Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-05-27

puDtit rCuDHi IL DuChStttt Hdu iutln1dt-
ed that Mary's Bohemian wanderings
were a scandal IN the county. She was
growing Up IN ignorance. q dreadful ig-
norance Of everything int The chivalry,
the deep tenderness. the deiicacy and
unselfshBess Of the rude men around
her and obIiviousbesa of faith in any
thing but the unreasonable bounty of
nature toward her and her children. OF
course there was a fierce discussion be-
tween the boys Of the road and the
few married families of the settlement
on this point, but of course progress and
''sniveIization"-as the boys chose to
call it-trinmphed. The projection Of
a railroad settled it. Robert Foulkes,
promoted to a firemanship ON a division
Of the line, was made TO understand
that his daughter must be educated.
But the terrible question Of Mays fam
lily remained, No school would open its
doors to that Heterogeneous collection,
and Mary's little heart would have
broken over the rude disposal or heroic
burning of her children. The ingenuity
Of Jack Roper suggested a compromise.
She was allowed TO select one to take to
school with her the others were adopt
ed by certain of her friends, and she
was to be permitted to visit them every
Saturday afternoon. The selection was
a cruel trial, so cruel that, knowing her
undoubted preference for her f%irstborn,
Misery, we would not have interfered
for worlds, but in her unexpected choice
Of Johnny Dear the most unworldly of
us knew that it was the first glimmer-
ing Of feminine tact, her first submits
sion to the world of propriety that she
was now entering. Johnny Dear was
undoubtedly the most presenta5le; even
more. there was an educational sugges-
ton in its prominent, mapped out
chronological organs. The adopted ia
theirs were loyal to their trust. Indeed
for years afterward the blacksmith kept
the iron headed Misery on a rude shelf,
like a shrine near his bunk. Nobody but
himself and Meary ever knew the Sc
cret, stolen and thrilling interviews
that took place during the first days OF
their separation.
Certain facts, however, transpired
concerning Mary's equal faithfulness
III dHOIutI VI HfI GuliiItus ~ 4 , H0lG
that one Saturday afternoon when the
road manager of the new line was seat
ed in his Office at Reno in private bust
ness discussion with two directors a
gentle tap was heard at the door. 1t
was opened to an eager little face, a
pair of blue eyes and a blue pinafore.
70 the establishment of the directors a
change came over the face of the man
ager. Taking the child gently by the
hand, he walked to his desk, on which
the papers of the new line were scatter
ed, and drew open a drawer, from which
he took a large ninepin extraordinarily
dressed as a doll. The establishment of
the two gentlemen was increased at the
following quaint colloquy between the
manager and the child:
She's doing remarkably well in
spite of the trying weather, but | have
had to keep her very quiet, said the
manager, regarding the ninepin critic
ally.
"Ess," said Mary quickly. Its just
the same with Johnny Dear. His cough
is f'ightful at night. But Misery's all
right, I've just been to see her.
""There's a good deal of scarlet fever
around, " continued the manager with
quiet concern, land we can't be too
careful. ButI shall take her for a little
run down the line tomorrow"
The eyes If Mary sparkled and over
flowed Ike llue water. Then there was
a kiss, q little laugh, a shy glance at
the two tCIiGGs strangers, the blue pin
afoYa fuIte.Gd away and the colloquy
ended. she was equally attentive in
her care of the others, but the rag baby,
Gloriana, who had found a home in
Jim Carter's cabin at the Ridge, living
too far for her visits, was brought down
regularly On Saturday afternoon to
Mary's house by jim, tucked in asleep
in his saddlebags or riding CALAMITY
before him on the horn of his saddle.
On Sunday there was a dress parade Of
all the dolls, which kept Mary in heart
for the next weeks desolation.
But there came II Saturday and Sun
day when Mary did not appear, and it
was known along the road that she had
been called to San Francisco to meet al
aunt who had just arrived from "the
OldtcS. ~ WAS q NhCHAb Puuday w
''the boys, " a very hollow, unsanctified
Sunday somehow, without that little
figure. But the next Sunday and the
next were still worse, and then it was
known that the dreadful aunt was max
ing much of Mary and was sending her
to a grand school-a convent at Santa
Clara-where it was rumored girls were
turned ont so accomplished that their
own parents did not know them. But
we knew that was impossible TO our
Mary, and a letter which came from her
at the end of the month and before he
convent had closed upon the blue pima
fore satisfied us and was balm to our
anxious hearts. 1t was characteristic of
Mary-it was addressed to nobody in
partioular-and would but for the pru-
dence of the aunt have been i~ntrusted to
the postoffice open and undirected. 1t