Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-13

Empeeor Barbarosss or the Sleepinl
Beauty in her immortal wood.
Then Harold at beside Alice, and tool
her hand in his; and the servant Polly
seemed TO follow the example Of her legs
travelling companions, and sink into sleep
So Alice and Harold talked and talked
and were happy. About TO part appar
emily for years, yet they were happy Il
the present Surely that 10 one Of tn
most excellent and exquisite properties 0
love-exquisite in Tvs delight and in II
psin-thst II never looks beyond the pres
ont hour, but finds happiness now In
momentary meeting, though the agony o
. long parting threatens near ct hand
agony now in momentary parting, al
though the hope Of speedy reunion may
smile and offer consolation.
These two, then, were happy 1br thu
hour. But after all the whole journey
from London TO Liverpool by express Il
only some five hours affair; and two
hours hsd been wasted before our adven
turons lover emerged from his conceal.
ment. 30 the prospect Of Liverpool and
separation began to look very threatening
and imminent; and Harold, dreading and
detesting the thought Of such q parting
began to urge wild proposal. why
should they not escape at Liverpool take
the first train in the morning-onlya very
few hours to wait-and 60 on to scotland
and be married there? Then let the fam
lily do Its worst; and Harold would not 90
to the West Indies, but would push q ca
reer at home, Or, even If he had to 90,
he would at least leave behind him 2
welded wife, whom no ill-conditOned
step father could take from him. BE
my wife come and be my wife-that
first; that at all hazards!" SO rang the
refrain of the passionate outpouring
which for nearly an hour Harold kept
whispering into Alice's car.
The girl had spirit enough, and was not
willing TO yield. Indeed, there were few
risks life could offer which she was mo-.
ready To encounter rather than 60 back to
the dreary and odious home life, with Hsr.
old far away. Now she was being sent, as
she perfectly well knew, to the custody,
the mere custody, Of an uncle and aunt
in Liverpool, in order that che might be
kept out of the way until Harold should
have left London and gone out to the
West Indies, where he had relatives, and
where he hoped to make fortune.
"But. Harold dear" the girl whispered,
"thc thing is impossible. My uncle will
be at the station waiting for me with the
carriage. Do you think he would be like
ly to fall into our plans?" M
"No, Alice; l have thought of that. II
you have courage--and know you have
and are very, very quick, we can escape
and defy him Now listen, and don't be
afraid. just before we get to Liverpool
the train enters q tunnel, and inside the
mouth of the tunnel we stop for minute
IA bare momcnt--to make sure that all
Is clear. will have the door open, and
will take you in my arms and get out; it
will be perfectly easy and safe; and Polly
shall follow without one instant Of delay.
Then we hold our breaths, and stand in
the darkness close up TO the tunnel wall
for only q moment, until the train rushes
by; and then we get quietly out, take to
the road, get carriage at the nearest inn,
and drive 10 any station on the line, where
we can wait for the Scottish mail. Your
uncle will only suppose that you have put
OFT coming for day; he will grumble
and wait tor tomorrow without doing or
even suspecting anything, and then 1t
will be 100 late"
"If we are killed"
dearest, do you think / would expose
you to any dangerP
"No, Harold, it was not that. I was
only going to say that If we are Killed.
mean even il we are killed-we shall be
killed together!
Harold embraced his intrepid and
desperate fancee, and the plan was re-
solved on. A few whispered words con.
veyed the whole to stout hearted Polly,
who had romantic heart, and would have
| gone with these lovers anywhere-leaped
| at full speed rather than desert them. The
the two young barristers had long SINCE
been fast asleep In good reality; Harold
softly opened the door, and stood close to
1t with Alice in his arms; tho faithful
Polly loaded herself with such Of her mis-.
tress's cloaks and things a. she could at.
tempt to carry the train began already
to slacken its speed; they were at the
mouth Of the tunnel; Harold said, In a
whispG. "Noso, Lowell" And Alice shut
her eyes, and pressed her face against
his shoulder.
The train ratified and crashed Though
the echoing tunnel. The hollow, hideous
reverberations aroused our sleeping bar.
risters. Sargent started up, and rubbed
his eyes.
"Hsllo, Rossmore, this Is the Edgehill
Tunneli We shall be in Liverpool in a
moment. Shake yourself up, old boy"
"All right" replied Rossmore, yswn-
ing. "Glad we're in. But say, 6er-
gent, look here-why-dld we stop any
wherei"
"of course not. Why do you ssk,"
| "Then where are our fellow travellers ~
"Good Heavens TO be sure, where
are theyf forgot all about them. But
they were here-thats certain; and we
stopped at no station, and now they are
gomez"
"Confound it, never knew anything
like that That man, Harold, whoever
he was, came in mysteriously, and now
he has gone out even more mysteriously,
and spirited away the two women along
with himw
II say, Rossmore, how If your sugges.
ton Of this evening should have turned
out q prediction.f Have we had ghosts
in our railway traini"
Both laughed both were incredulous