The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-05-01


rant wanderings of lost box OF
mine
Mr.. Smith looked at me with sur
prise.
Mrs. Fraser meet her husband,
ma ami Why, she's been widow
these 35 years -
"But she was coming to the sta
tion all in hurry today to meet her
husband, she said, / exclaimed.
"Ah, that's how it is, poor lady,"
said Mr.. Smith, shaking his head.
Il forgot, ma am, you're stranger
in these parts and don't know the
story. It's over 35 years agone that
Mr.. and Mrs. Fraser came down to
live here, a young married couple,
and wonderfully devoted to each
other they was, all folks say. 1t was
quite a vexation when Mr.. Fraser
had to go to London for few weeks
about some law business-he had
had little property left to him
! and the doctor here forbid Mrs Fra
ser, who was keeping quiet just
then, travelling with him. You re-
member the railway accident at
-" mentioning one of the most
terrible fatalities of the last half
century of railway annals, We'll
Mr.. Fraser was in that crash and
was killed on the spot. And, by a
most unlucly accident, the poor la
dy, who was come to the station all
eagerness to meet her husband,
heard the dreadful news all of a
sudden, and Mr.. Fraser's name, he
being well known in these parts. |
was a boy at the time, but I've Of
ten heard father, who was station
master here then, say that he never
to the end of his life should forget
the look on that poor creature S
face, nor the awful scream she gave
when some laundering fool jumped
out of the train which had come in
at last, some two hours late, and
bawled out, There's been the most
awful accident at -, and our Mr
Fraser is among the killed
II wonder the shock did not kill
her outright, l said.
SO 1t nigh did. The poor little baby,
as never drew breath, was born
that night, and no one ever thought
that the mother would be long here.
But the doctors pulled her through
somehow as regards her body, but
her mind was altogether gone for q
long while. She was took away for
years, poor soul, and the little
house shut up. But after a time she
came back here with her maid, Sa-
rah, who'd stuck faithful to her all
through, and the doctors said Mrs.
Fraser was cured, leastways they d
done all they could for her. 1t was
what they called an experiment
bringing her back to her old home,
but 1T answered, for they say the
poor lady grew sight more quiet
and rationallike after she was back
in her old home.
"She has always appeared per-
fectly rational whenever | spoke to
her, ! remarked
Aye, SO she is to talk to. But it's
a curious thing, ma am, and perhaps
Il merciful one, too, that the poor
lady has clean forgot all that hap
pened after her husband left her.
She doesn't understand that she's "A
widow, she doesn't count how the
years have gone by, she believes
she's still young wife of five and
twenty, preparing for the little ba-
by that's soon to arrive, and that
her husbands only away for day
or two. Sarah manages to keep her
quiet and happy just like child
There's only one day in the year
that she grows restless, and that's
today-the day of the accident.
Somehow she always seems to re-
member today and will come to the
station to meet her husband.
They'v found it best to humor her
in this. Sarah coaxes her home aft
er the train comes in and quiets her,
and by tomorrow she'll have in a
way forgot and be only looking for
ward in general sort of style to
her husbands return. They say she
keeps his room and all his things
ready, just as he left them all those
years ago.
1t was a piteous little story, and
my companion and were silent on
our drive home. How little any of
US fathom the tragedies which may
have occurred in our neighbors'
livesl
AS / walked up my garden | saw
Mrs. Fraser seated at her window
busy with some sewing. The tears
were gone from her eyes, and her
countenance had resumed its won't
ed serenity of expression She look
ed up as passed and nodded with a
bright smile.
Edward will be here tomorrow,
Sarah says" she remarked, "and
you see | have some work-pleasant
work-to keep me quiet while l am
alone" and she held up the mate
rials ON which she was engaged.
: turned away, sick at heart. The
old lady's fingers were busy with an
infants shirt. the dainty cambric