The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-27

/
at me Tor Insisting GA having them red,
| but l had seen a rich nam 8 little girl
| just about her age all decked out with
fine clothes and q pair Of red shoes on
her feet l thought then how pretty
they looked and determined our little
babe should have red shoes as well On
Saturday night we. my wife and /.
went up town and bought the things,
the red shoes among them.
81 suppose you will think fteiIly, but
will own up that when I went to bed
could hardly sleep a wink for fear
should not be awake In the morning to
hear the darling's first shout OF sur
prise and joy at seeing those shoes, for
we had fixed them on her crib in such
a position that they would be the 6zss
things TO greet her eyes
"Well, / was awake ard heard her,
and would have been paid had they
cost me whole months salary. Ora
eious, how proud she was OF them; how
she did caper about in her hong mighty
after having pulled them On her little
bare feet My wife could hardly get
her to take them of to put on some
stockings and get properly dressed. It
was q joy to Us a II that Sunday, TO
watch her. Her other presents were
playthings, bat not one OF them held
any place in her ey cs beside those red
shoes All day long she skipped and
romped and played, chattsriag con-
stantly about them, while we who
watched her, took fully as much de-
light in her happiness as the little one
did in her pretty shoes.
with the Joy Of that glad Sunday
still in my heart it was with light
step went to my work early on Hon
day morning. The sun was bright and
che air fresh. giving buoyancy to my
spirits. Surely en- thatmorn there was
no shadow coming before to Indicate
the awful event destined TO happen.
What did happen l can hardly tel!
even today, when years have rolled by
and time has softened tho anguish OF
that fearful day. l have often ques-
toned in my own mind whether
should again do as did under similar
just here comes in my wife's
part in the incident Hers was a thou
sand times more trying of the two, for
I had only a stern, hard duty TO per-
form, while she, poor woman, was
forced against her viii into an act
which I believe no other woman on
earth would have had the courage to
do 7 h2uo har +a1 bo
perience Of that day SO many times;
she has so often dwelt upon and de-
scribed her feelings that l, sharing in
the act as | did, can fairly realize what !
they must have been. Monday was her
day always, and she went at it |
IS soon rs l had left the house, |
while our little girl WAS left
to anuSe herself with her new
shoes and toys. Busy with her work |
my wife for a time forgot Che babe !
She had been playing in and out of the |
house at first, fitting like the sun
beams here and there, when suddenly .
the mother realized that quite time |
had elapsed since she had seen her. !
She called but received no response.
Into the house and around it she went,
still softly calling, for the child had
been well trained in regard 30 going
rat of the yard Row she came to go
out that morning God only knows. 1t
must have been the little red shoes.
. ''In front OF the house my wife noticed
hat the gate was wide open, a very
circumstance, and, without
any reason for it, terrible
ear clutched at her heart. Instantly
her eye roved over the space which in
ervened between the house and the
racks, but no child could she see. Led
N by her fear she started on run
low, calling loudly and almost frantic
lily: Mary! Mary! child; where are
CUP Sill no answer and still on she
ped. every nerve quivering with
gony, although as yet she had no
cal grounds for fear.
'She reached the first OF the tracks
where some freight cars had been
laced and partly MD the great net
york from view. DodGing around
hem her heart gave a great bound and
hen seemed 10 cease its beating.
way, more than half across that mass
f iron rails she caught the futter Of
title garment she knew only too well.
tmost hidden by a target which stood
ust in range. Bounding along, STUN
ling now and then in her haste over
les and rails the mother was quickly
t her darHng's side.
''My wife knew that yard and the VA
iouS tracks as well as / did. Many a
me had we walked over them and as
fsen had told her which was which.
she realized that the child |
AS directly on the main line over
hitch the fast morning express sped at
re highest speed permitted through
ne yards. My wife also knew the
mo for the through trains, and in
.antly she realized as well that the
xpress must be just about due
" Mary, darling she gasped, CONS
ere, chlldr
" oh, mammal the little one cried,
/ am SO glad you come. can't get
" red shoe ont