The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-09-14
miscellaneous.
LITTLE KATE AND !.

miscellaneous.
LITTLE KATE AND !.
We did't wait for an income to mar
| ry ON, little Kate and l. We had no
rich relations to leave legacies, or to
send pearl necklaces, diamond orna-
ments, or thousand dollar bonds for
wedding presents. was brakeman
on the Eastern Michigan railway, a
long and lonely stretch of rails over
desolate marshes, steep mountain
grades, and solitary sweeps of prairie
land she was the bright-eyed wait
ress in one of the restaurants along
the line. But when l fell from the
platform when the great accident hap
pened-you've heard of the great &C
cident, l suppose, when there was such
shocking loss of life-it was Kate's
care and nothing else that brought
Inc back into the world had SO near
ly quilted for good and all.
II would have done it for anybody,
Mark" said she, when tried to thank
her.
Would you? % said l. But it is
not everybody that would have done
it for Inc, Kate %
So asked her to marry me, and she
said yes. And l took q little cottage
on the edge of the Swampscot woods,
and furnished it as we'll as | could,
with red carpet, cheese cloth curtains
at the windows, a real Connecticut
clock, and d set of walnut chairs that
| made myself, with seats of rushes,
nicely woven in by old Billy, the In
dian, who carried his baskets and mats
around the country, and Mrs. Perkins,
| the parsons wife, made us a wedding
| cake. and so we married. Pretty soon
| found out that Kate was pining a
little.
What is it, sweetheart p said l.
Remember it was a contract between
us that we were to have no secrets
from each other? Are you not per-
fectly happy?"
"Oh, yes, yes!n' cried Kate, hiding
her face on my shoulder. But it's
my mother, Mark. She's getting old,
and if l could only go East to see her,
| Just once before the Lord takes her
away
1t was then that felt the sting of
our poverty more. If only had been
rich man to have handed her out
check and said, $50 at once ~
think l could have been quite happy.
Never mind, sweetheart said /,
stroking down her hair. "We'll lay
up few dollars from month to month,
and you'll go out and see her before
she dies
And with that little Kate was forced
to be content. But there was a hun
| cry, homesick look upon her face
! which went to my heart to see.
IF | was rich ~ | kept saying to
myself. ''Oh, If l was only rich %
One stormy autumn night we were
belated ON the road, for the wind was
| terrible, shaking the century old oaks
and pines as if they were nothing more
than tall swamp grasses; and driving
| through the ravines with a shrek and
howl like pack of hungry wolves
| And the heavy rains had raised
| the streams so we were compelled to
go carefully and keep a long look
ahead for fear of accidents.
was standing at my post, in front
of the second passenger car, stamping
| my feet on the platform to keep them
warm, and hoping little Kate would
not be disturbed at my prolonged alb
sence, when the news agent came
chuckling out:
We're to stop at Stumpville sta
tion," said he.
Nonsense" said l, 81 know better
This train never stops short of Wau
kesha City, least of all when we are
running to make lost time, as we are
| tonight.
''Oh, this is an exceptional OCCASION
said Johnny Mills (Which was the
| news agents nancy We're going to
put an old woman off. She has lost
her ticket, she says. More likely she
never had one. Goes on as though
she'd had her pockets picked"
Its most pity, isn't it, TO put
one off to-night?' said l. Least of
all at such a lonely place as Stump
vile station, where there are only two
houses and blacksmith shop"
Yes. know" said Mills, adjusting
| the newspapers that he carried in a
rubber case under his arm. But the
superintendent OF the road has got out
a new set of instructions, and he's that
particular that Jones would not dare
| overlook q case like this. There's been
SO many confidence games played on
the road lately"
(which is the one - said |, turning
to look at the end window of the car
which was at the rear.
Don't you see a.? The old party at
the back of the fat women in the red
shawls. She's haranguing Jones
| now"
Il see,'' said 1. 1t was little old
woman in black silk bonnet, re-
spectacle cloth cloak, bordered with
ancient fur, and long green veil, who
was earnestly talking and gesticulat-
ing with the conductor. But he shook
| his head and passed on and she sank
back in a helpless little heap behind
| the green veil, and l could see her
take a small handkerchief from a
small basket and put it piteously to
her eyes.
Its too bad" said I. Zones
might remember that he once had-if
he hasn't got now a mother of his
own
And lose his place on the road
said Mills. mo, no, old fellow, and
that sort of thing does very we'll to
talk about, but it doesn't work in real
life."
So he went into the next car, and
! the signal to slack up came presently.
| turned to Mr.. Jones, the conductor,
who just then stepped out on the plat
FORM
us it for the old lady ?' said l. He
answered, Yes" Said l, How far
did she want to go?'' ITO Swamp
scot" said he.
You needn't stop, Mr.. Jones" said
|, "I'll pay her fare"
'You ~ he echoed.
Eyes, 1" said I. "I'll take her to my
house, until she can telegraph to her
friends for something. My wife will
be good to her, know, for the sake of
her own old mother down East !"
Just as you please, said Mr.. Jones.
"But when you've been on the road as
long as l have, you'll find that sort of
thing doesn't answer
81 hope shall never be on the road
too long to forget my Christian char
ity," answered a little nettled. And
l took out my worn pocketbook and
passed over the money.
We did not stop at Stumpville sta
ton after all, but put on steam and ran
as fast as it was safe to run our engine
and when little past midnight, we
reached Swampscot, where we We're
due at 7.30. Pierre Rene, the French
| ri IN ralinua