The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-05-02

i sat OONn, lean1g FORWARD With my
elbows on the top Of the seat she occupi-
ed, SO that my face nearly touched her
heavy black veil
+" First, promise never to tell him
John. - =-=-.--.-=--
Il promise.
"Well then she went on, speaking
In husky, nervous whisper. he is very
peculiar-ful of the strangest fancies.
When I first married him I thought it
was superstition mereiy-now-"
She paused.
well, now?' questioned. RI
Now, | do not know what to think.
| Oh, Mr.. Atwater, ought not 70 say SO,
| but am the most miserable creature in
the world
| Isabel
II am! He threatens sometime to shut
me up in mad house, and perhaps [
| should be happier there than subject to
his whims and cruelties. Why do you
| suppose he brought me here to night p
| Il am sure [ do not know
| He told me, she whispered, clasp
ing her hands tightly together as she
| spoke, that we were coming to our
! death tonight, and we must come to-
| gether! Oh, Frank, what do you sup
! pose he means p
| "Only to terrify you,' said, sooth-
| ingly ''He is bundle of old Scotch SUI
| perstitions, and always was. y
! ''And, Frank, once when thought [
| heard footsteps close behind us, and
| turned my head to see, he jerked my arm
| and told me not TO look-that-oh Frank
| it makes my blood run cold now-that it
was Death walking at our side!'
but, Isabel, surely you will not allow
yourself to be infuedced by such folly as
this"
II told you it was folly she answer-
| ed, dejectedly: but"
! A hand was laid on my arm at this
| moment-the hand Of Carew, the con-
! ductor.
Frank, look here, want to speak to
you,'' he said hurriedly. Come here
out on the platform.
I followed him out into the stormy
! darkness of the March night, where his
lantern cleaned like sullen shifting
eye.
What is it? Anything wrong?"
eyes, and no. Of course you know
with not quite thirty minutes between
us and the Lightning
Eyes. What of it2''
swell, that old fool Mcleod has turn
ed crusty, and says if we don t run out
station, and wait for the Lightning to
pass, he III not be answerable for the con-
sequences.
''Who wants him to be answerable?" [
demanded, with considerable acerbity,
not to say disdain.
"Well, he says it S a bad night, track
slippery, and all that sort OF thing; and
suppose it's all very true. But you
know the Lady Franklin of old. She'll
keep the thirty minutes between us and
the Lightning, won't she?''
Il should say there was no kind of
doubt as to that. Amt you going to
make up that lost timer
That Just the trouble. That crack
Drained old Scotch fool wants to stop and
lose another half hour which we may as
well gain, and run into Bon time, as
to come trailing along behind the Light
ming But Macleod refuses to run her
unless consent to his conditions. Frank
why can't you take the old Lady into
B-?''
"In do it with all the pleasure in
my life -
Carew face frightened at once
"Wh hat lucky thing it is you CHANGED
to be on the train" he said Il should
have been entirely at Macs mercy if it
hadn' been for you. Come on; there S
no time to be lost. -
I followed him through the long train
to the engine, and entered the little en-
closed compartment where Macleod sat
among his screws and valves and dlals,
like some magician of old surrounded by
the obstruse implements of his art How
like home this tiny place appeared to me!
1t seemed almost as if the Lady Flank
lin shot more swiftly over the track as
| stepped upon her. Macleod Inclined
his head stiff1y in answer to my greeting.
He was a tall, spare Scotchlnan, with
deec-set blue eyes matched with shaggy
brows. and hair already ,thickly sprinkIed
with gray, though he could scarcely have
been more than forty years old. His
face was cold and repulsiye, and his man
ner forblddlng in the EXTREMIST degree.
Moreover, he had a way exceedingly un-
pleasant to the spectator. of continually
| looking over his shoulder with sort of
spasmodic motion, as if he had suddenly
seen or heard something close behind
him. As | threw myself down beside
him he suddenly pointed to the place be
yond.
"Sit there. if you please, Mr.. Atwa-
ter
I wondered, but complied, and Carew
spoke pleasantly
''Well, Macleod, shall we put on steam
and drive her ahead?'
'sNo, Mr.. Carew," said the Scotchman
coldly and firmly EITHER we run out
on the side track three miles ahead, as [
have explained, or leave the engine.
but why are you so determined" /
| asked
Il don't conceive it my business to
answer any of your questions, Francis
Atwater," said Macleod, "but / have
| no objection to crafty your curiosity. l
| am SO determined because see farther
than you or Mr.. Carew here, and I see
danger-danger!"
'How?-and wheref"
"You practical engineer and ask
| where is the danger on such night as
| this, with the Lightning Express close
behind, and we twenty-five minutes after
our time? Boys do you not know that
we are responsible not only for Atwater
and Carew and John Mcleod, but for all
the passengers on this train? Do you
want the sin of murder on your soul?'
He spoke in sharp voice that was al.
| most a scream.
| Concluded next week.