Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-02-01
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENN'A.
SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY l, 1868.
OLD SERIES, VOL. %, NO. Is.

l felt, for she paused and colored deeply,
and as | stood outside, she once more
thanked me, passed the shilling hastily into
her left hand, and held out the right to me.
have some recollection of having taken
it, and pressed it to my quivering lips, and
then | was blundering along the streets in
sort of wild dream, seeing nothing, hearing
nothing, and apparently lost.
The days went on till Christmas eve. l
had watched for her next coming to the
station, aud, as usual, seen to the carriage
in which she went. / knew that had no.
thing to hope for, being only railway SER
vant and she a lady but, for all that, it
seemed my duty to watch over her, though
since the day when l returned the folio her
bows had been little more distant, and
she had hurried into the carriage.
But it was Christmas eve, and all through
that week had not seen her. "IIolidays,"
l said to myself, and then tried to be as
busy as possible, to keep myself from think
ing that it would be perhaps a month or
six weeks before l saw her again. But
there was no fear of my not being busy, Cor
most people know what sort of a Christmas
railway servants keep all hurry, drive,
hustle, worry and rush. Dull, heavy wca-
ther it was, yellow fog and driving snow
The trains came in covered with white,
which slowly thawed and tripped 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 off. "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-bar
rels, and poultry; while somehow or ano-
ther, from the poorest and shabbiest third
class people up to the grandees of the first
class, every one looked happy and comfor.
table
So there was at it, helping to get train
after train off-al late, of course; ; for, do
what you would, there was no finding room
enough for the people, and so it 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 bit of
confusion at the door. Some one shouts,
Hold hard !" and then from where was
some distance up the platform-I saw a
gentleman hurry up to first-class carriage,
almost dragging 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 gil
ding off.
This happened to be carriage just pat
on, and the compartment the gentleman
entered was locked; but he had one of the
pocket railway keys, for before the carriage
! reached where I stood, with my heart some
how beating very strangely, saw his hand
| out of the windows locking the door again.
In the momentary glance l caught, as the
| lamps of the station flashed into the car
riagc, / could see that there was no light
| inside, while two little gloved 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 l saw the face of the young
! goveIness.
The time did not appear long enough to
see so much, but saw all that, and my
mind seemed to keep up with my eyes and
explain it all; and knew that there was
some internal piece of villainy on the way
"What to do2 seemed rushing through
my mind, as in the agony felt turned all
of tremble. Telegraph to the station in
front to stop the train, which was the ex
press, with fifty miles to run before pulling
up 7-send special engine and tender aftei
them How could do either on my own
responsibility, and Only on suspicion p
Should go and report it? l should have
half an hour wasted in questioning, and
then, perhaps, be told that it was time
enough to act when there was ground tc
work upon. And what had l to advance
Nothing but that appealing look for ait
from her loved.
"Her loved" Yes, knew it now an6
| knew, too, that to be of service, ! mus
act.-act at the risk of life or limb.
thought all this, running after the train
fast gliding along past the platform.
l had lost too much time already as
darted along, for in few more seconds i
would have been impossible to overtake th,
fast st.receding carriages. There was shout
ing behind me as / ran one porter stoo(
right in my way looking after the red lights
and, in passing, | knocked him over. Th'
platform past, and bounding along the in
cline at the end, was out in the snow,
, night, when tripped over one of the poin
handles, and fell heavily, uttering a cry o
despair; but / was up again directly, ant
running along the rough line amidst cross
ing metals and rods that threatened t.
throw me every instant.
1t seemed the act of madman to ru'
now for the red lights were some distanc
ahead and gradually growing dim an!
burry amid the fog; but through the thicl
snow ran painting on, VITA my oieati
coming shorter and heavier, aud hot
burning sensation at my chest, while l
seemed that could taste blood, though m
mouth was dry and hot.
All at once my heart leaped and ever
nerve tingled. From the fast vanishing
train cane long, shrill whistle, which
r knew well enough meant red signals i
front, while, to my unutterable JOY, the en'
lamps of the guards van showed plaine
+ and palmer as painted on.
> Another stumble and fall over the poin
, rods-and was up again, needless that m
hands and forehead we're bleeding, and tha
l had lost my cap. There were the lamp
palmer and palmer, for the train had almo'
stopped but now, a hundred yards aheat
I. could overtake it before it started again
9 The suspense was horrible, felt my hea
swim as painted on.
Fifty yards passed, and the red lamps sti
receding, but bigger and less dim. On still
+ gssping and choking, and drawing my breat
with difficulty. Not twenty yards of, an
c if could have run, another few secou'
! would have seen me holding on by carrias
|. handle; but could only go at a heavy trc
|, "Bang bang !" went couple OF fog 81
O nails, and hope rose again as the engil
i slackened pace once more, and, almost at