The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-05-25

In three or four years a letter came To
grandmother from Uncle Tom. written from
Maine, saying that his wife had died and |
that he was very i'll himself and didn't ex |
pect to live long, and that he had two little |
boys whom he had called Tom and Abiiah. |
after himself and grandfather. and that |
they'd have to go to the poorhouse If some |
thing wasn't done for them soon, and would !
grandmother tell grandfather how matters
stood, and how Uncle Tom repented of what |
he had done.
Grandmother actually didn't dare to tell |
grandfather, though her heart ached for her
boy, so she copied 1t all down and sent II TO
him anonymously. He was angry as could
be, and cursed Uncle Toms wife for bring
ingthe name of Stackpole to the poorhouse.
and Uncle Tom for being not only bad, but
weak-spirited.
~ disowned him when sent him from
the house, he said, "and his children and
he may die in the poorhouse before I'll raise
q finger to help them" /
In about a week she saw in the newspaper
the account of man found dead, and his
name, Thomas Stackpole, was found in his
pockets.
Grandmother plucked up courage, and
pleaded to have the children brought home.
but grandfather wouldn't listen to her and
forbade anyones mentioning the subject to
him again.
He seems to grow worse as time goes on,
80 when you spoke of your knowing two
boys named Stackpole In the poorhouse he
began to hate you, and he's hated you ever
since. That's the only reason he has for not
letting us marry.
exclaimed when you told me their names
because knew had somewhere two ,cou-
sins, Tom and Bile, but 1 didn't know then
all the story as 1 have told It to you.
Sam, dear, grandfather is going to send me
to boarding school right away, so can't see
you.
Then came some tender words
from the dear little girls loving heart,
and decided that something must be
done, and that at once.
The next day that 1 was in town
received note from Molly telling nue.
the particulars. She was to go to a
boarding school, 100 miles away, the
next day on the 5 o'clock train, and
her grandfather was to go with her.
I had been thinking all night over
a plan, and resolved to put it into
execution, for as to Molly's going away
SO far from me, it was utterly out OF
the question.
First I wrote long letter to Molly,
describing the whole plan and giving
her minute directions as to her part
in it. This dispatched by a messen-
ger whom 1 could trust, with direc-
tions to give it to Molly herself.
Then travelled all over town to get
leave of absence for the next day.
was going to take the day off anyway,
but thought I'd rather get it hon
estly if could.
got permission for Joe Mcdonald
to run his engine on my train and that
suited me-; I needed locomotive in
carrying out my plan and of course
knew my own best.
The rest of the night spent in some
necessary carpenter work.
A long day the next was. I obtained
marriage license, and with that in
my pocket I felt that could defy any
cross grained grandfather.
Early in the afternoon I got up
steam in forty-seven, and it seemed
as if the minutes were hours until 6
o'clock. I'd had to tell the scheme to
my freman-Pd got leave for hin
too.
I was getting pretty nervous when
we started out little before o'clock
We ran slowly up the road, anC
then got on to side track that ex
tends alongside the main road abou
ten miles and was just then free from
cars, luckily.
At last we heard the rumble of the
express in the distance. Then Ipullet
the throttle and we began to make
good speed, so that our gait jus
equaled that of the express, and W,
ran side by side, first, second, thirC
car.
That was the one I had told Moll,
to be in, and on the farther side, s,
that her grandfather should not Sc,
my engine.
| We fell back little and ran ever
with the rear platform of the car
, Would she have the courage to do it
, Such slight little thing as she was
and it would need such pluck.
= Could she escape the old mans vigi
lance?
Yes; there she was on the platform
Z Quick now. There was the result O.
) my nights carpenter work-a planl
long enough to reach from the cab o
my locomotive to the platform of tn,
1 car, provided with rail, SO that tn
perlious walk might be made as SAT
as possible.
It was fitted in place and she steppe,
D. upon it bravely, though her cheek
d were deathly pale.
1 How anxiously I watched every steI
n keeping one hand on the throttle le'
~ elonlvnN