The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-17

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ed her with horror the heavy blows upon
the panels filled her with dismay. They
would escape yet Her children-on them
they would wrcak their vengence. A the
thoIlrht her cries and tears broke forth.
"Thcy will die, and shall have killed them"
she cried out; and then blindly reaching
forth to feel her way back to their room, all
SIGHT, sense, sound, seemed suddenly to desert
her. She slid down few stairs, clinging to
the rail then, losing her hold, fell heavily
on the stone floor of the hall below.
III.
Mr. Fcrgusson has reached his nearest sta.
'tion in safety, had sent back the wraps his
careful wife had guarded him with, and
started 10y the ten o'clock train to FOrdham.
The rain beat in the windows as the train
flew along in the darkness, and presently Il
prolonged whistle told them where he would
have to wait some ten minutes or so.
Two or three ramps on the platform by
which they drew up showed some few pas.
songers and a couple of sleepy porterS. An
other train had Just come in from the oppo-
site direction, from FOrdham, now only III
teen miles distant; and some OF It's pasSen-
gers had alighted and were making their way
past the line of carriages.
lpOhll1 bul pun MS ~ 'Oh-ti ~ " A'A'
out much curiosity or interest, Mr. FERGUSON
caught sight Of face which he had little eX-
pcctcd to see. Shouting to a porter TO open
the door of his compartment he sprang out
and graspcd the arm Of man very much like
Ihmset-in fact, his own elder brother.
George" he exclaimed "wcrc you going
for me: Is my father worsc?'
"Wnat on earth do you mean, and where.
ever did YOU spring FROM" was the answer
he rot, accompanied by look of profound
ama2emcnt WHY, man alive, have you
gone crazy, that you stand staring at me SO? p
And George Ferguson checked disposition
to laugh at his brothers bewilderod express
sion only when he saw the pallor that over
spread his face.
"Oh, George" he said, with a gasp, did
you not telegraph to me this evening that my
father had had another tt?'
Most certainly did not"
"Oh, NV wife, my wife, said the clergy
man; and then he staggered up to heap of
luggage and sat down and hid his face in his
hands. HIS brother saw the matter was Sc
rious; so he let his own train pass on without
rcsumng his journey, and was soon in pos
session of all the explanation John Fergus
son could give him,
Porter" he asked "what time docs the
night.mail 90 through to Wheelborough?'
"One.twehty-tiyc, Sir" answered the man;
"reach marlborough twO-tifteen.'
The distance was tiYe-and-twenty miles
the present time quarter, or, by the time The
explanation was ended, half past eleven.
"No help for it, John; we must wait for
the down train; we couldn't pick up horse,
nor yet a pair, that would be ready to start at
this time of night and get us to marlborough
before "A quarter past two. Come, old fellow,
cheer up; it's no use taking tor granted ey-
crything you dread."
But George Ferguson thought in his own
mind that matters looked black enough to
justify any amount of fears, and had hard
work to find hopeful talk for the next two
hours. Had 1t not been for the manifest alb
surdity of the thing, his brother would have
started for his home on foot even. To his cX
cited, restless mind the minutes dragged
YEARLY along, while to his heavy heart every
moment added IA fresh fear,
At last the shrill whistle, the glarin9 lights
creeping nearer and nearer, the minutes stop
page and then off again homeWard-d9mc
rayd! and he began to dread the moment he
longed for.
Al Wneclborough more time would have
been occupied in waking uD the hotel people
and seeking "a conveyance than would ha' C
}
SO the two brothers struck out at once from
the station on their tivc-milc walk; and
they left the further outskirts of the town the
church clock chimed half past ? o'clock.
George Ferguson could barely keep up
with his brothers rapid stride; and In ught
him half crazy with excitement when he saw
him J hty leap ditch, and start running
across e broken piece Of heath.
For heavens sake, man, stop! he cried,
"What are you atter;'
"A shortcutr shouted the other, and kept
up running well for nearly thrcc-Quarters Of
u mile
The night had quoted, the rain had ceased,
and CLEANS of moonlight showed them their
way Out On the road AGAIN past the fourth
milestone, past Il cottage where Il shrill
cuckoo clock sang three then up long
hill that took what little breath they had left
out of them, through the sleeping village,
and
George" cried the rector, pointing to his
own house. not stones throw distant, look
at that light" and through the long narrow
window of the oratuIy light shonc plainly.
Good God, if we are too latc!'
The brothers scarcely knew how they COW
cred the short remaining distance. blow
at the hall window, and their united force at
the shutters within, and they made good their
entrance, to see Kate FERGUSON lying sense
less on the floor, TO hear the waiting and cry
ING OF children overhead, and strange sound
of low voices whispering and hands cutting
away at woodwork.
Late indeed they We're, but not too late. An
outdoor bell set changing soon called ready
help from the village; while Jane, already
reused by the sounds, but too frightened to
venture from her room alone busted herself
over her unconscious mistress
The capliycs in the oratory fought like cats,
and one of them gave George Ferguson a
bite in the arm, the mark of which he Will
carry as long rs he lives. That was Rough
Dick" Gentleman Jim" turned sullen, and
submitted 10 the force of numbers at the last
with better grace.
The gang to which the two thieves belonged
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