Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-07-30
MIFFLINToWN, JUNlATA COUNTY, PENN'A, JULY 80 1878

"The way train." he muttered to him
self. "It's all right. And then the
freight train-half past nine-a quarter
to ten and"
He stopped down by the river shore
and wet his burning forehead with the
cool drops he could scoop up in the. hol
low Of the hand. He eat down on a
fallen tree, and let his head fall on his
palms.
"Am drunk :" he muttered, half
aloud. 80 God |! have come to this in
spite of every thing
And the memory of Dorothy Beers
and his sacred promise to her rose up in
his mind, as one sometimes remembers
promise made to the dead In all the
wild. wide, reeling, rocking, world of his
brain there was but one certainty. He
had lost Dorothy, his soft stepping,
sweet-eyed, redeeming angel-the one in
all the world who loved and trusted him
most implicitly.
Il don't deserve her." he thought,
scarce able to shape definite thought in
his chaotic mind '.but-if l had only
fallen down dead before-before l touch
ed that accursed stuff! She would have
believed in me then"
The fresh, cool night air on his brow
was SOLDERING him little the touch of
the cold river water cleared the mists of
his clouded brain in some degree. He
rose up, steadying himself by the slen-
der stem Of a young white birch tree
that grew close beside him and looked
around.
Hark A clear whistle, half mile
away, cleaving the silence like the call
of some sweet throated bird.
1t was the express, whose plum Of
lurid smoke spanncd half continent
the long serpent like train, glittering with
lights, and carrying great eye Of fire
in front, which nightly thundered over
the line of rails. and shot like a meteor
out of sight into the hush and silence of
the woods, westward bound.
The way train passed at nine. making
a brief stoppage at Hurstley station
beyond, mere wooden shed with plat
form on either side Halt an hour after
ward slow and heavy freight train fol-
lowed it, running off on side track to-
ward the river shore until the express
should have safely passed. And it was
the special business Of Israel Esmayne
to set the switch for the freight, and sub
seGuently replace it for tic 5-hurrying ex.
press.
Had he done this ? With an awful
doubt poisoning his heart, he pressed his
hands On his temples and tried to think.
He had been there-he could recall just
how the dewy rails looked, wet and glis-
tening in the starlight. He had had the
switch key in his Land-that he could
also remember But was that before or
after the freight had switched off? Ee
could no: remember whether the freight
had passed or not. He did not know
whether lie had locked the switches twice
or once. or, good heavens, not at all -
The past was swaying vacuam, the fu-
ture strange and dream like He closed
his eyes, he pressed his temples as if
either hand had been vice of iron, in
the wild agonizing effort to recall the
last half hour.
80 GodT he groaned aloud. as he
threw himself on his face in the wet
grass. sam going mad ?"
Something hard struck against his
breastbone as he flung himself down it
was the fatal flask. He tore it out. half
full of dork red poison, aud dashed it
passionately into the bushes. 1t was
that-that that had done all the mischief.
30 Heavenly Father y he cried aloud
in his great anguish, "if it please Thee
to avert from me this awful crime of
murder done thousand fold and naught
but one of Thy miracle can avert it now
l swear before Thy pavement of stars to
touch that DEVILS broth no more! o
God, hear me! o Ch-ist, save me =
The earth beneath his groveling breast
thrilled and quivered as the express train
flew over the rails, and Israel Esmayne
held his breath, momentarily expecting
the awful crash which would stain his
soul with the eternal brand of Cain.
Hush An owl hooting afar off in
the woods, the cry of some sad voiced
night bird over head, and then-another
whistle. clear and CHEEKY. The express
had passed through Hurstley-passed
through safe and sound And Israel
Esmayne, staggering to his feet, gazed
around him an instant, clutched vaguely
at the air, and then fell unconscious.
"Uncle. he is coming to. Oh, uncle,
| knew-I knew that he was not dead J"
And the soft eyes of Dorothy Beers