Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-09-22

vi one tll1llS MISS NODlcS was moral
ly certain: if ever a poor girl felt like
Hagar in the wilderness with IShmacl
she was that poor girl. What barron
waste surrounded her! A level stretch
of sparcely cultivated, through which
dusty highway ran, like yellow
ribbon lnravclling into thread. until
it twisted around the hills in the far
distance. But there was the station
Il little brown box like Il NOahS ark.
Doubtless it had Il master. and per-
haps. like Noah, he would know Il
thing or two about coming in and out
of the wet.
With some such agonzing clutch
after the straw of the joke. Miss
Mobiles strove to keep her head above
the waters of the panic as she ad-
vanccd. Yes, there was man. lean
ing against the doorpost. and cying
her from under ragged straw hat:
Il tall, gaunt. cadaverous man. whose
the south by dirty boots and on the
north by dirtier shirt. His mouth was
a crescent, Jagged with fangs. which
the faded whisker dripping from his
chin seemed particularly to continue
me-" began Miss Mobiles
"Glang! Be off, interrupted the
man with gyrating hand. "lf so be
| hadn't to flag the noon train I'd
gev' yer in charge, that l would.
Glang. nOw!"
But won't you inform me where 1
am:' pleaded Miss Mobiles. feeling
more helpless than the baby.
Inform nauthin'. Don't make no
difference where you am, yer'H be in
the lookup in a jiffy eff yer don't make
tracks. Didn't l seed yer at that
identical winder a-heavin' out of the
babby? Glang now. you trollop."
Miss Mobiles hurried down the dusty
road with the crying child in her
arms. The sun beat heavily on her
head. the sand clung tenaciouSly to
her feet and they seemed the forces
of outraged authority. From the mea
dowS came the twittcr of birds. out
from the cloudless sky waited a faint
breeze. but neither the voice
nor the touch of nature comfortcd her.
She waS shocked, she was overwhelm-
ed. The world was not that world
ready with sympathy, with compass
sion which she had imagined. She
herself was not that proud young god
deSS advancing. fancy free. into ever
widening viStas of noble deeds. Alas!
she was rather some poor lost crca-
ture. trudging through the by-wayS of
life. ovcrburdcned with shame.
Meanwhile Il youthful attempt at
similarity had approached the station
agent. 1t was the telegraph operator.
1t,,f nl. ,,r
the line" said the master.
The operator tapped the key and
listened to the responsive clicks
'Sho!' he exclaimed. "Here'S doings!
IInworth'S nuss gal has gone clean off
her base and sloped with his kid. Jim
IEaworth, of Zabina, you know. mil
lionnirc in ilc."
"Slopcd? Whar? What direction?"
"Iow kin tell? She took the local
this A. NJ"
81 knowed it," cried the agent. slap
ping his thigh. "She went around the
bend not ten minutes sence. craZicr'n
Il loon. by gum! She throwrd the
child ont of the window and then lcpt
arter. like a partridge. Thar be Il
reward. l reckon"
"Satin."
Dom the noon train for bclatcd
nuisance. But go. Jim. and seize her,
and We'll whack up equal"
Likely she's dangerous" hcsitated
the operator.
Il should say so; you jest orter see
her eyes, the size of SaSSers. But
tlar's 81 and Reuben down the swamp
and the Granger boys and the dea-
cons folks. They're bound to lend Il
hclpin' hand for the public welfare
and twill be rare sport for the lads
G'whn. now!' and Jim. taking Il rusty
mHSkct from the wall. went. again
and anon looking behind him.
Miss Mobiles rested in the shade
against ii sheer ascent that cut off the
brow of the hill. Above her over
hanging boughs and bushes formed a
canopy. At her feet the descent vas
very gradual. revealing clearing Of
considerable extent. which the dark
wood line bordered into an amplli-
theatre. She was resting. for she
could go no further. and why. indeed,
had she come so far? Were reason
and Self-poSScSsiOn so fragile that the
first emergency of life could thus shat
ter them? oh! how ashamed she was,
had been so fierce. so uncOuth. his
very voice had seemed IL profanation
And then the change wrought by her
impulse had been so complete; one
instant. and from the security of Il
definite position of wealth and COM
prehcnsion she had plunged into utter
ignorance and dcStitutiOn. And vet
she did not regret her mad DASH that
dear little child. sleeping so peacefully
on her lap. doubtless had fond
mother distracted from its loss.
If she could restore it to those long
ing arms. would she not have achiev-
cd Il deed noble for Il mortal. since it
was Il duty of the angels? All. yes,
in Il little while she would be sensible
and provident, she would seek out
some kind person and tell her story
and be advised. In the meantime. she
was footSorc, and oh! so weary. The
sunshine was pleasant. and the rocks
at her back reflected its warmth. There
was something consoling, after ALL in
the voice and touch of nature They
brought the balm of dropping lids and
tranquil thoughts. AS peacefully as
that little child, so, too, did Miss
Mobiles sleep.
On the brow of the hill there stood
n man. young, athletic, well-madc. re-
vcaling in every lineamcnt of his face
ana movement of his form the signs
of wcll-controlled power. Across his
shoulders was strapped wallet. in
his hand was that little hammer that
taps so intelligently for geologistS: but
now his attention was not cOnccntrat-
cd on the wealth of specimens around
him. 1t was fixed on the valley below