The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-04

looked out.
We had stopped at a lonely little
way station in the midst ofa dense
pine woods. s
as this Exmouth.
1t vas the soft voice OF a pretty
traveller opposite.
"No-Idon't knew what place il is
some way station
"Does this train stop at way sta
tions2"
Mot generally; they must have
been specially signaled here"
at is cold" sic said, in a scarcely
audible voice, drawing her shawl
around her. "Oh, l wish they would
hurry on"
ave are moving once more" said,
"Conductor for the man of tickets
was passing through the car-"why
did we stop at that backwoods place? 2
"Out of water" was the reply, az
he huriredly passad by.
Now l knew perfectly well that thi:
answcr was not the true solution Of
the matter. Our delay did not exceed
half a minute, altogether too short q
time for rcplenishing the boilers.
Five minutes after, the conductor
re-cntered the car. l made room fol
him at my side.
"Sit down, conductor; you've Moth
ing to do this minute"
lie obeyed.
What did you mean by telling me
such a lie just now?
| spoke under my breath /; he replied
in the same tone:
"To tell You the truth, | stopped to
take on a single passenger-a gentle.
men who has come kown from Bays.
wafer
"For the pleasure of travelling once
more over the same routei"
Exactly so--for the purpose OF
travelling in certain society. Don't be
alarmed for your own sdfcty-its a
detective policeman"
L was about to repeat the words in
astonishment, when he motioned me
10 silence.
where is he Z"
"The detective? lie sits by the
door yOnder, with a ragged fur cap
pulled over his eyes. Did you ever
see q more perfect specimen of the
dilapidated couItyrman!
| smilcd /; l could hardly help ii.
What is the cascI"
A MURDER mai and his wife
and two little children-their Threats
cut, last night, and the house set on
fire aftcrward.'
We had continued the conversation
throughout in q whisper, scarcely
above our breath, and now the con
ductor rose and left me to study the
faces of my fellow passengers, with
curious dread and horror.
6 | felt convinced that a man opposite
with q heavy hanging jaws, was the
Cain and as l looked futively across
I caught the w%ide-open blue Orbs of
the pretty little traveller.
Obeying the instantaneous impulse
ofmy heart, | arose and went over to
her.
"You heard what we were saying?'
"Ycs-a murdcr-oh, how horri-
blew
ado not be frightcncd-no II shall
hurt you"
She smiledup in my face with sweet
confiding innocence.
Our stay i'm Exmouth was but brief;
but during the delay. i could see that
the watclIful detective had changed
his scat for one nearer the british
man with the hanging jaw.
"See," faltered the young girl, "thcy
locked the car doors at Exmouth;
they are unlocking them now"
Probably they were fearful that
the criminal would escape" remark
cd i'm al undertone.
will you-may | trouble you to
bring me a glass of water"
I rose and made my way toward
The i~cc-cooler by the door. To my
disappointment, the tin goblet was
changed to the shelf.
No matter" said she, with Il WIN
ming smile, al will come myself"
drew the water, and held up the
cup; but instead of taking it as she
approached, she brushed suddenly
past me, opened the door, and rushed
out upon the platform.
stop her! stop her" shouted the
detective, s%pringing to his feet; she
will be killed conductor, brakeman.
hold up!"
There was d rush, u tumult, 4 hustle.
was first upon the platform: but it
was empty and deserted, save by n
half-irozen looking brakeman.
"She went past me like a shadow,
and jumped of as we crossed Cairn
turnpike road" he stammered.
Jumped of an express train.
Well" said the conductor, Struggling
his shoulders, "shc must have been
killed instantly"
Its five hundred dollars out of Hsy
pocket said the detective ruefully.
Il vas a COMPOUNDED fool"
What" | calculated, "you surely
DO not meal that child"
II mcan," eaid the detective calm.
~, THAT child as you call her, is At
lila Burton, a married woman OF
twenty-siX years of age, who last
night murdered four persons in cold
blood, and was trying TO escape to
Canada"
The train was stopped, and a party
of us, headed by the conductor and de-
tectiye, went back TO search for any
trace Of the young creature. MOI
was il long before we found her, lying
quite dead by the side of the track
frightfully mangled by the force OF
The fall, and mutilatcd almost beyond
recognition
"Well, she's escaped justice in this
world, if not in the next said the dc.
tective gloomily.
"Do you suppose she expected tc
be able 10 spring of the moving train
without injury z" l asked.
Without much injury ; woman arc
unreasoning creatures. But | never
dreamed of such insane folly or ]
should have taken prompt measures
TO prevent it."
They lifted up the dead, fair thing
and carried il TO The nearest place OF
refuge---a lonely farmhouse among
the frozen hills, and We returned TO
the train, reaching Bayswater only q
few minutes behind our regular time.
And when in the next mornings
papers l read an account of the muir
dcrc.s. / thought of the slender -rca.
lures blue ewes and rosebud mouth
with a strange, plying thrill at my
heart.
AStOry with Neral.
AyounS man paving special alien
lion 10 a Young lady, met with tho