Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-09-16
THE CROKEN BRIDGE.

; oil. raw otHtu anu eudcldIeO
with fixed resolve stamped upOl
features that had doubtless beer
pleasant and attractive in earl!
life, Aunt Matty hustled energet
/ icallS about her kitchen, aud spok,
sharply 10 the girl helping her,
1T amt him That I'm disliklng,
she said. Il dom; know anything
against him; he's likely enOngt
c1ap. Bat IT'S the railroad be't
working for. | won't have nothing
to DO with anybody that works tol
that soulless corporation. Didn't
they NIL YOUR father, I'd like ~
know. Hetty WiSOl, p'or Mat
thew, he was wulh his weight in
gold to me- and what did we gel
for theug Nothlug-absOlute!y
nothing. No; lOn shOuldn't bt
a falling in love with any body on
that road
But, Aunty, Wilson has to make
lying, protested Hetty, with a
flush Ou her cheeks and a bright
sparkle in Der ewes. He wouldn't
ask me 10 marry him If he didn't
have a good position
1T don't make no difference IN
terrnp'ed toe elder woman abrupt
ly. Tell him to get out of that
company, and then be caH come
here aud marry you. But so longs
he's part and parcel of that road
be slu't coming to my house.
'N by AuulI, don't be unreasOn.
able
Don't talk that way. I amt
moIe unreasonable than that rail-
road company. They killed youl
father when be was working for
them,and they killed poor Matthew
when he was in the prime of life.
Didn't l ask them polite enough TO
give ne new GOTse-uOt that any
one cou'd take poor Matthews
place-and didn't they refuse,
telling ue to my face that it was
my fsult3 Could l help being deaf
IN one ear, and poor Matthew
blind In one eye, I'd like to know
No. faltered the girl, but !
don't see what that has to do with
Wilson; he's only conductor on
the road; and 1t wasn't his tram
that ran over Matthew
'Humpb! No, of course not,'
sDlfled the woman, 'but WASN'T Il;
one oftbe trains Of that company,
and amt be working for them
aud won't he one day XII some
other poor wOmans hOrseY
Il hope Lotj IIetty answered
with a dubious expression on bel
face.
Then, with more ANIMATION, she
asked:
Did You apply regularly for
damages, Aunty, alter Matthew
was kllIeoT
Did u l should think | did.
Then they refused me, aud tried
to force them. | gave them all the
trouble l could. used TO grease
tue tracks on the grade above
Pembroke Ontil they couldn't move
the train a foot until ;hey had
sanded it. Then Ia run Out at
night with torch and stop the eD
press, and tell the conductor to
tell the superintendent to pay NE
for my horse. This made 'em so
mad that they threatened to arrest
me. Bat told 'em I must have
damages for my Matthew. Then
they laughed at me, and called me
a crazy woman, Bu: | amt crazy
and never will be-
The woman gave a harsh laugh
that revealed G impse Of a past
life of suffering. disappointment
and grim determination that made
Heity stop and think.
The following Sunday when Will
son Seymour came down from
Pembroke TO see her she spoke to
him at an oppoltuue moment
a DO Matthew.
Can't something be done to Col.
lect damages for his desth9' she
asked inuOcently.
Why, bless YOU, my dear, the
old horse was killed ten years ago.,
he replied, laughing. He wasn't
worth $40, and the company wasn't
responsible for his DEATH
But Aunt Matty says that it
war; Hetty answered, wishing to
present her aunt's side Of the quez
tion, land III believe her quicker
than | would the cOmpanl.'
or course Youraunt believes if,
aud probably she had some good
reason. But 1t happened so long