The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1874-12-23
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.
a Thrilling sketch.

Thrilling Sketch.
Dick Archer was the station agent,
and as there was little to do, the place
Just suited him, rs he was fond of fish
ing and hunting. Besides Dick, there
were porter and boy. The porter
was quiet, lethargic man, the son of
one of his lordship's woodmen and I
don't know how the station would have
got on ut all, little rs there was to do, if
it hadn't been for the boy. That boy
was perfect treasure. never saw any
boy like him for energy and firmness.
One day Dick came and told me
that there was to be party up at the
Hall, n sort of upper servants party.
At fifteen minutes after midnight the
up express passed through ut full speed,
aud it was Dicks duty to be ut the sta
ton to see the line all clear. Half an
hour before the express came n goods
train usually, but it rarely stopped. Our
siding. was not long enough for it to
shunt into, and if there wasn't truck
cipal station on the line, where it shunt-
ed for the express to pass. After those
two trains had gone by there was nothing
more for the station master to do.
I did not care to 60, but went to
please Dick.
Near the Hall was the Burford Arms
inn. The landlord had very pretty
daughter, too, Ellen Lanford, and in his
quiet way Dick was very fond of her.
Between ourselves, liked her too, and
thought about her more than 1 should
have cared to acknowledge.
/ was rather sorry for Dick, because
I could see the girl didn' 't.care for him.
She was really nice girl, assure you,
well brought up and educated, and there
was n charm about her that seemed to
entangle one whether one would or not
However, I wasn't going to interfere with
Dick it would have been a pretty re-
turn for his hospitality to have cut him
out on his own ground, even if I'd had a
chance of doing it.
I fancied that Dick had made up his
mind to bring things to n crisis this par
ticular night. He'd got himself up very
spruce in dress suit and embroidered
shirt, and altogether looked very well.
The Lanfords were going up to the Hall
in one of their own flies and were to
take Dick with them ; SO we walked up
to the Burford Arms together. There
stood the fly waiting ut the door, and
Mr.. Lanford, dressed in a blue coat and
brass buttons, capacious white silk waist
Where's Ellen 2" said Dick.
"Oh," said Mr.. Lanford, "shes got
bad cold, and won't come Jump in,
Mr.. Archer"
Dicks face fell, and he hesitated as if
he'd mind to say he wouldn't go either;
but he couldn't exactly do it, and he
crawled into the fly and went off with
old Lanford, as woe-begone as if he were
going to execution.
1 stood in the porch of the Burford
Arms, not thinking of going in, when all
of a sudden the thought came into my
head that Ellen had done this on pur-
pose. Dick had made such fuss about
this party and her going to it that she
had come to the same conclusion as my
self, and had made up her mind that he
was going to put certain question to
her that very night. Now her not going
meant that she didn't want the question
asked. L can't describe what q thrill
went through me as / thought of that
The coast was clear. Dicks chance was
gone. Was there a chance for me2
Was I doing o sneaking thing
wondered, as 1 opened the door quietly
and walked in. AS 1 went down the
matted passage my heart went loudly
pit-a-pat. I had come to resolve on the
instant, and every faculty had was
working hard to justify it. Here was a
girl whom L hadn't known for more than
fortnight in position in which of
choice I should not have looked for q
wife, and yet L knew that must needs
go on. had set my face that way, and
there was no turning it.
The result of it was that before left
the inn 1 had told Ellen that loved her,
and had received her assurance that she
loved me in return, and I was most
happy.
L lett the inn and walked to the sta
tion. Dick was there, not having at.
tended the party.
"Dick, I said, plunging at once into
the middle of the subject-"Di would
you be surprised to hear that was en-.
gagged to be married 2"
- 1t was the paraffine lamp over his head,
no doubt, that threw such yellow
sinister glare into Dicks face as he slowly