The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-11-27
A WELCOME CYCLONE.
HELEN M. WINSLOW.


catch me in his arms and fold me
close TO him. And l. now that my ill
temper had been given rein, thought
only of the curt refusal he had given
TO my request not remembering how
quickly he had softened to me when
| showed him that / was hurt.
After a little | took his coat and
sat down to mend it. Something fell
out of the inside pocket-a letter.
picked it up. 1t was woman's hand
writing. and not mine!
Something whispered:
at is not yours. Put it back. Trust
him. and he will tell you about it in
good time"
Something else whispered:
Read it, If he is false to you, you
want to know 1.-THE sooner the bet
ter"
tore it wildly open and read:
my Darling Tom-How glad 1 am
to say l can see you again. Meet me
at Goff's Station, on the 26th, at the
go train. know you will be as glad
to see me as l to see you, dear boy!
Until then, am your loving
TEENIE."
was struck dumb. Something
seemed to be choking me, to be grip
ping my very heart. l thought I was
going TO die then and there.
''Teenie" l had never heard of her.
Whom was this woman whom Tom
was going to meet? And why had he
not told me? Oh! 1 saw it all. 1
knew why | must not go to the station
with him. To-day was the Goth. To-
night he was TO meet "Teenie." Very
well. He should have his house in
| which to receive her then
| verify believe / was insane as /
rose and made preparations to leave
the little house which for two years
had been paradise to me. Tom had
two hundred dollars i'm one of our bu-
reau drawers-money 1 had helped
him TO save ny Close and pinchng
economy that summer, towards paying
the only note that he had out against
him. took the money and hid it in
my bosom. Then | wrote n note and
left il on the table--precisely as other
women have done when about to
wreck their happiness in a fit of jeal-
Gus anger.
Dear Tom" q said)-"There isn't
room in so small a house for YOU and
me-and Tecnie.' | have taken the
money to 80 home with, but will send
II back to YOU as soon as / get there"
That was all. Not even a good-by,
was so angry.
Then | started OH foot | could take
train at six o'clock. precisely. for the
East 1t was now three o'clock. and
the distance was seven miles. ! was
q good walker i'm those days. and
could, | thought, easily make IT, Oh,
how miserable l was as / pIoddcd
along that hard. dusty road How old
and worn | felt and how anxious to
get to my mother, where l could die
i'm peace!
Only once did it occur to me that
| Tom would come I'm, by ana by. from
his work. and find my note; that he
might be in despair; that his heart
would be broken, and he would hurry
after me to bring me back But.
| pshaw! This was foolishness. told
myself He would be glad to 90 and
meet his "Teenie" and have her TO
/ himself. How I could have been so
| wicked + cannot understand. MY good
| and noble Toni / am sure / was tenn
porarily insane
! The sun grew very hot. ana found
/ it much harder to walk that seven
miles than / had anticipated. But
! would not give up. II was probably
about five o'clock. ana had some two
miles to go. when, looking up. / saw
n terribly black cloud coming straight
towards me from the west. Cyclones
were not common I'm those days. and
! did not know what IL meant: but
was frightened. nevertheless. and
/ looked for shelter had left the prai.
\ RE now and was OF a road which
sklrted ravine, wild and rugged. To
| wards that ] ran, MS there was not
n house i'm sight My terror knew no
| bounds. ] cried, I screamed shrieked
! for Tom. 10 was, of course. utterly
/ useless. strange hOarse rumbling
/ filled the atmosphere, which was
| strangely quiet Not leaf stirred.
not "a bough tremblcd. The birds had
/ hidden themselves. and all nature
/ seemed Touched jon sudden terror be.
/ fore the leap Of the awful monster.
\ Straight along 81 came. growing
/ larger and blackcr and more funnel.
/ shaped every instant Ina my mad run.
ming 7 struck my foot against q stone
\ and spraincd my ankle Then 7 faint
ed from pain and terror, falling into
sheltered spot beside split rock.
iaNheu / came to myself. rocks and
sticks and stones were flying ln every
direction a dreadful slckcnlng roar
\ rang through and through mo:
/ thought thc end Of The world had
I come
"My God, my God ! cried forgive
me. Let me see Tom once more. and
\ die in hls arms"
7 could not expect this prayer TO De
answered: but strange enough at that