The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-02-25
Hero turned her face away.

Hero turned ncr lace away :,
"Have you only evil tidings to tell me- 9
Criminal !
s.Iwould that they were good, Tor your
AXE. sister. But the air is growing CHILL 2
We shall have rain. Had you not oe'ter y
come in?''
ssBy and by. Don't tease me, Erml-
MIA. :, -,
And Erminia, comprehending that 9
times solitude is the best medicine LOT a
mind diseased, said nothing more, and
closing the easement, sat down to ner
needlework, by the light of lamp.
At eleven o'clock, punctually, she went
to bed, after having ascertained, by
neep through the window. that Hero was
still leaning on the gate, all alone in the
autumn darkness, with red leaves raining
down around her, and the melancholy cry
Of an owl in the distant woods Lending an
additional tinge of mournfulness to the
night and the stiffness. ;,
ssShe'll come in when she is ready,
thought Erminia. II don't like to assert
any authority over her when she is in one
of these moods"
No sooner did Hero perceive, by the
appearance of the light from her sisters
window, that Erminia had sought her pill
low, than softly gliding through the gate,
she hurried down the road with the scar
let shawl drawn tightly over her head.
81 will not be deceived and put OF,
she murmured to herself. Il will lind
out for myself whether he is to be trust
ed or not
The Miners Arms, at the corner OF
three roads, was all alight as she ap-
preached it, and from the vide open
easements she could hear the uproarious
chorus of drinking song, the clink OF
glasses. and that harsh sound of besotted
LAUGHTER. And lifting a trail of scarlet
leayed woodbines which formed natural
curtain to one of the windows, Hero
Lewis peepcd in. -,
With a sinking heart and q chill sen.
sation of despair she saw Harry Rivers
rise, staggering to his feet with orim-
ming glass in his hand, and propose some
hiccoughal toast which was received with
noisy applause by the riotous assemblage.
Hero did not wait to hear more. Drop
ping the woodbines once more, she hur-
ried awav with white, set face.
"God help me-! God be merciful to
mer' she murmured. ''For the idol
whom wcrshipped has fallen to the
ground - -,
Just at that moment the far-off whistle
of a train smote through the silence OF
the night-a sudden, CHASTITY possibility
took possession of Hcro's heart.
.The midnight express! she muttered
to herself. ssAnd he dead drunk in that
bar.room''
Hurrying down steep ravine, needless
of scratching briers and cruelty piercing
thorns that rent her dress and drew blooc
from her tender skin, she sprang like
wild deer down the declivity, scarcely
even pausing for breath until she hat
reached the iron track in the valley be
II low. where a side rail marked the inter
- secting course of little freight road tina
led away toward the north. At SIX ever.
morning and evening the freight train
:. passed over the road bed, and it wa
- = among Harry Rivers most important dutie
: to turn the switch that connected I'M
-, branch road with the main track. ate
the freight train had gone by.
4. Had he aforementioned to do so t.
ne night! Or was the long and heavily lade
express from the west even now sweepln
n. onward to its certain doom Of death an
er destruction!
GU Hero knelt to feel Of the track. HI
no dcodlv doubt had too much foundation
fact-the switch had not been altert
ri, since the freight train came up at S
RS. clock.
her A chill dew beaded over her forehea
sinking sensation struck to her heal
What was she to do! Were she gift
with the flying footsteps of Mercury
,ut self. she could not get to the Miner
Arms in time to avert the impending {
ION tastrophe. And even supposing that 5
md could, was Harry Rivers in condition
,rs, COMPREHEND what was said to him! A
the with bitter groan, rising up from
depths of her heart, she realized all
,ld- horrors which have their beginning a
her end in the wine cup.
IN Suddenly CLEAN of hope shot athw'
her brain. She knew where the swl,
n kew was kept--she remembered havl
once seen Harry slip it under project
9 IS ledge Of rock upon sort of natu
ell. shelf, secure from dew, rain or tempe
1t. lust beyond where she stood. What
She herself should attempt to save
Grid lives Of the doomed passengers every
she slant coming nearer to their fate!
YIN idea and to act upon it were telegraph
nj. almost simultaneously from brain
had hand. Snatching the key from its r
9th ing place. she stopped in the faint $
her light now beginning to glimmer thro
AIRY the breaking clouds, and strove v
dow every force Of her weak woman's siren
e, to move the iron rails.
nei God be thanked! they stirred-t
grated in their sockets-and. even 1t
""'' moment in which the gory-red eye OF
r. approaching express train blazed IN
W. =. foggy distance. Hero dragged the $"
80 = into its proper place.
Yet even then she could scarcely
heve that it was right, as with the
the dangling by her side, she leaned par
,;n;a against the rocks until, with shrek
Poll. that of some fire throated demon OF a
. him nus, the train swept by, dizzy success
Of lighted windows. and darkness