Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-04-05

L
mad dared to hope. While | strove
with John Walkers herculean strength
Barbara Wycliffe had, with surprising
courage and presence of mind. seized
the crow-bar, and had forced the rails
into position. Brave girl! 1t did
not require more than a woman's
strength, but she did need more than
mans courage. 1t wasn't nerve
aud sinew she needed, but the heart
to do it. The train did not slacken
its speed. The engineer had failed
to notice the absence of the signal,
and dashed wildly ahead. 1t did not
matter now. The switch was all
right and the danger was past.
The danger past? Not so. Can
you believe that, while | distinctly
saw all this, saw Barbara's act, saw
the rails move, saw them rightly adj
justed, saw the engineers mistake
actually reflected that his mistake re-
suited from his firm confidence ih me
i had never failed him before-can
you comprehend that all this time-it
was only an instant, thought was
engaged in a struggle for life with
John Walker? Mind and matter
were totally distinct Mentally, was
absorbed in Barbara's work; physic-
ally, | grappled with John Walker.
Now, the danger to the train past,
mind returned to matter, and Walker
soon found | was more than q match
for him. My first reflection was to
drag him and myself from the track,
across which we were struggling. 1t
was the work of an Instant. Then,
with a superhuman effort, | endeavor-
ed to free myself from his grasp, and
threw him violently from me. He
staggered back pace or two, vainly
endeavoring to recover his equilibri-
um, and then fell.
Fell; great Heaven! directly across
the iron track
made an instructive step for
ward to save him, but Barbara Wye
litfe's arms were clasped tightly round
me and Barbara's voice was crying
out wildly,
"Reuben Reuben for nay sake T
And in the same breath the Light
ming Express rushed over the track
like fiery serpent, and | knew that
John Walkers accounts with Time
were closed forever.
/ The engineer and fireman of the
accommodation train, which was stand
ing on the branch road, had, in the
glare of the locomotive, witnessed the
struggle, had + d Barbara 5
/ screams, and now came rushing for
ward. In awed silence they removed
the body from the track where it lay
fearfully crushed and mangled, with
glazed eyes upturned, and brow still
contracted with the scowl of mortal
rage.
So the man died, and there was nc
living soul to mourn his death.
As the engineer of the accommoda
tion comprehended the situation and
; explained it to the wondering passen
gers, he turned to me as | mechanic
!. ally readjusted the switch to allow the
: accommodation to pass, and said,
!! Lucky for you, Old fellow, that the
: Lightning was five minutes behin(
:. time"
: Five minutes behind time-anC
e those five minutes had held the desti
d ny of life and death within their pulls
/ ing seconds. 2.
v AS the last crash and rattle of th
Il vanishing train, which now sped OF
e its way, smote upon my ear, my dut
= for the night wholly done, all th
e fictitious strength that had lent vigo
e to my limbs, seemed taken from me
l. My friendly crow-bar dropped with
i dull sound from my hands, the far-of
+ crests of the purple hills seemed t
d reel and tremble, and fell like 10
Y, to the ground, weak and fainting, wit
Is Barbara Wyclitfe's sweet face benz
ID ing over me like the face of an ange
m When thought and sense .returne
a to me once more, days after, | was
Sc my little cabin, and the Wycliffe
Mt father and daughter, were ministerin
OF to me. And the former told me no
I the people from all the country roun
| had come to look at the dead ma
as and hear the verdict of the coroner
jury, and to see how narrowly tt
is passengers of the two trains had c
capped the doom that had come dow
ds upon him like an avenging spirit.
[ "And | tell We, it made their bloc
: | run cold," said the farmer. 9Th
he called my little girl a heroine, and
-er amt sure but they are right"
ad Barbara" said when the old m;
ed had gone to the spring for water, al
DIV we were left alone together, chow d
no it happen? How did you know th
ln- he"
ed 4" He told me himself" said Barba
,he in low, troubled voice.
ch, "When 2"
ce, "That evening after | had left y
led at the bridge"
as "And you, Barbara, what did y
ok, say ?"
"At first | screamed with terr
sed Then he told me that he had done
ose for love of me; that when he got "
yet, place he would. marry me. w
me could | do? | dared not turn bs
to you for there was murder in
af- eyes, and he would have stabbed J
su- perhaps me, too, long before co
his have reached you; so let him fa
had God forgive me-that [ should
, ON an accomplice in his wicked schen
be- and his wife afterward. He told
of all he had done. So when he left
ap- l went straight to where | had s.