Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-02-17

the ear | felt a presentiment that you would
in some way save me from these horrid men"
Here the poor girl burst into tears
] don't know what | did or said, only that
/ comforted her, and vowed | would never
forsake her.
The time was now approaching When the
two o'clock train was due. There was adeath-
ike silence, broken only by the mourntul
tones of occasional gusts of wind, which, ike
evil spirits sporting round US, rushed TO and
fro through the ill-Inade cars unseen, but
painfully heard and felt.
Everyone had huddled themselves in what
ever they could find as a protection from the
biting cold. Although hardy and strong,
began to feel exhausted and benumbed; and
probably should have fallen into a dangerous
stupor but for my mind being racked with
thought.
How should / act?
If | gave these two men up to Justice (sup-
posing the ovcrscer survived,) what proof
was there that they had poisoned the . par
alytic ?"
| asked Alice-so we will now call her
whether the overseer had the spoils with him
or not? She said he had admitted to her
that he had gold, notes and securities to a
very large amount upon him.
| then searched the still sleeping " Doctor ;"
he was so motionless and deathlike that | be
gan to fear lest the chloroform had had a
fatal effect upon him. | found nothing but a
few dollars, and a revolver, which l took
and, with his own ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, securely
tied his hands behind him.
1t was now showing heavily again; but |
sailed forth once more into the snow, and
found the overscer still under the engine,
frozen as hard as the iron which covered him,
and doubtless quite dead.
With fingers almost as lifelcss as his own, /
searched him, and found, besides the expected
loaded leyolver and bowie knife, a large can
vas belt, fastened round his waist, containing
the stolen money
I fastened back with it to Alice, fear. ne
sh, might be overcome with the cold and
fal asleep.
just as had my hand on the door of the
car, | heard a well known sound; there was
no need to think t1Fice-the driver of the
expected train, blinded by the snow, had not
seen the danger signal With criminal neg
ligence they had not telegraphed our non
arrival from R; the train was rushing
on Us
I shouted loudly to the occupants of the
cars to save themselves, and sprang into ours
for Alice.
Even in the short time had been absent
she had nearly gone to sleep.
No wonder, poor girl She had experienced
hanger, thirst, (for she dare not take food
from the overseer, lest he should poison her. J
excitement and cold-btter cold, such as
happily don't know in England.
| seized her in my arms, and had scarcely
leaped from the car before the crash came
| will not dilate on the horrors Of the col
iislon-we have too many such descriptions
in our daily papers. Happily, my shouting
had aroused most of the passengers, but some
three or four never knew how death came
laid the fainting body of Alice for a few
moments, carefully wrapped up on the snow,
whilst l searched for our late evil com
panions.
The nlurderers had met a milder fate than
they deserved. The frozen Overseer was com
pletely smashed beneath the engine Wheth-
CT the doctor" really died from the effects
Of cold and the chloroform | cannot tell, and
do not like to think.
lie also was a bruised and almost shapelcss
mass; both had died painless deaths.
The engineer and stoker of the train which
run into Us had jumped into the snow, and
were unhurt. The passengers were very few
and, surprising to say, only one was killed.
We made great fires of the Debris, and wait
ed the morning, when help should come.
Amid all the horrors of the scene felt a
thrill Of happiness III having Alice looking at
me as her sole protector, and through the
night laying her head on my shoulder, in sheer
WEAKNESS and exhaustion, suffering my arms
to support her
felt as if I had known her for years Was
the gentle girl who leaned uncOnsciously on
me, whom / had met under such strange cir
cumstances-was sac soon to be severed from
me ? No never. And with that thought |
cIasped her closer to my heart.
At last help came about o'clock in the
morning an express came fran R, ex-
n, l,,.rs, J
up, and We arrived at R about eight
o'clock.
| asked Alice what she would wish to do ?
In some confusion she said:
& | know not what to say - But, putting
her little hand in mine, she said - Win
you who have watched over me through that
dreadful night, who have saved me from the
horrors of which l cannot think, see me safe
back to my own homc-my own, indeed,
now; IL Will be very lonely, no one to well
come me but the servants: but it is my right
place Am | asking too much :"
Need | tell the reader my answer
l offered myself a poor surveyor, as her
husband as well as protector.
She did not say no.
We gave up the plantation; for l could
not reconcile myself to my owning slaves al
though theirs was anything but bondage
The railway accident was universally be-
lieyed 20 be the cause of the death Of Alice's
uncle, the overseer, and the "doctor:" Al
ice with pardonable deception, explaining
that the Doctor" not finding Dr. W at
his own town, insisted on going to the next.
to some other surgeon.
Alice and have now uvedhappily in England
many years; but We never see the snow "
ing thickly on the ground, without shudder-
ing at the recollection of the night which we