The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-04-03


that way was safe; then, with the pas
si9nate strength of the moment, she
sped through the room, out on the land
ing to the curtained door, and made that
fast from without, while the furious cap
tives beat at it from within, and then
All, then, poor thing. her fortitude for
sock her, and thousand fears she had
not counted on most cruelty beset her.
She slid dowu few stairs, elingiDg to
the rail; then, losing her hold, fell
heavily on the stone floor of the hall
below.
Mr.. Ferguson had reached his near
est station in safety, had sent back the
wraps his careful wife had guarded him
with, and started by the ten o'clock train
to Fordham.
The rain beat on the windows as the
train few along in the darkness, and
presently prolonged whistle told him
that they were approaching a certain
junction where he would have to wait
some ten minutes or so.
Two or three lamps on the platform
by which they drew up showed some few
passengers and a couple of sleepy por
tiers. Another train had just come in
from the opposite direction, from Ford
ham, now only fifteen miles distant; and
some of its passengers had alighted and
were making their way past the line of
carriages.
Looking out upon his fellow-travel-
lers, without much curiosity or interest,
Mr.. Ferguson caught sight of a face
which he had little expected to see.
Shouting to porter to open the door of
his compartment, he sprang out and
grasped the arm of man very much
like himself-in fact his own elder
brother.
George he exclaimed, "were you
going for me? Is my father worse?"
"What on earth do you mean, and
what did you spring from?" was the
answer he got accompanied by look
of profound amazement.
80, George" he said, with gasp,
"did you not telegraph to me this even
ing that my father had another fit"
Most certainly ] did not"
"Oh, my wife, my wife?" said the
clergyman; and then he staggered up to
a heap of luggage and sat down and
hid his face in his hands. His brother
saw the matter was serious; so he let his
own train pass on without resuming his
journey, and was soon in possession of
all the explanation John Ferguson
could give.
"Porter," he asked, "what time does
the night-mail go through to Wheel
borough"
"1:25, sir" answered the man: "reach
marlborough 2:15."
The distance was fve-and-twenty
miles; the present time a 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
a horse, nor yet pair, that would be
ready to start this time of night and get
us to marlborough before a quarter
past two:.. Come, old. fsiioy. Cheer mp;
it's no use taking for granted everything
you dreadp'
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. He tried fami-
ly matters-anything TO pass away the
time-in vain; his brothers mind was
filed with overwhelming anxiety, his
eyes peering up the line to catch the first
glimpse of the approaching train.
At last, the shrill whistle, the glaring
lights creeping nearer and nearer, the
minutes stoppage, and then off again
homewards-ho -homeaCards!-and he began
to dread the moment he longed for.
At Wheelborough the two brothers
struck out at once from the station on
their fve-mile walk; and, as they left
the further outskirts of the town, the
church clock chimed half-past two
o'clock
George Ferguson could barely keep
up with his brothers rapid stride, and
thought him half-crazy with excitement
when he saw him lightly leap ditch,
and start running across a broken piece
of earth.
George" cried the rector pointing to
his own house, not a stone's-throw dis
tant, '1ook at that Iightl' And through
the long narrow window of the oratory
a light shone plainly.
''Good God, if we are too latep'
The brothers scarcely knew how they
covered the short remaining distance.
A blow at the hall window, and their
united force at the shutters within, and
they made good their entrance to see
Kate Ferguson lying senseless on the
floor; TO hear the wailing and crying of
children overhead; and a strange sound
of low voices whispering and hand cut
ting away at woodwork.
Late indeed they were, but not to late
An outdoor bell, set changing, soon CALL
ed 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 -uncon-
scious mistress.
The captives in the oratory fought
like cats, and one of them gave George
Ferguson bite in the arm, the mark
of which he will carry as long as he
lives-that was "Rough Dick" "Gen-
tleman Jim" turned sullen, and submit
ted TO the force of numbers at the last
with better grace.
When on their trial, two months later,
Gentleman Jim" paid Mrs. Ferguson
several compliments, and politely assur-
ed the judge before whom they were
tried that he esteemed it no disgrace to
have been trapped by such brick of a
womaDl"
The gang to which the two thieves be-