The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15
ON THE WINGS OF THE STORM.
BY A. c. GARRIGUS.


BY A. c. GARRIGUS.
All day long the wind had blown in fitful
gusts, now spinning tops In the dusty road.
now selling the smoke from the wheeling
engine at the water tank and trailing 1t
like a sooty banner along the ground.
Across the track, In budding elm. a robin
p.ped a persistent prayer for rain, and the
wires hummed fierce symphony in minor
key.
AS the evening came on the small clouds
which had been gathering here and there
In groups joined hands and circled about a
giant thunder head that reared its snowy
turban in the west. Behind the scenes the
lightning glowed. fiaring around the edges
and peeping through the chinks. and the
thunder pounded and grumbled at its work.
An extra freight coughed its way up the
grade, dragging long string Of "empties."
worming In and out of the cuts and around
the curves, it's tail lights winking and
blinking like two red eyes. its smoke be-
coming a blood-stained plume in the re-
fected glare Of the open firebox.
The air was oppressive and I pushed the
sash in the station window full to the top
and sat In the little alcove smoking and lis
tening to the drowsy ''blurr'' of the wires
and the Idle chatter Of the saunders. Out
side In a wayside pond an orchestra OF
young frogs ratified their trap drums. A
dog bayed in the remote south and was an
swered in like from the north. In the
woods along the river screech owl hooted
a shivering defiance 20 the tremulous
threatening Of a whipporwill. The wind.
after having blown up the tempest. sank to
a whisper and stole In and out on tiptoe.
bringing upon it's breath the scent OF fresh
plowed earth, Of wild plum blossom and
the odor Of pine from the brushy hillsides.
There was a crunching step upon the
gravel. man walked across the creaking
platform, entered the station and peered in
through the window of the ticket office. 1t
was Mr.. Robert Granger.
Come in Bob" called as cheerily as
possible. 'How's the train for Louisville?
here first tonight. Why. Of course. you
was next week."
$50 1t IS" he answered. Sim not going to
a sale. Come outside, Sam, want to talk
TO you; It's too close In here"
pinned down pile of futtering way
bills with paper weight, swung shut the
safe door, twirled the combination and fol-
lowed my companion out upon the plat
form. Bob took out his pipe, crumbled
some tobacco into it and struck a match,
holding 1t in the hollow Of his hand while 1t
sputtered, hickered and at last burned
brightly. When he had taken few salts
flying puffs he leaned his back against a
pillar and gazed over my shoulder into
the darkness that seemed to stretch out
its arm and clasp everything to it's sable
bosom.
mo, Sam, it's no horse sale this time"
he said, after a long pause; I'm going to
Louisville after my wife. You know l told
you the other day that wouldn't give in.
but shall, just the same. thought 1t all
out last night. Sam, used to glory in
sticking to thing to the end-the bitter
end. Once. when 1 said I wouldn't do
thing, then wouldn't, but I've about got
around to the point where don't think it's
much to be proud of. L guess stubbornness
is nothing but pig-headedness, after, ALL
and while it's well enough to be pig-headed
when you're right. don't think a pig was
ever right about anything.
when she went away in the way she
did swore would never speak nor write
to her again, but. Sam, 1t doesn't pay to
keep your word with the devil. and so I
am going to Louisville to bring her home,
and no matter what's to promise she's got
to come.
Ibid you ever see my wife. Sam? Yes,
of course, the time we came home; but
did you ever really see her? She was just
the sweetest, clingingest little peach bios
som of a woman that every stole the heart
of a man. I met her at a dance over at
with her mother-and. let me tell you, there
were no false starts on my part that time!
Why I knew I loved her the minute /
saw her-all dressed up in white, dainty
and cool, with big red rose in her hair;
and went into the race to win from the
start, and win / did, though can never
tell you how.
when we came to mamma for her con-
sent, WELL 1t was all off-at first She
wouldn't have it. she declared. What! A
Tracewell to marry poor common farmer
and horsemanv But the next day, when
drove her out to the place and showed her
the bluegrass as far as she could see, and
the old house, and the stable full Of horses,
she changed her tune. She quit bucking.
"'Of course, Virginia was of age and
could do as she pleased she said, and
would do It. in spite of her; she didn't care
for her mother, anyway. Nobody did,