Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-18

minute, ,saltOgether too short tor replen-
ishing the boilers and where on earth
was the water to come from in that desc
late stretch of barren pine woods +?
Five minutes after, the conductor re-
entered the car made room for him
at my side.
'.Sit down conductor you've nothing
to do now"
He obeyed
tWhat do you mean by telling me
such lie just now ?"
spoke under my breath, he replied
in the same tone
"About what p
"About the reason you stoppedto take
ON single passenger, a gentleman who
has come down from Bayswater, for the
pleasure of travelling once more over the
same route.
Exactly so-for the purpose of trav-
cling it in certain society. Don't be
alarmed for your own society-its a de-
tectiye policeman"
was about to repeat the words in as
tonishment, when he motioned me to
caution.
FWhere is he ?"
eThe detective? He sits by the door
yonder, with a ragged fur cap pulled
over his eyes. Did you ever see a more
perfect specimen of the dilapidated
conntryman ?"
/ smiled; | could hardly help it,
"What is the case ?"
ga murder-a man and wife and two
little children-their throats cut last
night, and the house set on fire after
wards.
"Great Heavens what a monster! !"
We had continued the conversation
throughout in a whisper, scarcely above
our breath, and now the conductor rose
fellow passengers with curious dread and
horror
Somehow, as often as I revolved the
matter in my mind, my fancy would
settle on a coarse, gross-looking man OPP
posite, with bushy beard and shaggy
coat, with the collar turned up around
his ears. | felt that this man, with the
heavy hanging jaw, was Cain! And
as looked furtiVely across, / caught
the wide open blue orbs of the fair lit
tie girl.
Obeying the instantaneous impulse of
my heart arose and went over to her.
''You have heard what we were say
ing, my child ?"
"Yes-a murder Oh, how horrible !"
''Do not be frightened; no one shall
hurt you"
She smiled up in my face with sweet,
confiding innocence.
Our stay at Exmouth was but brief
but during the delay | could see that the
ever watchful detective had changed his
seat for one nearer the british man with
the shaggy coat.
''See, faltered the young girl, they
locked the car doors at Exmouth they
are unlocking them now"
She was right.
Probably they were fearful that the
criminal would escape" I remarked, in
an undertone.
"Will you-may 1 trouble you to bring
me glass of water 2"
rose and made my way toward the
ice cooler with difficulty" for the train
was again under rapid motion. To my
vexation, the goblet was chained to the
shelf.
mo matter" said she, with winning
smile. II will come myself"
l drew the water, and held up the
up "~s ii,9's~1 nf taking it as she ap-
preached, she brushed SUDDEN, ,,sat 10
OJIIId lllC dOOls anu luSlltQ OHl uiJOu
the platform.
''Stop her Stopher !" shouted the de-
tective, suddenly springing to his feet.
''She will be killed! Conductor brake
man. hold up"
There was a rush, a tumult, a hustle.
] was first upon the platform; but it
was empty and deserted, save by half
frozen brakeman, who seemed horror
stricken.
"She went past me like a shadow, and
jumped off as we crossed Cairn turnpike
road" he stammered.
Jumped off the express train :" said
the conductor "Wel," he added,
Struggling his shoulders, "she must have
been killed instantly. What mad fol
ly!"
Its five hundred dollars out of my
pocket, " said the detective, ruefully. II
didn't want a row before we got to
Bayswater, but was confounded fool
A woman cornered will do anything, I
believe"
"What ?" l calculated, ''you surely do
not mean that child"
II mean," said the detective calmly,
''that child as you call her, is Atilla Bur
ton, married woman, twenty-sIx years
of age, who, last night, murdered four
persons in cold blood, and was trying
to escape to Canada. That's what /
mean"
The train was stopped, and party of
US, headed by the conductor and detec-
tive, went back to search for a4y trace
of the beautiful yc8lng creature whose
loveliness and apparent innocence had
appealed to my sympathies. Nor was it
long before we found her, lying quite
dead beside the track, frightfully mans-
led by the force of the heavy fall, and
mutilated almost beyond recognition.
"Well, she's escaped justice in this
world if not in the next" said the 9etec-
tive gloo,nily, as he stood looking down
upon her remains.
''Do you suppose she expected to
be able to jump from the moving train
without injury 2" ] asked.
without much injury, most women
are unreasoning creatures. But | never
dreamed of such insane folly, or, you
can reckon, should have taken prompt
measures to prevent it..
They lifted up the dead fair thing, and
carried it to the nearest place of refuge
"a lonely farm house among the frOZey
hills, and we returned to the train, reach
ing Bayswater only a few minutes be-
hind our regular time.
And when in the next mornings pa
pears read an account of the murder
ess, | thought of the slender creatures
blue eyes and rosebud mouth, with
strange plying thrill at my heart.
Selections.
The hest Iessons.a a man eyer has are