The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-01

should rise on its foundations, holding the
flat bottle close to him and glancing aroun I
with furtvc, wandering eyes.
Il needed it,, he said to himself Eyes I
needed it. I didn't know how much until
| tasted it. just one moro taste, it slips
over ones palate like glass, so smooth, so
rich, so full of strength. One more taste
and then
When the clock struck nine the whistle Of
the way train sounded faint and far off, and
Israel Esmaync rose uncertainty to his feet
The subtle, burning fumes of the liquid
flame had entered into his brain, the walls
seemed to reel about him, the stars to swim,
in the great blue armament overhead.
Nothing was rcal-all was faint and far of
and visionary. But the chains of habit arc
hard to shake Off and Israel had gone out
at nine o'clock every night for year.
Cropping his way, and walking with slow,
unsteady steps, he went, still clasping the
partially empticd flask to his breast, in the
inner pocket of his coat.
lie could hear the rush of the river be-
low; he could sec the rails of the track
glistening in the faint starlight; and me-
chanically feeling under cluster of spice
bushes for the switch-key; he knelt down
and stupidity fumblcd there an instant.
'The way train he murmured to himself.
Its all right And then the freight train
half past ninc-a quarter TO ten, and
He stopped down 10y the rivcr-housc and
wet his burning forehead with the cool
drops he could scoop up in the hollow of
his hand. lie sat down on fallen tree,
and let his head fall on his hands.
Am | drunk he muttered half aloud.
90 God have | come to this in spite of ey-
crything?'
And the memory of Dorothy Beers and
his sacred promise to her rose up in his
mind, as one sometimes remembers prom
iscs made to the dead. In all the wild,
reeling world of his brain there was but one
certainty. lie had lost Dorothy, his soft
stepping, swect-cyed rcdeeming angcl-the
one in all the world who loved and trusted
him implicitly.
Il don't deserve her, he thought, scarce
able to shape definite thought in his cha
otto mind, but, if | had fallen down dead
bcfore-before | touched that accurscd
stun! She would have believed in me then.
The fresh cool night air ON his brow was
soldering him Il little the touch of the cold
river water cleared the mists of his clouded
brain in some degree. lie rose up, steady
ing himself by the slender stem of a young
white-birch tree that grew close beside him,
and looked around
llark! a clear whistle, half Il mile away,
cleaving the silence like the call of some
swcct-tlroatcd bird.
IL was the express, whose plume oil lurid
smoke spanncd half contincnt-thc long,
scrpcnt-likc train, glittcring with lights
and carrying great eye of fire in front,
which nightly Numbered over the lines OF
rails and shot like "a ant Of Il,
the woods beyond, westward bound.
The way train passed at nine, making Il
brief stoppage at lIurstlcy's station beyond,
mere wooden shed with II platform ON
either side. Half an hour aftcrward a slow
and heavy freight train followed it, running
off on side track toward the river shore
until the express should have safely
passed. And it was the special business OF
Israel Esmaync to set the switch for the
freight and replace it for the hurrying OK
press.
Had he done this ?
with an awful doubt poisoning his heart,
he pressed his hands to his temples and
tried to think. He had been therc-hc
could recall just how the dcwy rails looked,
wet and glistenng in the starlight. He
had had the switch key in his hand-that
he could also remember. But was that be-
fore or after the freight had switched off ?
lie could not remember whether the freight
had passed or not. He did not know
whether he had locked the switch twice or
once or not at all. The past was sway
Ing vacuum, the future strange and dream
like. lie closed his eyes, he pressed his
temples as if either hand had been wise of
iron, in the wild, agonzing effort to recall
the last half hour.
a al, 4
on his face in the wet grass cam | going
mad =
Something hard struck against his breast
bone as he threw himself down; il was
the fatal flask He tore il out, half full of
dark red poison, and dashed it passionately
into the bushes. 1t was that which had
done all the mischief.
"Oh Heavenly Father :" he cried aloud
in his great anguish, ''if ii plcascs thee to
avert from me this awful crime of murder
done thousand fold-and naught but one
OF thy miracles can avert it now-I vow
before thy pavement of stars to touch the
devils broth no more. o God, hear me I,
o Christ, save me ~
The earth beneath his grovcling breast
thrilled and quivercd us the express train
flew over the rails. And Israel Esmaync
held his breath, momcntarily expecting the
awful crash which should stain his soul
with the eternal brand of Cain.
Hush . an owl hOoting afar off in the
woods, the cry of some sad-voiccd. night
bird overhead, and then another whistle.
clear and cherry. The express had passed
through llurstley- passed through safe and
sound. And Israel Esmaync staggered to
his feet, gazed around him an instant,
clutching vaguely ut the air, and then fell
Unconscious.
"Uncle, he is recovering. Oh, uncle, |
knew knew that he was not dead"
And the soft eyes of Dorothy Beers were
the first thing Israel saw as his soul came
out OF the world of shadows and oblivion,
with old Jonathan leaning on his cane Just
beyond.
Tel me, Dotty," he gasped, chow did
it happen? The-thc switches
1T was my girl did it., said the old man.
"Shc come by. and she heard the freight a
whistlng, and she sees the switches wasn't
right, nor no signal, nor nothing"
Something's happened" says my girl
''lsraels been took sick or dead says she
And there lay the key in the middle of the
track, and she catches it up, and she I'M
locks the switches-yOu showed her how
to do it yourself, Esmayne, one summer
aftcrnoon-and she hangs up the white Ian
tern. And then she calls out to one of the
brakeman, 'Sct these ere right for the en-
press says she. "Quick or there may
he a thousand lives lost. "Where is the
switch tender p says he. Good only
knows, says my Dotty. And she comes
back after me-
Uncle" says She, all white and trem-
bling like, come with me-" What for?"
says !. ITO look for Israel" says she.
don't sleep this night till we've found him, 4"
says my Dotty.
God bless her !" cried ont Esmaync in a
choked voice. God be thanked for all
his mercics.
WAS it a fit ?" asked the old man curl
ously, elbow did it come on 2"
but Israel Eslnayne spoke no word on
the subject, either then or ever. lie mar
RED Dorothy Beers in the spring, and he
mas sacredly kept his vow, and if he lives
To Dp "A hundred yaarc old In ,,,,II e,;u I..,..