Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-01-08

What on earth do you mean, and
wherever did you spring from?" was the
answer he got, accompanied by look of
profound amazemcnt. why, man alive.
have YOU gone crazy, that you stand star
ing at me SOY" And George FERGUSON
checked a disposition to laugh at his
brothers bewildered expression only
when he saw the pallor that overspread
his face
ooh, George" he said, with a gasp,
did you not telegraph to me this evening
That my father had had another htg"
Most certainly / did not"
ooh, my wife, my witew said the
clergyman; and then he staggered up to
81 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 Jour
ney, and was soon in possession OF all the
| explanation john FERGUSON could give
him.
Porter" he asked "what time does the
| nightmail go through to WheclboroughY ~
"One-twenty Sir" answered the
man; reach marlborough two fifteen"
The distance was hve.and-twcnty miles;
| the present time quarter, or, by the time
| the explanation was ended, half past
eleven
mo help for it, john we must wait
for the down train we couldn't pick up II
horse, nor yet a pair that would be ready
To start at this time of night a"d get us To
! Wheelhornuoh hafoic quarter past two.
Come. OH fellow, cheer up; it's no use
taking for granted every thlngyou dreadw
But George Ferguson thought in his
| own mind that matters looked black
enough to justify any amount of fears,
l ~ vi IN nd II toll
for the next two hours Had it not been
for the manifest absurdity of the thing,
| his brother would have started for his
! home on foot even. To his excited, rest
less mind the minutes dragged YEARLY
along while to his heavy heart every mo
ment added a fresh fear
| Al last the shrill whistle, the glaring
lights creeping nearer and nearer, the
| minutes stoppage, and then oil again
| hOmeward-h0metedrdi and he began to
dread the moment he longed for.
| At Wheelborough more time would
| have been occupied in waking up the
| hotel people and seeking conveyance
| than would have been gained had they
CHANGED to find a horse So the two
brothers struck out at once from the sta
! ton on their fve.miIe walk: and, rs 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 broken piece
of heath.
"For heavens sake, man, stopm he
cried, "What are you altcrw
"a short-cutw shouted the other, and
kept up running well for nearly three.
quarters of 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 u cottage
| where shrill cuckoo clock sang
"threen 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 a stone' s throw distant,
look at that light" and through the
long narrow window OF the oratory
light shone plainly
Good God, if we are too later
The brothers scarcely knew how they
covered the short remaining distance, A
! blow at the l-ill window, and their united
force at the shutters within, aud they
made good their entrance, TO sce--kate
FERGUSON lying sCnselcss on the floor, to
hear the wailing and crying of children
overhead, and "a strange sound of low
voices whispering and hands cutting
away at woodwork
Late indeed they were, 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 captives in the oratory fought like
eats, and one Of them gave George Fer
gusson bite in the arm the mark Of
which he will carry rs long as he lives.
That was Rough Dick" Gentleman
JIM turned suIlcn, and submitted TO the
force Of numbers al the last with better
grace.
The gang to which the two thieves be
longed had received all their information
from SaTah's brother, who was a sort Of
hangcron to their brotherhood, and TO
whom had been inuusted the sending of
the lying telegram which had so com
fortably disposed Of the master of the
house.
"All's well, " they say, that ends WELL"
and our tale is no exception to the pro
verb 1t was rather II long getting well,
though, in the case Of Mrs FERGUSON;
still she was her own brave hearted self
again by Christmastime and-tlke note
Of this, all wvcs-He1er did she show her
husband the letter she had found; never
did she tell him, or any one else, that his
own bit Of carecssncss had probably
supplied the correct time" to the in
truders.
Rosie and Ruth were none the worse
for their fright, but used to play at "rob-