Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-23

"but justitiable homicide. ! guess Ia bet
| ter GO"
"Stop," said Miss Fairbanks, in her
most authoritative fashion. Stay here
and let me think"
Johnny obeyed, but cooked the re.
doubtable pistol and stared intently up the
road. The men who were piling various
distractions upon the track evidently
meant that their work should not be done
! in vain, for, although dozen rails were
already artistically flung together, they
had assembled the embankment and were
trying to pry large rock from its bed to
add to the pile. Johnny could near their
voices as they spoke TO each other. and in
wardly chased at his enforced inaction,
but consoled himself by rejecting that,
as he was protecting lady, nobody could
possibly call him cowardly, no matter
what happened.
"Johnnyr' said Miss Fairbanks, so
sharply and suddenly that he fairly
jumped, chow far Oft is the nearest sta.
4 ton at which this express stopsY"
| yours, ma'amy Four miles," said
Johnny.
1--WE couldn't climb the embankment
and 90 round and come down on the track
! again, and get to the station in time 10
!
" Hardly" said Johnny.
"What Shall we doy" asked Miss Fair
banks again.
Johnny ardentIy urged the advantages
of his plan of intimidation, and Miss
| Fairbanks was half inclined to allow him
to carry it out Villains, she reflected,
drawing her knowledge from several
text books on moral philosophy, especial
| ly adapted to young ladies' seminaries,"
were always cowardly, and when Johnny
appeared to them these particular wretch
es would doubtless run away, and there
would be no bloodshed Just as she had
decided to allow the young man to enter
upon his philanthropc and murderous
enterprise, the stone which the men had
been endeavoring to loosen yielded 10
their efforts and came down, bringing
with it great cloud of dirt and several
smaller rocks, and eXtinguished the light.
| The men burst into profanity, audible
even at the distance at which Miss Fair
banks stood, and seeming TO her sutii-
GENTLY fiery to rekindle the cxtinguished
luminary, but they consoled themselves
with assuring each other that the thing
was safe any way, and then came rapidly
along the opposite embankment toward
the spot where the lady and boy were
standing.
ooh, " said she, "there're coming this
way"
Never you mind" he replied they
won't see us; and well go up the road
and stop the engine as soon as they pass. +"
On came the 70 men, swinging their
lanterns and talking with a carelessness
which astonished Miss Fairbanks, who
had never before realized what utter lone
illness may prevail within a few miles of
the city. and where deeds of darkness may
be done in safety almost within sound of
the church bells of the metropolis. With
one impulse she and Johnny shrank close
to the embankment and listened.
"Old President will wish he hadn't
discharged me 20 sudden, l reckon" said
one.
you're sure he'll be on the train ~
asked the other.
80 yes he is sure to go home at Christ
mas. They won't relish their dinner in
that stuck up house tomorrow, l guess.
! Twill do that tall son of his good
fancy, TO have to earn his own bread and
butter instead of keeping his hands white
at Harvard. They say that nothing but
the old mans pluck keeps the road alive
his whole fortune is in it, and if he should
conceited flop won't have a cent"
These were the last words that the
listeners heard, for the speakers took
their way along lane that turned off
at right angles from the track, and their
lanterns soon disappeared in the darkness.
Miss Fairbanks and johnny ran swift
II up the road. There was no chances
that their feeble strength could remove
the huge mound of rails and earth and
rocks, and rapid crosse examination re
vealed the fact that Johnny's means of
signaling were of the vaguest descrip-
ton and utterly impracticable without the
aid of daylight.
Miss Fairbanks wrung her hands and
Johnny half whimpered Suddenly she
started to her feet.
Didn't you tell me there was a tele-
graph office in that last station?" she
asked
Yes" said Johnny, wonderingly,
"but the man amt there, SO that's no
good"
And didn'tyou say you could get in ~
said Miss Fairbanks, swiftly pinnng up
her short dress and tightening her boot
lacings.
Yes" said Johnny, still more Devil
dered.
Come" said sh,, and started swiftly
back along the road at run, followed by
Johnny To this day Master Tweed en-
tertains profound respect for Miss Fair.
banks, on the ground that she lean run
without making you think OF cow in
which characteristic she differs from all
the ladies with whom he is acquainted
and he candidly owns that he did not find
it easy to keep pace with her along the
TRACK, and that when they reached the lit
tie station he was more exhausted than
she. 1t fact, when they had effected an
entrance to the building he had Just