The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1903-06-26
A CHAIN OF
CIRCUMSTANCES.
ny KATE PAULINE ABBOTT.

tbAlE FAl'Nih WI ilfatt" AhhN ANY,
skirted the thriving little village Of
Glendale. southwark. A day Of
beauty had just passed from sight,
and twilight was throwing her damp,
soft mantle over all. SILENTLY, one
by ONE like Longfellow's "%lovely
STARS" cleaned the friendly lights
from neighboring farmhouses many
Of whose solid frames could boast the
workmanship Of 100 years ago.
Up through the stcalthy shadows
came the sound Of the rushing river,
swollen much beyond its normal size.
The SHOWS Of the northern hills had
yielded at last to the warm winds and
sunny smiles of early spring. The ice
blankcts, neatly covering lake and
stream, had been gradually growing
thinner, even thrcadbarc, until they.
TOO. had lost themselves amid the
forces that came tumbling on in their
mad fury. to make the final plunge
over the mill-dam two miles away.
just above this point the railroad
bridge spanned the angry waters.
It's foundations had been examined
by the learned engineers many times
during the frcshct. with mods Of APP
proyal and stcadfast faith in it, giant
masonry.
Not 80 the gray. haircd townfolk
who gathered in little knots about the
quiet .-rccts. c%onvcrsing in low tones.
while with hated breath they watched
with strained and eager eyes each
ilyingtrain overthc dangcrpoint.
Each day bchcld no sign Of relcni-
ing Of the p%itilcss waters: high, and
higher yet. up the steep bank they
crcpt on either side. seeking fresh
plumber in their mighty grasp.
The dismal scene lay hidden. in
part. nj least, only the slender moon
and countless star, yicing with the
scattered lights along the shore.
The eight o'clock express came
laundering along the down grade
above the bridge. and the sea Of pale
and anxious faces turned in silence.
\ low, m%uttcring sound Of warning
as Of impending evil rose above the
rumble Of the heavy train, then a
sudden crash, when bridge and coach
Is dropped with the .norting engine
in a promiscuous heap in the sccth-
ing waters. and shrek on shrek rent
the blackness of that awful hour.
Next morning "old Sol" rising
early, looked from hi gildcd cham
bers upon Q scene Of such utter mis-
cry and dcsolation that he hid hi,
face.
"What ear have kept Hiram so
late. | wondcr!' calculated Mrs.
Clark, turning for the twentieth time
the covered tray Of appctizing biscuit
in the open oven.
In passing To the door. she paused
to smooth out nm imaginery wrinkle
in the snowy tcacloth.
"llark! whats that she asked.
She stood in the doorway, striving to
form into familiar outline the thick
darkness, then, with an uncxplainable
dread settling upon her heart, she
closed the door and sank into the low
rocker by the window.
Mine, ten, eleven" snapped the
busy clock on the long shelf over the
polished range, like the voice Of an
irate spinster.
20, dear" sighed Mrs. Clark,
"what can have happcned?" She
feared the worst.
just then carriage wheels were
heard slowly rolling along and stop.
ping at the front door in obedience to
amulled "Whoa!" A knock soon fol.
lowed.
Mrs. Clark opened the door, and
recognized the haggard face Of Mr.
Tenny, a neighbor, whose ample
acres joined the Clark farm a half
mile farther on.
Her own face showed ghastly in
the light of the lamp she held SO un-
steadily, and she whispered hoarsely:
"What is iti"
1t was no time for many explana-