Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-12-28
SELECTED STORIES.
4 BRlkEMAyS HOLp THE WlLLFLONER,

"It had been bad week all round. The
baby had been sick, an I'd lost such little
sleep as could've got, an Molly had been
restless an worried an cross. had been,
too-thsre's no use o. thinkin / hadn't
an when I'd been later'n ought TO be at
the train couple o. mornin's got hauled
over the Goals for 1t, an that didn't make
me feel any better. Then lost few dol
lars through countin my pay in the street.
Felt so sure i could handle 1t, when
whif-the wind had taken one of my bills
way out Of sight. Well, chasin thing
don't always mean catchin it, an was out
q suit OF clothes, or new dress for Molly,
or the money for the Doctors bill.
$50 when went home an Molly was
tired an impatient, didn't think of how
she'd had to bear somethin, but i just
blurted out about my own loss. My. but
she did blaze upl
"'No use to save few pennies for me to
throw away dollarsl No use tryin to be
careful Of 10 cents when L could let $40
blow away like a puff Of smokeF
al didn't answer back much, but got
my supper an had nap, though by this
time was so mad / didn't want even TO
look at her-my Mollyi
"When 1 woke up, it was gettin to train
time, an / went over an looked at the
youngster, who was gettin on fine by this
time. bent over an kissed him an stood
a minute an looked at Molly, an then
said-ugly, s'pose-'Good nightp
"'It'll be good night If you don't spend
or waste any more money! she said.
"Jove, the mad I'd felt before was nothin
TO the rage that seized hold o. mel / don't
scuse myself. but I've always had little
more sympathy for the people that do ter
rible things in a ragei l know the blood
rushed to my head an face, an | fairly
trembled. My voice was sort o. choked as
i said, std be good night If it'd lid
me o. you and your waggin tongueP An
slammed the door as went out.
"The breeze was comm up cool an damp,
but IL didn't cool my temper. Our little
house was only a few blocks from the sta
tion, an sometimes the boys would make
1t easy for me IL was late by startin
on time an slowin up little till swung
on. or course mean when was late an
hadn't time to report, for they knew they
could always rely o. my bein on hand.
ave made the trip. was on the local
then, an the return an all was made in
about 2L hours. We used TO get back
about midnight, so could always depend
upon havin half a nights sleep anyhow.
Bein so lucky as to live near the station
gave me more than most of the other boys.
"Well, my temper hadn't cooled on the
return one bit. No, got worse-a good
deal worse. I'd thought Of how hard I'd
worked an the things I'd done to make
Molly's life comfortable an the ways I'd
tried to help her. But didn't think o.
the way she'd worked for me an tried to
help an encour'ge me. No, wasn't on
that tack just then. An ! thought more an
more o. her temper an her always waggin
tongue, an got so far as to think if 1t
wasn't for the young un it'd be best to
make n misstep some night like this-in
the dark like this.
"Just then the whistle came for down
brakes an as l leaned over l saw the
draw was open, an Tor a minute
thought how easy it'd be to drop down
an have it ell over in an instant-if IL
wasn't for the baby. When we started
again, i got down on the step an leaned
out just In kind o. curious way. new
er knew how it happened, but my feet
slipped, an there l was clingin by one
hand an the train gettin along faster every
moment.
''Over the draw, over the bridge an
thinkin was goin to drop till / managed
to get my other hand up an hold on with
all my life's strength, doublin my feet un-
der till thought they'd snap off with the
tryin to keep 'em up from the rails. You
see, / couldn't touch anything to steady
'em, an couldn't pull myself up. just
hung there till IL seemed as II l must let
go.
'Then of a suddenT seemed to see Molly
an the baby left all alone. l saw Molly
with her tired body an achin heart a-takin
care o. the little one, an always remem-
b'rin those last cruel words o. mine, an
a-blamin herself for her last words to me.
tell you'll can't don't dare to think
over again all the thoughts l had as
clung there between life-the little hold /
had on life-an the death 30 near il let
go. For there was no stoppin till we
reached the ferry an no chance o. bein
discovered. Once or twice the conductor
or some one came through an Thought /
called, but my voice wasn't whisper.
All my strength was Just In my hands. If
ever livin man can seem to feel as If
heaven was near, / did when the whirrin
o. the brakes an the clankin o. the rails
showed we was gettin In. Then o. course
1t was all right. One Of the boys got off
to help the passengers just in time to catch
me as dropped.
al didn't know anythin more till found
myself in the office a-lyin on the bench,
with Molly-at that time o. night-a-hold-
In my hand an cryin.
"'Oh, jack she whispered, ARE you
better, deari Oh, thought you'd left me
for goodl couldn't rest, an / left the
baby next door an come down to wait for
your train. WANTED to say was sorry.
Oh, Jack, forgive me for my cruel tongue,
an I'll try to mind 1t more
"'Stop there, my girl whispered.
found / was terrible weak, an the tears
came in my eyes. Forgive me, too was
all could say.
"But right there before all the boys-an
some o. 'em a-grinnin-1 drew my wife
down to me an kissed her. Minnie G.
Ill T. y n