Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-06

heaEed up. WhRtfl we do"
q" don't know )" said Miss Fairbanks, drag
ging him close against the embsnkment where
the shadows where thiekest, and chDgtng to
him as If he were her last hope.
" I've got q pistol, said Johnny, displaying a
battered frearr1, we'll known to all the cats in
/ his native town. would IL be q good plan to
/ they were-were supplied with terror, you
I know, to hind 'ern hand and foot, and then sig
1 nal TO the approaching engineer"
Mrs air banks looked AZ the pistol, and At its
| Young owner and the combination of the two,
| with the terrified stupefsction tn at they were
expected to produce, Was so intensely ludicrOus
| that her sense of fun OveTcame her terror and
restored her self possession.
Il wouldn't do that. !" she said, soberly. Z" You
might be obliged to kill one or two of them, and
just think of going through the world with the
memory OF a muI der upon your soul"
IL wouldn't be murder" said Johnny, I" but
justihsble homicide. | guess Id better go"
"Siop," said Miss Fairbanks, IN her most
think"
Johuny obeyed, but cooked the redoubtsble
| pistol, and stared intently up the road. The
men who we're piliDg various distractions upon
the track evidently meant that their work
should not be done in vain, for although a dozen
rails were already artisticslly flung together,
they bad assembled the emhankment and were
trying to pry large rock from its bed TO add
TO the pile. Johnny could hear their voices a.
they spoke to each other, and inwsrdly chafed
at his enforced insctioD, but cOnsoled himself
by rejecting that, as he was protecting a lady.
nobody could possibly call him cowardly, no
matter what happened.
"Johnnv," said Miss Fairbanks so sharply
ar suddenly that be fairly jumped - How far
stOps?'
yours, ma'am? = our miles" said Johnny.
I'VE couldn't climb the embankment and go
round and come down on the track again, aud
get TO the station in time 10 stop the train there
could we?'
Hardy" said Johnny.
"Wbat shall we do" asked Miss Fairbanks
again.
Johnny ardently urged the adyan tages of his
plan to Intimidation, and Miss Fairbanks was
half Inclined 10 allow him TO carry 4 out. Viii
lans, she reflected, drawing her knowledge
from several text books on moral philosophy,
especially adapted to young ladies' semnaries,"
were always cowardly, and when Johnny APP
peared TO them these particular wretches would,
doubtless, run away, and there would be no
blOodshed whatever. Just as she had decided to
allow the young man to enter upon his philan-
thropic and murderous enterprise, the stone
which the men had been endeayoring TO loosen
yielded 10 their efforts and came down, bring
ing with II a great cloud of dirt and several
smaller rocks, and extnguished the light. The
men burst into profanity, audible even at the
seeming, to her. sufi GENTLY fiery TO rekindle the
eNtinguished lumInsry, but they consoled them.
selves with assuring each other that the thing
was safe any way, and then came rapidly along
the opposite embsDkmeDt towards the spot where
the lady and hoy were Standing.
on" said she; they're coming this way"
Never you mind, he replied, "they won't
see us, and we'll go up the road and stop the en-
CINE as soon as they pass"
on came the two men, swinging their lanterns
and talking with a carelessness which astouished
Miss Fairbanks. who had never before realized
what utter loneliness may prevail within a few
miles OF the city, and what deeds OF darkness
may be done in safety almost within sound OF
the chuTeh-bells of the metropolis With one
impulse she and Johnny shTank close to the en-
baDkment and listened.
Old President will wish he hadn Z DISCHARGED
me SO sudden. i reckon" said one.
. You're sure he'll be on the train,'' asked the
other.
ooh, yes; he is sure to 90 home to Thanks
giving. They won't relish their dinner in that
stuck-up house, to- morrow, guess. Twill do
that tall son OF his good, fancy, to have to earn
his own bread and butter, instead of keeping
his hands white at Harvard. They say that
nothing but the old mans pluck keeps the road
alive; his whole fortune is in it, and if he should
die the whole thing will go up, and that conceited
fop won't have a cent"
These were the last words that the listeners
heard, Tor the speakers took their way along
lane that turned of az right angles from the
track, and their lanterns soon disappeared in
the darkness,
Miss Fairbanks and johnny ran swiftly M the
road. There was no chance that their feeble
strength could remove the huge mound of rails
and earth and rocks, and a rapid cross -examina-
ton revealed the fact that Jonnny's ideas OF
signalling were of the vsgGest description.
daylight.
Miss Fairbanks wrung her hands and JOHNNY
hall whimpered. Suddenly she started to her
feet.
"Didn't you tell me there was telegraph
1s
Yes" said Johnny, wonderingly, "but the
man Amt there; so that's no good"
90 And didn't you say You could get in, said
Miss Fairbanks, swiftly pinnng up her short
dress and tightening her boot iacings
Yes" said Johnny, still more bewildered.
-" Come" she said, and started swiftly back
10 this day, Master Tweed entertains a pro-
found respect for Miss Fairbanks, on the ground
thFts she canrun without making you think Of a
cow" in which characteristic She differs from
all The lalies with whom he il l1 and
he candidly owns that he did not find it easy to
Keep pace with her along the track, and that
when they reached the little station he was
more exhausted than she. In fact, when they
had effected an entrance 10 the building, he had
just breath enough left 10 peevishly inquire
what she meant TO do, while she, thanks 10 long
training in gymnasium, was tolerably cool.
want match :" she said, ''to light the gas"
There amt no gas" said Johnny.
matches have you?"
one" said Johnny, searching his pockets
: u my mother let me smoke I'd have more,
but matches amt no good TO me. You see.'
Find the lamp, first, then" said She Eve
can't risk the match"
Johnny found the lamp while she took off her
gioyes, lighted it, and then again inquired:
" What are you gOlngtO dO?'
:. Telegraph" said she, shortly, sitting down
at the operators desk.
Telegraph IOuir said he.
fun"
The next three minutes, she saws, gave her
nal at the Office in the great city so many miles
OF, or would they be too busy with listening to
the messages from more important stations.
and would her petition for help be audible?
Would they be able to signal along the line TO
stop the tram which was travelling swiftly along
the line 10 sure destruction, bearing the Presi-
don't whose "WhOlc fortune was in the line, and
without whom the whole thing would go up"
Would Thanksgiving be day of sorrow to the
loving hearts which were waiting for the many
men and women on that train, or would it be
made indeed day of Thanksgiving for danger
escaped? \ gain and again she made her signal,
slowly and clearly, and at last the answer came,
evidently given by an operator with plenty Of
time. ard some surprised ilhumor.
Z" What on earth do you want?"
Back went the answer, "StOp the express train
or The southern road. Obstruction on the track
az GTeysyille. Plot TO Kill the President"
The answer was prompt: ''Send a message off,
Immediately" Ten minutes after came another
message. "hagereceived a telegram from Crews
vile. Man gone down TO the station. Train
will be stopped. Tell us about it,"
But the telegraph operator at the central sta
ton was rscked with the pangs of curiosity for
hours, for Miss Fairbanks tainted, and Johnny
did not know the telegrsphic alphabet, and was