Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-03-14


woods the long shadows of the tree-trunksi
Stretching out across the brown turf IN
frna,,t Of nv doorstep, had vanished; ana
maj in. Gle warm orange glow OF the west
s~great golden star famed and qulvered,
like q solitary eye of fire.
al tycan't be that the sun sets earlier than
usual" | said to myself, half doubtfully s
"and yet"
While I stood there hesltating. L knew
not WHY. the silver sound Of far-oH VII
LACE beil-the churonspelkof StF Marks, at
Branhill, heard only in the clearest and
Lstillest DAYS, and when the wind IN a
peculiar directi0n-raDg out its strokes
with marvellous distilcthess. T.
K@OneZ hree-four -fve-six-
-
i hike inTisible sfifings suddenly fashing
Einte view at the magic action OF fre, the
| whole chain of circumstances became
| frightfully diabolic ally clear John " AK
1ers mysterious presence in my cabin put
two hours since was sufficiently explained
now He had writhed in, deadly, and
noiseless, like a serpent, tolWoIk my rum,
and elevate himself upon the wreck OF my
soodsname and trust His band had moved
Backward the induces of my time-piece
tupon the dial with aamotiye horrible
| for me to contemplate without a shudder.-
He knew ifor had not myself told hlmy9
that, the Lightning Express, going north,
met the branch road train at seven q clock,
and that it, rushed wildly. forward without
,stoppine,lwith onlya whistle pfsswaTning.
The switch was set to the branch road it
must be, changed at a quarter to seven, or
the Lightning Express would leave the
track and collide with the "AccommOdaz
ton calmly Waiting It in, fancied security.
Yes; John Walker had deliberately laid
his plans to ruin me and Barbara could
lit be possible that Barbara 5 sweet frank
ness, her unWonted presence, her warning,
were part of his tiendish conspiracy to
divert my attention, and vile me away
from the post of duty b Was. Barbara IN
his interest?i and had | been 7doubly de
ceived? 1As,I stood there perfectly mo-
tionless with cold drops '6ozing out upon
|Tmy sbrow, and O. frozen sortof igidity at
/ my heart, I could almost see the Shattered
eaIsg tlfe IshapelessJ) esplinteredl ruin, the
crushed machinery the CHASTITY faces up
turned to the glowing purple OF the fair
twilight sky could heal. the shrleks and
gfoansJ and dying -gasps through the dull,
continuous roar that seemed to surge
across my brain = And II should have
UcOH tilC UNCONSCIOUS oAO o1lio--
less criminal n % God ofallmeI'ciesl Was
there no way of 7auerting the impending
shadow of this awful catastrophe? e.
ALI this was thought in a second; and
before the chimes had ceased ringing the
final stroke of seven / bounded. from. the
room. My usual route down to the switch
was a foot path, steep and narrow, that
skirted the edges of the precipitous hills ;.
but there was nearer and much more
direct way, through dense underground
and matted 0briers and bushes, through
which plunged. needless of tearing thorns
and tangled branches which seemed to i'm
pede my progress with almost human
malice. AS I ran, my speed was accelerated
by the shrill whistle of the approaching
Accommodation train II did not mind
that-the Accommodation would stop on
its track and wait for the Lightning 1Ex-
press tolpass bnt4 had not a second to
spare, for usually the whistle of the Light
ming was heard asif it were the echo of
the other, so nearly simultaneously were
theyduei at Branhill JUNCTION. .SAs Ineared
the track with breath that came in short,
painting sobs and laboring pulses, saw, as
it We're, through a scarlet mist Of blood,
the white, starry CLEAN of the signal lamp
in its accustomed ,place-the call right
token to the engineer of the Lightning
tram !7ars ,iiw bsiq9iss assd set ds,- zig
Whose hand had SO fouly lighted that,
treacherotls star of doom me ... =
As | ran l had searched for the key of
the switch lock. 1t was safe. | sprang to
the track, hurting down the signal with a
yeheplence that shiveredtheA Strong glass
to a thousand atoms. I thrust the key
into the lock and unlocked the switch.
Great Heavens the lever was immovablei
The villain had done his work completely,
and with a small wooden wedge driven
firmly between the lever and iron frame
work of the switch had made the move,
ment of the former impossible!g The loud
shrek of the now approaching train gave
me additional strength in vain, for could
not move the rails, Walker and Barbara
Wyclife had, neglected no one link in the
chain Of their detestable plot. One instant
I stood, in the utter abandonment of de-
spair In the same terrible instant the
glare of the Numbering train flashed on
the track and lighted it up with painful
brilliancy, and saw. as knew, that the
rails were wrong. While my mind seemed
to give way before the terrible doom which
which had no power to avert, breath
less, gaspiDg voice sounded close in nv
ear, and a heavy iron implement was thrust
into my hands. / did not seeo her, but L
knew who twas. lIsdidno see the i'm
plement which grasped, but knew there
was strength in it. ,,
5 Reuben Reubenl Quick ( it is the
scrowbar!f Y II
4 Before she had finished the words had
formed my plan Of action | had acted.
With powerful blow l struck the iron
rod of the switch--the thin stem which
connected the lever and tile rails, and,
which before had moved them, but which
now prevented them from moving A sim
sgle blowawas enough j heardSthe sharp
twang ofSans iron rod as lit snapped. I
bounded to the side of the track. placed
the crowbar as a lever under the rail, and
was about to move the switch, with laugh
of relief, into its place. when | felt both
my arms grappled from behind with hold
as firm as steel, and [ was thrown violently
back, dropping the efewbar as l fell
"Not so fast, Reuben Eyre" Kissed the
hated voice of John Walker close to my
ear. II will be revenged yet, though
pretty Barbara has played me false
l struggled, with strength that after
ward seemed to me well-nigh supernatural,
to free myself from his clinging grasp, but.
insvain. He had drawn me, I suppose I'M
consciously on to the track, and could
already feel beneath my feet the thrill and
trelnble ofIthe firm eaTth-as sure token
that the approaching train was near us. /
thought of the unsuspecting passengers
whose fate hung in the balance. Were
they to perish when help and rescue lay
almost within hand breath of me ? They
talk of the bitterness of death-thlS was