Heaven protect her, poor little Gretchen!'
That night when Frank went, as his custom was, to sit a few moments with
his brother, he found him on his knees, with his face toward the
picture, repeating the prayer for those upon the sea.
The next day there was a change for the better, and the next, and the
next, until when the last day of February dawned Peterkin's thermometer
registered only two, and people began to show themselves in the
streets, while the sun tried to break through the grey clouds which
shrouded the wintry sky. But this was only temporary, for before noon
the mercury fell again to eight below, the wind began to rise, and when
the New York train came panting to the station at half-past six, clouds
of snow so dense and dark were driving over the hills and along the line
of track that nothing could be distinctly seen.
It was not until the train had moved on that the station-master, who,
half blinded with the sleet, was gathering up the mail-bag, which had
been unceremoniously dropped, saw across the track at a little distance
from him the figure of a woman who seemed to be trying to examine a
paper she held in her hand, while clinging to her skirts and crying
piteously was a little child, but whether boy or girl, he could not
tell.
Pages:
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133