The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-04-23
; WHAT THF FR0Gc HEARD ;
BY w. w. WHALEN. .


the top of the heavy Locust Summit
grade, and as he stood on the roof OF
a box car he saw girl kneeling at an
open upstairs window in the house
adjoining the station. Her head lay
on her hands; few of her curls hung
out over the windew-ledge and waved
in the breeze. Ben got off the car and
stood looking up at her. This chance
perhaps Fortune herself had put in his
way. How often he had watched
those black curls through the station
window, when he CHANGED to be there,
and Cora Goyne was in sight! Yet
she had never seen him. He gave a
| shrill whistle
Could anything be prettler than
that round, dimpled, sleepy dark face
which started up from the window
sill, the eyes bright from sleep, the
hair gracefully disordered! For Sec
ond or two she was bewildered. She
looked down, and saw an engine and
train standing-and something else;
brakeman, cap in hand, looking up
into her face.
For only an instant she gazed at
| him; then, with a little cry of mortl-
| ficaticn, leaped away from the window
and disappeared from his view. But
| in that instant, she had, with wom-
ans facility, noted how yellow his
hair and mustache were, how big and
blue his eyes, how brawny his shout
ders, and how handsome his face.
That was their introduction. They
| became lovers. Every day Ben's train
stopped at Locust Summit, and every
! day Cora made it a point to meet
him; sometimes for only word,
sometimes for o prolonged converse
ton. His southern heart yearned to-
wards this lovely bit of northern wom-
anhood.
It was a night in July. Ben's train
was waiting for orders. He' and his
sweetheart were conversing in low
tones, as they walked up and down
the railroad.
so you liked The Last Of the Mo
hicans?"
Yes. very much but should have
liked the story better had Maj. Hey
ward married Cora and not Alice
THAT is just what / liked about
it. No wonder Major Hayward was
disguised with Cora when her father
told him of her birth"
Her birth? don't understand"
"Why, her mother was creole, or
something; there was a trace of ne
gro or Indian blood in Cora, faint per-
haps, but there for all that" The
| girl trembled and grew pale to the
| lips. He felt her culver on his arm.
Surely you are not chilly tonight;
why shiver?"
| She was taken unawares, but her
answer shed only faint light ON
her thoughts. what a coincidence
that my name is Cora, tool" she blurt-
ed out
He laughed.
"Be my wife, dearest; say yes NO
sound from her colorless lips. He
pressed her again to him. You lit
| tie goose, l thought l knew you, but
| now l see that no man can ever I'M
| derstand a woman. Who'd think you
SO shy? Well, the answer tomorrow.
He bounded across the rails,
spring, he climbed the side of house
car; stood on the top, cap in hand,
the moonlight falling on his yellow
hair; a kiss from the tips of his
| fingers, then the train rolled by and
Cora was alone.
She looked at the green waters or
the swamp, whence came the sonorous
voices Of the frogs
"Oh, If | had never met him!" she
cried, in so low tone that only the
frogs heard her. -"And now to give
him up, Was it your fault, mother
dear, that your mother was a mu-
| latto?"
Was there in the music of the frogs
any note that caused her to shud-
| der so?
Cora! Cora! where are you!"
Her aunt's voice reached her ears.
| The girl started to her feet at the
sound, so suddenly that she well nigh
| fell into the water She hurried down
| the railroad to meet her aunt, who
! stood near the station. There was
| an engine, "pusher," standing near,
/ wheeling and painting.
Get into the engine, Cora. Here
| is a hat I'll go with you"
Her aunt led the way and Cora
wonderingly followed her into the
cab. Her uncle was there, and on
his saying, "All right" the engineer
started the engine, and the frogs
songs died away in the distance.
Cora, | must be abrupt. 1t has just
come up over the wires that Jim Glib
bons freight ran away down the
grade and plunged off the track at
the curve"
"And Ben Evens is killed." came in
a hollow sound from Cora's lips.
mo, he's hurt and wants you"
Ben was lying on the bank on some
coats which the men standing around
had furnished; his eyes opening and
closing, his breath failing, but he
knew Cora.
Little wife," he whispered, rs her
arm stole about his neck, and her hot
lips pressed his forehead, that was
not to be on earth, but God grant 1t
will be in heaven"
With "a great effort he raised his
arms, put them about her, pressed her
to him, and then all was over.
From her heart arose the words:
1T was not to be on earth, but it
will be In heaven. Thank God, no