Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-01-10

O. l.
had watched for her next coming to the
station, and, as usual, seen to the carriage
In which she went. l knew that / had
nothing to hope for, being only railway
servant, and ahe lady; but, Tor all that,
it seemed my duty to watch over her,
though since the day when | returned the
folio her bows had been little more dis
tant, and she had hurried into the car
riage. sH
BUTT was Christmas Eve, and all through
that week | had not seen her. "HOlidaYs,
said TO myself, and then tried to be as
busy as possible, to keep myself from
thinking that it would be perhaps month
or six weeks before l saw her again. But
there was no fear of my not being busy,
for most people know what sort of a
Christmas railway servants keep-all hur-
ry, drive, hustle, worry and rush. Dull,
heavy weather it was, yellow fog and
driving snow. The trains came in cover
ed with white, which slowly thawed and
dipped off, so that the terminus was wet,
and cold, and miserably dirty. People
didn't seem to mind it, though; for the
station was thronged with corners and
goers-friends coming to meet those from
the country, and as many coming to see
others of. "By yer leave" it was all day
long, as the barrows full of parcels and
| luggage were run here and there along
the platform. The place seemed alive
with fish baskets, oyster barrels, and poul-
| try while somehow or another, from the
poorest ard shabbiest third-class people
up to the grandees of the first class, every
| one looked happy and comfortable.
So there was | at it, helping to get train
after train off-all late, of course; for, do
what you would, there was no finding
room enough for the people, and so 1t got
to be past four, with the gas all alight and
! the fog and snow thicker than ever. A
train was just starting, when there was a
| bit of confusion at the door. Some on9
shouts, "Hold hard !" and then from
where | was -some distance up the plat
form-I saw e gentleman hurry up to q
| first-class carriage, almost dragging a lady
with him--a lady in black. Before any
one could stop him, he had opened the
door, pushed her in, and then followed,
| Just as the train began gliding off.
This happened to be a carriage just put
on, and the compartment the gentleman
entered was locked; but he had one of
the pocket railway keys, for before the
carriage reached where | stood, with my
heart somehow beating very strangely,
the door again. In the momentary glance
/ caught, as the lamps Of the station
flashed into the carriage. could see that
there was no light inside, while two little
gloyed hands pressed down the window
the man tried to draw up and there, pale
and horror stricken, eyes starting, and
lips open, as If she were crying help!
saw the face Of the young governess.
The time did not appear long enough to
seeso much; but saw all that, and my
mind seemed to keep up with my eyes
and lexplain it all, and ] knew that there
was some Internal piece of villainy on th'
way. .s a.
=" What to do?" seemed rushing through
nv mind, as in the agony felt turned
ali Of q tremble. Telegraph to the sta
ton in frontto stop the train. which wa
the express, with fifty miles to run befor
pulling up?-send special engine ant
tender after thems How could do eithe
on my own responsibility, and only Oh
suspicion? Should l go and report it?
!; should have half an hour wasted In ques
, tio1ing, and then perhaps be told that
, was time enough to ACT when there wa
proved ground to work upon And wha
f had to advances Nothing but that AZ
/ pealing look for aid from her loved,
: - Her | loved J" Yes, l knew it now
| and knew, too, that to be of service,
: must act-aet at the risk of life or limt
| | thought all this, running after the trait
!, fast gliding along past the platform
I IL I had lost too much slime already as
r darted along, for in few more seconds
D would have been impossible to Overtak
Y the fast-receding carriages There was
Y sho uting behind me as | ran one porte
: stood right in my way looking after th
. red lights, and, in passing, | knocked hir
/, over The platform past, and, boundn
] along the incline at the end, | was out /
! the snowy night, when 1 tripped over on
/ of the point handles, and fell heavily, u
tering cry of despair but | was u
| again directly, and running along th
! rough line amidst crossing metals and roc
| that threatened to throw me every lnstan
n It seemed the act'ci y mailman to I'll
now, for the red lights were some distant
f bury amid the fog but through ii
}, thick snow | ran painting on, with N
n breath coming shorter and heavier and
e hot, burning sensation at my chest, viii
lit seemed that could taste blood, thous
l my mouth was dry and hot. 7areae
1t All at once my heart leaped and eve
train came long, shrill whistle, which
l knew well enough meant red signals
front, while, to my unutterable Joy, Il
y end lamps of the guards van sboW'
sr palmer and palmer asI painted on.
y Another stumble and fall over the poi
y rods, and was up again, needless that n
70 hands and forehead were bleeding, 81
e. that had lost my cap. There were t
Id lamps palmer and palmer, for the ira
" had almost stopped; but now hundr
er yards ahead. could | overtake it before
started again? The suspense was horrib
lg I felt my head swim as Ipsnted on.
To Fifty yards passed, and the red lam
still receding, but bigger and less dim.
es still, gasping and choking, and drawing L
breath with difficulty Not twenty yal
III | off, and, il could have run, another II
is seconds would have seen me holdingon
carriage handle; but could only go
~, u heavy tr0t. .lg
nc "Bang bang!" went couple of f,
" signals, and hope rose again as the engl
-. slaCkened pace once more, and almost
lCo walk, painted on-nearer, nearer, ne
wv er-the red lights growing brighter a
" palmer and at last, just as the eng
ae gave final shrek and dashed on all Gle
p I laid my hand On the red bull's-eye, a
- the next moment was sitting clinging
10 the footboard of the guards van. ,.rt
no The fog had been my friend In anotl
- few seconds | must have dropped; VIII
% in an ordinary way, the train would hs
w been miles down the line by this time.
u, Bang! bang!' went the fog sign
ZIG again. as sat helplessly there, with
ny lopo RI Un I'M and again we SlaekeDed