, had come
to the door with jar in her hand, the
strings of her sunbonnet hanging de-
iectedly in front of her shoulders.
Here's that rat pizen ! promised
you," she said. II thought likely Mr..
Fry might find it useful while you was
away; the EN- ptier house is, the more
the mice likes it. When my Susan died,
she want really buried before they
was gallivantin' around her room I'll
sit it right here, Mis- Fry, for ! can't
stop; it's comm on dark. You'll find
IL III make 'em go right off an die every
time"
Serena had noticed dimly at the time
that Mrs. Slemmons had set her jar
Just in front of one of apple-butter
which had been fillod for Joshua and
placed on the pantry shelf. Now, with
the swift remembrance Of this scene
which the advertisement brought, came
q dreadful thought
She had not put the rat poison awayl
1t must still be standing there by the
apple butter and Joshua-it made her
sick TO think of it--might take the
wrong jar for his dinner. lie might
| have done 1t already; probably had, and
must be quito dead. Serena put her
head down On the back of the scat in
'front.' Of her, and let her troubled
thoughts run on as they would She
wondered dimly whether the poison
| affected human beings as Mrs Stem
mons had said IL affected rats, and
made them "go off alone 10 die. :"
| She wondered whether IL would
do any good TO ask the con-
ductor to send word 10 Joshua
not TO eat any applc-buttcr until she
| should return. She imagined mes
sage awaiting her at her ucphcw's
house, bidding her come back to her
| husbands funeral She thought of
how she deserved all this punishment
| in return for going away and leaving
| him alone for the Grst time since their
marriage There came into her mind
| the words of the marriage ceremony.
What God hath joined together let no
| man put asundcr," and she said To her
|
| fore, ana wouldn't be now If 'twasn't
| fur my wiclscdncss. And while she
sat So OF a sudden it grew dark and
then light again, and the eager train
wos resting in the New York station.
a young man in brown overcoat
was insidc the car In Il moment or two,
cxclaiming: How do you do. Aunt
| Sercna2 50 glad TO see your as he
caught sight Of the figure in the prim
| black dress of Miss Lamson's fashion
| ing
But Serena, as she let him take both
her trembling hands, only said My
dear boy I've got to go back home
Home, Aunt Serena? Why, are you
| siclsP You must come and let Susie
take care Of you"
~ amt sick" said Serena, YEARLY;
'and I'd be gladdcr n you think for TO
stay with you, but rm-I'm afraid
somethin's happened TO Joshua"
The room and the stove at Green's
| Corners were rather chilly. and
whether the mice discovered II or no,
Joshua found the house remarkably
empty. lie fingered long in the barn
| with the cattle, and when he camo
| home ate only bowl OF bread and
milk, and then drew out tho calico
] cushioned chair and sat in IT, There
was not sound anywhere except the
voice of the old clock, saying: Gone
-gonel gone-goneW with dreadful
haste and perseverance Presently
Joshua dozed. II was twilight when
he slept and black night when he
awoke, and he heard the far-away
whistle OF the New York night ex-
press. He felt his way TO the door and
went out Why in the world he
walked slowly toward the railroad
crossing he did not know, unless the
coming train seemed TO him like u
message from Serena, now safe In New
York. He waited silently near the
nagman's closet, while the red eye in
the engines forehead sent quivering
light streams far down the track Be-
fore Joshua knew IL the train had
stopped. The conductor was standing
on the ground, his lantern under his
arm, helping some one out Joshua
went forward and took her In his
arrus