The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-07-28


myself irlm thanking u4at i would be
peEh ape s laouih ia sig Neeks bgiore i
saw hor ncain. Bat tbene vas no lear
IL not being busy. iar mnAt people
know waai sort of e Chrislnas railway
servants keep sll hurry drive, bnste
worry and rush Dull, heavy Nsaiber
1 Was. yeliaw Fog aud driving sueR.--
The train came ia covered with whAia.
shieh SLOWLY tbawed aud dupped OF,
50 that the terminus was wet and cold,
aud miserahly dirty People didn't
seon 70 mind il though for the sta-
ton was thronged with comers and 60
ers friends coming to meet those
from the country. and as many coming
10 see others Of "By yer leave" Il
was al day long. as the barrows full Of
parcels and luggage were run here and
there along The platform. The place
seemed alive with fsh-baskets, oyster
barrels and poultry; while, somehow
or other. from the poorest and shabbi-
est third-class people ap 10 the hrst-
class. every one looked happy and
comfortable
So there was at il, helping TO got
train after train or al late, OF course;
for. do what YOU would, there Was no
finding room enough for the people,
and SO il got to be past four, with the
gas all ahght and the fog and snow
thicker than ever. A train was Just
starting, when there was bit of con
fusion at the door. Some one shouts,
Hold hard ard then from where /
was-soma distance up the PLATFORM
/ saw gentleman hurry up to a first
class carriage, almost dragging lady
with him-- lady IN black Before any
one could stop him, be had opened the
door and pushed her in and then fol-
lowed Just as the train began gliding off
This happened to be carriage Just
put on, and the compartment the gem
tleman entered was locked bat he had
one Of the pocket railway keys, for be-
fore the carriage reached to where /
stood, With my heart somehow beating
very strangely, | saw his hand out Of
the window, locking the door again
Ia the momeutary glance | canght, 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 r-striekel, eyes starting and
| hps open. ms if she were crying "heip 81
| snw the face Of the young governess.
The time did not appear long enough
to see SO much; but ] saw ali chat, and
my mind seemed to keep up with my
eyes and explain il all, and / knew that
there was some Internal p.ece Of VII
lainy on the way.
What to do?' seemed rushing
through my mind, and ia the agony /
felt turned all Of tremble Tele-
graph to the station in front to stop
the train, which was the express, with
fifty miles to run before pulling up -
send special engine and tender after
them How could do either on my
own responsibility, only on suspicion
Should / go and report it? ! should
have an hour wasted in questioning,
and then perhaps be told tnat it was
poor ground to work upon. And what
had to advance 2 Nothing but the
appealing look for aid from her loved.
Her loved p Yes, / knew 1t now; !;
and knew too, that to be Of service, ]
must act-act at the risk of life or limb.
| thought all this running after the
train, fast gliding along past the plat
4 form.
had lost too much time already as
I darted along, for in few more
seconds it would have been impossible
to oyertake the fast receding carriages.
There was shouting behind me as |
ran; one porter stood in my way look
ing after the red lights, and in passing,
knocked him over. The platform
past, and bounding along the incline at
the end, ! was out in the snowy night,
when / tripped over one Of the point
handles and fell heavily, uttering a cry
Of despair; then | was up again direct
| ly, aud running along the rough line
amidst crossing metals and rods that
threatened to throw me every instant
1t seemed the act of madman to
run now, for the red lights were some
distance ahead, and gradually growing
dim and blurry amid the fog; but thro
the thick snow / ran painting on, with
my breath coming shorter and heavier,
aud a hot burning sensation at my
chest, while it seemed that / could
taste tue blood, though nay mouth was
dry and hot.
All at once my heart leaped, every
nerve tingled. From the fast vanish
ing train came long, shrill whistle,
which Il knew well enough meant red
signals in front, while to my unuttera-
BILE joy, the end lamps OF the guards
van showed palmer and plainer as l
painted on
Fifty yards passed, and the red
lamps sui reeeding, but bigger and
less dim. On still, gasping and chok-
ing, drawing my breath WITH difficulty.
1 Not twenty yards off. aud II | could
have run, another few seconds would
baye seen me holding on 10 carriage
handle, but j could only go at heavy
tr0t
Bang bang" went a couple Of fog
signals and hope rose again, as the en-
gine slackened pace once more, aud al
most At walk painted on-nearer.
nearer, nearer--lhe red lights growing
brighter aud palmer; and at last, just
as the engine gave final shrek, and
dashed On all clear, laid nay hand on
the red bulls eve, aud the next mo