The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-29
SIDE TRACKED.

"Moll. poor littlo Molll It's awful hard
to lilo here day in and day out, isn't it!
Mover mind, when buy out the road you
Gun havo your own private car to 70 where
you pleased" Ho ran his hand along the
rusty old lounge upon which lay tho poor
little cripple and they both laughed rath-
er pathetically over tho idea Of his eyor
buying out tho road, when no could scarce
ly keep himself and the little woman from
starvation.
Jack Bunting was strong, sturdy, iron
musolcd son of toll, tender hearted rs q
woman. His hands were rough and black
ened with labor, but rs gcntlo and kind
Us II mothers In tho caro- Of tho wife de-
pendent upon him. He was stokcr on n
freight train running out of Lewiston and
was compelled by his duties to DO much
away from the woman whose protector he
had been for IL little over year.
Tho first year of their married life had
not been lucky one, for Jack had boon
out Of work great part of tho time, and
whom thoy had been married but few
months Molly, the girl wife, had received
injuries in fall which made her q help
less cripple, and day after day she 10y upon
her back watching the little streak Of sun
light creep slowly up the wall and across
the evening. She had grown to know 1t
SO we'll that sho could toll tho timo of day
by its position, but somo time it grew
very, worry tiresomo watching it move, oh,
so slowly, down and outl
That's tho way I'm going!" she said
one day to Jack. "Just so slowly and
easily you will hardly notice 1t, but some
day you will come to look for Molly and
find hor Goncr'
Poor jack bowed his head ON her broast
and wept bitter tears, for he know it was
true. He knew she might be saved; but
alas, he mado barely enough to feed them
Tho money which might pay tho great
specialist to save his little vito was lying
in the heapcd up Golfers of some multimil-
lionaire, and though poor Jack loved his
wife ns we'll, aye, evon better, than many
OF his luckier fellow men loved their wives
he must stand by and sec her suffer and
sink and die because, though no wear his
fingers to tho bono battling for her daily
bread, he cannot earn enough to provide
the means to save her life.
1t Is hard, God knows that 1t is hard.
that here In our dear country, which wo
lOvo to call "tho land of tho Free" human
hearts and human lives are placed at so
low value that ono man may buy anoth-
er for moro pittanoo and work him until
nc drops dead in his tracks like q weary
pack horse.
Some thirty odd years ago our country
was thrown into tho awful throes Of i. war
for tho adjustment of slavery, but today
she Is in the bondage of Il slavery ten thou
sand times worse, for in those days the
slaves were we'll fed, clothed and housed
and tho objects of thoir masters oare and
love, but the white slave of todny-tho
poor man who wears his life out laboring
to I'LL tho Golfers Of tho rich-rcceivcs in
return barely enough to buy him crust
OF bread to keep body and soul together
If ho refuse. his alternative Is to starve
and to SEQ wife and children cast into the
street like rats to die.
Jack" Molly said, sit wouldn't BIO so
hard If you weren't gono so much lie
hero and think of you so far away and
think OF what might happen, and my
honrt grows cold with fear until you re-
turn"
Poor little woman!" no replied. "You
are nervous. You mustn't think of those
things. Old as never had an accident,
and guess tho worst that is likoy to hap
pen Is to DO side tracked in some lonesome
place for few hours while the express
passes by, and that doesn't happen often.
You know we run pretty close, and sell
dom havo to wait long at siding"
Yes, jack, you run close, ns you coll
1t, but some day you may run little too
'closcP Such things aro happening every
day. Well, I'll try not to think" Molly
said. You'll DO back soon, won't youp''
Sho invariably asked that question, and
Jack rs invariably answered yes"
1--WE come in Wednesday night, and
nothing but death can keep mo from you,
dear'
Sho lifted hor thin, transparent hands
and clasped them around his neck.
Don't, Jack-don't speak of dcathI"
There, Gear, don't mind it'll loye Won
so much cannot help saying those things
| sometimes"
She smiled q pathetic little smile through
her tears and lifted hor lips for his kiss.
| as Jack went away from tho door he
brushed something from his ohoek that
looked suspiciously like toar
| God bless hor! 1 reckon she would
starvo for sure If anything was to happen
to mo, but there, I'm fool Nothing's
| going to happen. 1 don't know what's
| got into mo that feel SO babyish and blue
sho won't get any now!''
| He jumped aboard tho cngino and SHOW.
elod in tho uoal rs il preparing for a race
Ho was obliged to do something to keer
the tears from coming at tho thought O,
tho little wife Mt home, so frail and holp
| less.
Tho train was u heavy one, and thoy
pulled slowly out of tho station with
many crcak and groan, but ut last thoy
were we'll on their way at q good speed
and night was fast settling over tho greal
limo.
| On they rushed through the twilight,
past undulating fields of corn Haunting Its
| proud, curling tassels in the breeze, ovel
| Itreams that Rurgled and sang In tho tWI