The Van Buren press., 1870-11-29

| ~
at my side.
"Sit down, conductor; you've moth
| ing to do this minute"
He obeyed.
"What do you mean by telling me
such q lie just nowT
spoke under my breath; he replied
in the same tone.
"About what?"
"About the reason you stopped just
now"
He smiled.
ITO tell you the truth. stopped to
take on single passenger--a gentleman
who has come down from Bayswatcr."
For the pleasure Of travelling once
more over the same routeT'
Exactly so--fer the purpose OF trav-
cling it in certain society. Don't be
alarmed for your own safcty--its detcc-
tive policeman."s
] was about to repeat the words In a.
tonishment, when be motioned me to st.
lence.
"Where Is he?
"The detectiveP He sits by the does
yonder, with ragged fur cap pulled over
his eyes. Did you ever see more per-
feet specimen OF the dilapidated country.
man 7"
| smiled; could hardly helpi Il.
"What is the case!'
"a murder--a man and his wife and
two little children--their throats cut, last
night, and the house set on fire after
wards"
"Grcat Heavens what monster !"
We had continued the conversation
throughout in whisper scarcely above
our breath, and now the conductor arose
and left me me to study the faces Of my
fellow. passengers with curious dread and
borrow.
Somehow, often as revolved the mat
ter in my mind, my fancy would settle on
a coarse, gross looking man opposite,
with a bnshy beard and shaggy coat,
with the collar turned up around his ears
felt convinced that this man with the
heavy hanging jaw was the Cain and as
I looked furtively across caught the
wide open blne orbs OF the fair little girl.
Obeying the instantaneous impulse Of
my heart, arose and went over to her
"You heard what we were saying, my
child ?"
"Yes--a murder--eh, how horrible !"
" De not be frightcned--n0 one shall
hurt you"
She smiled up in my face with sweet,
confiding innocence.
Our stay in Exmouth was but brief;
but, during the delay, could see that
the watchful detective had changed his
sent for one nearer the british man In
the shaggy coat,
"See," faltered the young girl, +" they
licked the car door at Exmouth they
She was right
Probably they were fearful that the
criminal would escape" remarked In an
undertone.
"Will you--may l trouble you to
bring me glass Of water y
rose aud made my way toward the
ice.cooler by the door, but with difficulty,
for the train was again under rapid mo.
ton. TO my disappointment the Tin
goblet was chained to the shelf.
mo matter" said she, with winning
smile, 81 will como myself"
/ drew the water and held up the cup
but instead of taking it as she approach
ed. she brushed suddenly past me. open
ed the door, and rushed out upon the
platform.
"Stop her stop her p shouted the de-
tective, springing to his feet; she will
be killed; conductor, brakeman, hold
up"
There was rush; tumult, hustle.
/ was first upon the platform but 1t was
empty and deserted. save by half-frozen
looking brakeman, who seemed horror
stricken.
"She went past me like shadow, and
jumped off a. we crossed Cairn turnpike
road" he stammcrcd.
b"Jumped of the express train Well,'
said the conductor, struggling his shonl.
ders, she must have been instantly kill.
ed. What mad folly"
"Its five hundred dollars out of my
pocket" said the detective ruefully. ~
didn't want row before we got to Bays
water, but was confounded fool A
woman cornered will do anything, be-
lieve." .gsA sE3mmTfEJ
What" I calculated, "you surely do
not mean that child"
~ mean," said the detective, calmly,
:" that child, as you call her, is Attila
Burton, married woman OF twenty.six
years of age, who last night murdered
four persons in cold blood, and was try.
ing to escape to Canada That's what ]
mean"
The train was stopped, and party OF
us, headed by the conductor and dctcc.
tiye, went back to search for any trace
of the beautiful young creature, whose
loveliness and apparent innocence had
appealed SO strongly to my sympathies
Nor was it long before VIC found her, ly-
ing quite dead by the side Of the track,
frightfully manglcd by the force Of the
fall, and mutilatcd almost beyond recog'
milton.
"Wcll, she's escaped justice In this
world, II not In the next" said the do
tective gloomily, as he stood looking
down upon her remains.
"Do you suppose she expected to be
able to spring off the moving train with
out injury" asked. trtf
"Without much injury; women are un-
oning creatures. But never dreamed
of such insane folly or should have tn.
ken prompt measures 10 prevent IT,"
mi 1;fs s<A ,.,~ tlo Hood fosp thtwU and