New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-30
ESCAPED FROM JUSTICE,

II was Il Dlttcr cola night III January
night when homeless wanderers on the
moors might lave sunk down and iroze t,
death, and the very marrow seemed to con
geal in ones bones.
There's one advantage in steam,
growled a fat old gentleman in the corner
seat; wind and weather don't affect it
No flesh and blood horse could stand a
night like this, but the iron horse keeps
straight ahead, whether the thermometer is
at zero or at boiling water heat"
just then the conductor entered.
Tickets, gentlemen, if you please
Its dreadful night, conductor" said
feeling with stiffened fingers for my ticket,
in the breast pocket of my coat.
Dreadful, sir" feelingly responded the
conductor. "Why, the brakemen can't live
outside, and SO look the other way when
they creep in, poor fellows, to get a breath
of warm air at the stove. We have not had
such night since year ago the second of
February, when Tom Blakeslee, the bag
gage master, froze both his feet, and a
woman, whe was coming on from Chicago
got off at Bunn's Four Corners, with her
baby in her arms, corpse"
"'Frozen to death 2"
AYE, frozen to death, and she never
thought poor thing, but it was asleep. MY
babys cold says she, but We'll soon warm
}twhen we get home 1t was just such a
night as this"
And the conductor opened the door, and
plunged across the coupling into the next
car, crying out:
'.Hardwick
1t was quite a considerable city, with a
handsome IRON depot, tlaring gas lamps, and
the usual crowd around the platform, with
hands in its pockets, and its cigar ends
flaming through the night.
Our car was nearly the last Of the long
train, and but one passenger entered it-a
slender young girl, wrapped in a gray
blanket shawl, and wearing a neat little
travelling hat of gray straw, trimmed with
stone colOred velvet flowers. She seemed
to hesitate, like one unused to travelling,
and finally sat down near the door,
pardon me, young lady," said |. but
you had better come nearer to the stove"
She started, hesitated an instant and then
Obeyed.
Does this train 20 to Bayswater !" she
asked III voice so delicously soft and
sweet that it seemed to thrill through me-
Eyes; can be of any service to you!"
"Oh, nO-at least not until we reach Bays
water. would like carriage then"
I'VE shall not be there yet these three
hours"
"Do we stop again q
"Only at EXmOuth."
She drew deep sigh, seemingly of re-
lief, and settled back in a corner By the
light of the lamp that hung in its brass fix
ture opposite, could see her face, that of a
lovely child. Apparently she was no more
than sixteen, with large blue eyes, golden
hair, brushed smoothly back from her face,
and a little rosy mouth like that of a baby.
''Do you expect friends to meet YOU at
Bayswater, my child" I!asked, incidentally
mo, sir am going to school there.'i
sit will be an awkward hour for YOU to
arrive atone in the morning
80, am not afraid she said, with an
artless little laugh; Il shall go straight to
the seminary"
So the express train Numbered on. with
steady ceaseless pulsing at its iron heart
and constant roar.
Suddenly the signal whistle sounded, the
train began to slacken its speed.
surely we're not at EXmOuth yet" /
thought, "unless have fallen unconsciously
asleep and allowed the progress of time to
escape me-"
glanced at my watch: it was barely half
past eleven, and knew we were not due at
Exmouth until after twelve. / rubbed the
frost from the pane and looked out.
We had stopped at lonely little way
station in the midst of dense pine woods
''Is this Exmouth!''
1t was the soft voice of the pretty traveller
'No-I don't know what place it Isl some
way station
Does this train stop at way statiOns!'
'Not generally; they must have been
specially signaled here. You are cold, nv
child; your voice trembles."
ut is cold" she said, in scarcely au-
dible voice, drawing her shawl around her |
"Oh, wish they would hurry on"
1--WE are moving once MORE" | said. |
'Conductor'-for the man of tickets was |
passing through the car-.'why did we
stop at that baclrnPods place ~
Out OF water; was the reply, as he
hurriedly passed by.
Now, l knew perfectly well that this
answer was not the true solution of the
matter. Our delay did not exceed half
minute. altogether too short time for re-
pienlshlng the boilers and where on earth
was the water to come from in that desolate
stretch OF barren pine woods!
FIVE minutes after, the conductor re-
entered the car. L made room for him at
my side.
''Sit down, conductor; you've nothing to
do this minute"
He obeyed.
What do you mean by telling me such
l 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 passengers gentleman who has
come down from Bayswater."
''For the pleasure of travelling once more
over the same route ~
Exactly so-for the purpose of travelling
t in certain society. Don't be alarmed for
your own safety; it's detective police
man."
l was about to repeat the words in aston
shment, when he mOtiOned me to silence.
"Where is he ?"
''Ihe detective! He sits by the door yon-
Ter, with ragged fur cap pulled over his
Eyes: Dld you ever see more perfect
specimen of the dilapidated countryman -
! smiled; could hardly help it,
What is the ease r.
"A murder--a man and his wife and two
ittie chiidren-their Threats cut last night,
md the house set ON fire afterward."
''Great heavens! what a monster"
We had continued the conversation
throughout in whisper, scarcely above |
ur breath, Gand now the conductor rose and |
eft me to study the faces of my fellow mas |
engers, with curious dread and horror.
Somehow, often as | revolved the matter
4 my mind, my fancy would settle on a
oarse, gross looking man opposite, with a
ushy beard and a shaggy coat, with the
onvinced that this man with the heavy
angling jaw was the Cain! and as looked
Irtively across caught the wide open blue
RIBS of the fair little girl
Obeying the instantaneous impulse OF my
cart, arose and went over to her.
You heard what we were saying, my
hild!"
"Yes--a murder-oh, how horrible" j.