The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-07-10
POLLY AND /

the cold station until the way train
could call for her. And when had
left her safe in charge of ner aunt ]
saw by the old kitchen time piece that
it was ten o'clock.
"Polly will think I have slipped
back into the slough Of despond,"
said to myself, with half smile; "but
I'll give her an agreeable surprise -
Flowing down amid the snowdrift
through grove OF pine trees that
edged ravine at the back of my house,
1 sprang lightly on the door step; the
door was shut and looked. I went
around to the front. Here effected
al entrance, but the fire was dying on
tho hearth, and little BERTHE, tucked
up in his crit, called out:
"Papa, is that you?"
where Is mamma, my son" I
asked, looking eagerly around at the
desolate room.
"Gone out with tho baby in her
arms to look for you, he said. "Didn't
You meet her papa"
l stood minute in silence.
'Lie still, Bertie," said 1, in q voice
that sounded strange and husky even
to myself. II will 60 and bring her
back"
And I thought with dismay of tbe
binding snowstorm outside, the
treacherous gorges which lay between
there and the White Blackbird, the
trackless woods, through which it was
difficult enough to find ones way even
in the sunshine of MONDAY, and
worst of all-the lonely track across
which an "express" shot like meteor
few minutes before midnight. Oh.
heaven! what possible doom might
not have brought upon myself by the
wretched passion in which had gone
away that morning.
The town clock, sounding dim and
muffled through the storm, struck
eleven as hurried down the hill.
Eleven-and who knew what q length
of time might elapse before could
find her? And like q fiery phantasma-
goria before my minds eye, beheld
the wild rush of the midnight express,
and dreaded, I knew not what. For
oil that could realize was that the
storm was growing tiercer with every
moment, and Polly and the baby were
out in its fury!
AS steadily as could I worked my
way down the track, but more than
once l became bewildered and had to
stop and recollect before I could re-.
sumo my quest. And at length came
out by an open wood and water station
on the edge of track, I knew that I
was full half mile below the White
Blackbird.
And in the distance I heard the long,
shrill shrek of the midnight train.
Some one else had heard it, too, for
as 1 stood thus I saw, family visible
through the binding snow, shadcwy
figure issue from the ruined shed end
come out upon the track looking with
bewildered uncertain air up and
down-the form of Polly, my wife,
with the little baby in her armsi
hurried down to her a. fact as the
rapidly.increasing snow drifts would
let me. but it was only just in time to
drag her from the place of peril, and
stand, breathlessly, holding her back,
while the fiery-eyed monster of steam
swept by with rush and rattle that
nearly took away my breath.
"Pollyl" cried. ''Polly. speak to
mel"
She tdrned her wandering gaze to-
ward me, with her vague eyes that
seemed scarcely to recognize me.
| "Have you seen my husband?" said
she; zone jacob Cotterel, brakeman
on the local e1press?"
"Polly. little womanI don't you
know me?" gasped.
"And thought, perhaps" she cd
ded. vacantly, "you might have met
him. It's very cold here, and
and"
And then she tainted in my arms.
| The long, long brain fever that fol-
lowed was sort of death. There was
q time when they told mo she would
never know me again /; but, thank God (!
she did. She recovered at last. And
since that night have never tasted
drop Of liquor, and, please heaven, 1
never will again. The baby-bless its
dear little heart wasn't harmed at
all. 1t lay snug and warm on it's
mothers breast all the while. But if
hadn't happened to be close by them
at that instant the night express
would have ground them into pow
der.
And the white stripe came into my
hair on the night of that fearful snow.
L