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

II was DlCteF nl8nL IN January, a
night when homeless wanderers on the
moor might have sunk down and froze
to death, and the very marrow seemed
CONCEALED in ones bones.
There's one advantage in steam, -
grewled a fat old gentleman in the cor
ner seat. ''Wind and weather don't eff
feet it. No flesh and blood horse could
stand night like this, but the iron horse
keeps straight ahead, whether the ther-
mometer is at zero or boiling heat"
just then the conductor. entered.
Tickets, gentlemen, if you please. &"
''It's dreadful night, conductor" I
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 I look the 9TH
er way when they creep in-poor fellows
to get breath of warm air at the
stove. We have not had such bad
night since a year ago the second of Feb
Lue'1J, 10, Tom Rlakeslee the bag
gage master, froze both his feet, and a
woman who was coming on from Chica-
go, got off at Bunn's Four Corners, with
her baby in her arms, corpse"
"FrOZe to death =
AYE, frozen to death, and shs never
thought-poor thing-but it was asleep.
My baby is cold, says she, but we'll
soon warm it when we get home 1t
was just such night as this"
And the conductor opened the door,
and plunged across the opening into the
next car, crying out
''Hardwick.
1t was quite a considerable city, with
a handsome iron depot, f1aring gas lamps
and the usual wdaround the platform,
with hands in their pockets and 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, trim
med 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 I,
but you had better come near to the
stove"
She started, hesitated an instant, and
then obeyed.
''Does this train go to Bayswater ?"
she asked in a voice so deliciously soft
and sweet that it seemed to thrill through
me.
Eyes; can be of any service to you p
''Oh, no-at least not till we reach
Bayswater. would like to have a car
riage then"
1--WE shall not be there these three
hours"
''DO we stop again ?"
''Only at Exnouth."
She drew a deep sigh, seemingly of
relief, and settled back in corner. By
the light of the lamp that hung in its
brass fixture 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 little rosy
mouth, like that of baby.
''Do you expect friends to meet you
at Bayswater, my child?" | asked Incl
dentally.
No, sir, l am going to school there. :"
1T will be an awkward hour for you
to arrive atone in the morning"
"Oh, / am not afraid" she said, with
an artless lNtle laugh; Il shall go
straight to the seminary"
So the express train thundered on,
with ceaseless pulsing of its iron heart,
and constant roar. Suddenly the signal
whistle sounded, AMI the train began to
slacken its speed.
''Surely, we are not at Exmouth yet, :"
| thought, ''unless have fallen uncon-
sciously asleep, and allowed the progress
of time to escape me.
l 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 wood.
''Is this Exmouth ?"
1t was the soft voice of the pretty
traveller opposite.
''No-I don't know what place it is !;
some way station"
''Does this train stop at way stations?'
mot generally they must have been
specially signaled here. You are cold,
my child. | notice your voice trembles. T"
sit is cold, she said, in a scarcely au-
dible voice, drawing her shawl around
her. "Oh, wish they would hurry
on !"
1--WE are moving once more" / said.
'ConductOr"-fort the man of tickets
was passing through the car-"why did
we stop at that backwoods place ?"
"Out of water" was the reply, as the
man hurriedly passed on.
Now ! knew very well that this an
swer was not the true solution of the
matter. Our delay did not exceed half