Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-10-14


presence in my cabin but two hours
since was sufficiently explained now.
He had writhed in. deadly and noise
lessly, like serpent, TO work my ruin,
and elevate himself upon the wreck Of
my good name and trust. His hand
had moved back the indices ofmy time
piece upon the dial with a motive too
horrible for me to contemplate with
out a shu'lder. He knew (for had |
not myself told him! that the Light
ming Express going north met the
branch road train at seven o'clock, and
that it rushed wildly forward without
stopping. with only whistle of warn
ing. The switch was set to the branch
road it must be changed at quarter
to seven, or the Lightning Express
would leave the track and collide with
the Accommodation" calmly waiting
it in fancied security. Yes; John
Walker had deliberately laid his plans
10 ruin me and Barbara-could it be
possible that Barbara's sweet frank
ness, her unwontcd presence, her warn
ing, were part of his tiendish con ,piracy
to divert my attention and vile me
away from the post Of my duty! Was
Barbara in his INTEREST," and had
been doubly deceived! As | stood
there perfectly motionless with cold
drops oozing out upon my brow, and n
frozen sort of rigidity at my heart.
could almost see the shattered cars.
the shapeless, splintered ruin, the
crushed machinery, the gastly faces
upturned TO the glowing purple of the
fair twilight sky: | could hear the
slrieks and groans and dying gasps
through the dull continuous roar that
seemed to urge across my brain aud
II should have been the unconscious
murderer. the guiltlcs, criminal q
God of all mcrcies Was there no way
of averting the impending shadows of
this awful catastrophe.
All this was thought in a second
and before the chimes had ceased ring
ing the final stroke Of seven. | bounded
from the room. Nv usual route down
10 the switch was n footpath, steep and
narrow, that sklrted the edges of the
prcci, ,pitous hill but there Was u nearer
and much more direct way. through
dense underground AMI matted briers
and bushes, through il | plunged,
needless Of tearing thorns and tangled
branches, which seemed 10 impede my
progress with almost humane malice.
As | ran, nv speed was accelerated bv
the shrlll whistle of the approaching
accommodation train. | did not mimi
that-tla accommodation would stop
Oh its track and wait for the lightning
express to pass but hal not second
TO spare, for usually the whlstlins 0.
the Lightning was heard ~ II II were
the echo of the other, SO nearly sim
ultaneously were they due Mt Branhill
junction. As neared the track, with
breath that came in short, painting sJD-,
and lahoring pulses. | saw, A. ii were.
through a mist of blood, the white
starry CLEAN of the signal lamp in It's
accustomed place-the "all right"
token 10 the engineer Of the lightning
train.
Whose hand had so foully lighted
that treacherous star of doom!
As | ran, | searched for the kew Of
the switch-lock. 1t was safe. sprang
10 the track, hurling down the signal
with vehemence that shlvered the
strong glass to Il thousand atoms. |
thrust the key into the lock, and un-
locked the switch. treat heavens
10, ;,,.,.,,..l.I.F -.
had done his work completely, and with
Il small wooden wedge driven firmly be-
tween the lever and iron framework
cf the switch. had ma,ie the movement
of the former impossible. he loud
shrek of the now approaching train
/ gave me additional strength i'll vain,
| for | could not move the rails. Walk
cr and Barbara Wyclihc had neglect
/ ed no one link in the chain Of their de-
| testable plot. One instant | stool,
/ i'll the utter abandonment of despair
/ In the same terrible instant the glare
| OF the laundering train flashed on the
track and lighted it up with painful
brilliancy and saw. as | knew, that
4 the rails we're wrong. While my mind
4 seemed To give way before the terrible
doom which had no power to avert,
q breathless, gasping voice sounded
close To my ear, and heavy iron i'll.
strument was thrust into nay bands |
did not see her but knew who it was.
did not see the implement which
| grasped. but knew there was strength
| in il.
Reuben, Reuben. Quick. it is
the crowbar -
Before she had finished the words,
had formed my plan Of action had
acted. With a powerful blow struck
the iron rod of the sw.tch-the thin
stem which connected the lever and the
them, but which now prevented them
| from moving. A single blow was
enough. heard the sharp twang OF
the iron rod as it snapped. | bounded
to the side of the track placed the
crowbar as lever under the rail, and
was about to move the switch, with a
laugh of relief, into its place, when
felt both my arms grappied from behlnd
with hold as firm as steel, and wa.
violently thrown back, dropping thu
crowbar as fell.
Not so fast, Reuben Eyre" hisset
the hated voice of John Walker. clost
to my ear. Il will be revenged yet
though pretty Barbara has played M
false"
! struggled with a strength that al
terward seemed to me weli-nigh super
natural, to free myself from his cling
ing grasp, but in vain. He had draw
me, suppose unconsciously, on to tn
track, and could already feel beneatl
c -. Cat tho fhr;ll nd fr..uahIo Of III,