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

was absorbed in Barbara's work; physic-
ally,sI grappled with John Walker. Now,
the danger to, the train was past, mind
returned to matter, and Walker soon found
L was more than a match for, him. My
hrst reflection was to drag him and myself
from Athe track, across which we were
struggling. 1t was the work of an instant.
Then, with a superhuman effort, endeav-
ored to free myself from his grasp, and L
tfrew him violently from me He stag
gered back pace or two, vainly endeavor-
ing to recover his equilibrium, and then
felt
iron track
\ made an instructive step forward to
save him, but Barbara Wycliffe' arms were
claspeistigh tly around me Barbara's voice
was crying out wildly,
--'.s. Reuben Reuben! my sa kc !sss.-s.
And in the same breath the Lightning
Express rushed oyer the track like a fleTy
| SERPENT and 7 knew that John Galker's
accounts with Time were closed forever. p.
The engineer and fireman of the Accom-
mediation 3trai1ly4 hich-was standing on the
branch road, had, in the glare. Of the loco
motive, witnessed the struggle, had heard
BaIbaras screams, and now came rushing
forward In awed silence they removed
the, bodyfronl where il lay fearfullycrlished
and mangled, with glazed eyes upturned,
and browlstilt contracted with the scowl OF
mortal raphsAlitY shf ai est3h-i3h1s 81 5H
~. SO the man died, and there was no living
soul to mourn his death. Bog !' gro
'9IiAs the engineer of tile ACCOMMODATION
com pretended the situation and explained
it tolthe wondering passengers, he turned
to ME as L mechanically readjusted the
switch to allow the AccoInrno datlon to pass,
and saidy es} ri osBgd loohpe lsqqa 2Gi ta
Il "Luoky for you; old fellow, that the
Lightning was five minutes behind time
Five minutes behind time and those five
minutes had held the destiny of life and
death within their pqlsing seconds ''' Is
-, AS the last crash and rattle of the YAH
fishing train, which now sped on its way,
smote upon my ear, my duty for the night
wholly dohe, all the fictitious strength that
had lent2vigorto my. arm, and nerve to my
limbs, seemed taken from me- q My friendly,
CROW bar dropped with d. dull sound from
my hands, the far off crests of the purple
hills seemed to reel and tremble, and | fell
like log to the ground, weak and fainting,
with Barbara Wycliffe sweet face bending
overlne, like the face of an angel Il,
700 When thotigh and sense returned to me
once more, days after, was in my little
cabin andsthe Wyolitfes father and daugh-
ter, were ministering to me. And the
farmer told me how the people from all
about the country had come to look at the
dead man, and hear the verdict OF the
coroners jury, and to see how narrowly
the passengers of the two trains had es-
capped the doom that had come down upon
him like an avenging spirit. Fl . sf.1ao ~
" tell ye, it made their blood run cold,
said the farmer They called my little
are tightp re 40"
-" Barbara, said [, when the old man had
gone to the spring for water, and we were
left alone together, " how did it happen?
/ How did yoUknow that 7seT" - CTTI
HdtcHe teid he himself, asaid Barbara, in
low, troubled voice. j..
when 2" A2i Afh ~
Kg 6 That evening, after had left you at the
bridge" -.--,..er,
And you, Barbara, what did you say?"
IL" AT first screamed with terror. si Then
he told me that he had done it for the love
of me- that when he got your place he
would marry me- What could do9 |
dared not turn back to you, for there was
murder in his eyes, and he would have
stabbed you--perhaps me- too long before
could have reached you; so | let him
sfancy-God forgive me-that | would be
his accomplce IN his wicked schemes and
his wife afterward.- He told me all he. had
done. ISo whenlhe leftlhie} I went straight
to where had seen my fathers crow-bar
lying by the track and oh, Reuben it
seemed as il, I never should be able to drag
it's weary weight through the woods to
your post Every rush Of the wind in the
trccztops seemed like train coming, and
every Fustling leaf was John Walkers
step!p h'a 92asis', : l.el .al I...' % S.".
@a She bowed her head in her hands with a
shudder. But Farmer Wycliffe's football
was on the frozen earth outside, and had
not yet learned quite all I wanted to know.
b. YThen, Barbara, was wrong when l
thought you loved John Walker i-7as e
h 80 Wrong altogether wrong !oIl
The roses came, to her echeek-the small
head was poised more royalty. ...s, 2
Il y :" I" Because, darling, have. loved you these
many months. Tell me my fate quickly
your father is close at hand p Is, it yes or
no ?" 20 ~ ,,- ~ ~ -, Il .1tg5 I'd
@I And Barbara whispered g Yes!','d 0 Z
= ALI this happened, you know, years ago:
I have the longed -forl@@ home of my own J"
at last, where Barbara's beauty glows with
perpetual sunshine, and all the trace that
now remains of my own adventure ls-the
solitary grave on the edge Of the wood
where John. Walker liesjburied