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

Il would that they were goou. ioA ~. q
sake, sister. But the air is growing cniA' !
We shall have rain. Had you not oe''er =
come in?' r.:
.By and by. Don't tease me, Ermi-
MIA ;. -
And Erminia, compromising that
times solitude is the best medicine 1or
mind diseased, said nothing more, and
closing the easement, sat down to her
needlework, by the light Of lamp.
At eleven o'clock, punctually, she went
to bed. after having ascertalned, 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.
7.She'u 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
anpearance 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.
Il will not be deceived and put off,
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 uproarlous
chorus of drinking song, the clink OF
glasses, and that harsh sound OF besotted
laughter. And lifting trail of scarlet.
leaved woodbines which formed natural
curtain to one of the windows, Hero
Lewis peepcd IN. -,
With sinking heart and chill SEN
saton of despair she saw Harry rivers
rise. staggering to his feet with brlm-
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 away with white, set face.
..God help me! God be mercful to
met" she murmured. ''For the idol
whom l wcrshipped has fallen to the
ground !! -,
Just at that moment the far-otf whistle
of a train smote through the silence OF
took possession of HERDS heart.
..The midnight express" she muttered
to herself. And he dead drunk IN that
bar-room -
Hurrying down a steep ravlne, 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
~ low. where a side rail marked the inter
49, sectinc course of little freight road tina
led away toward the north. At SIX ever.
f, morning and evening the freight train
- passed over the road bed, and 1t wa
- among HarryRivers most important dutie
- to turn the switch that connected thu
10 branch road with the main track. ate
- the freight train had gone by.
a Had he aforementioned to do so t.
he night Or was the long and heavily lade
express from the west even now sweepln
m onward to its certain doom OF death an
er destruction!
GU Hero knelt to feel of the track. til
no deadly doubt had too much foundation
fact-the switch had not been alter'
irl, since the freight train came up at 5
rs. o clock.
ler A chill dew beaded over her forehea
sinking sensation struck to her neal
What was she to do! Were she gift
with the flying footsteps of Mercury
out self. she could not get to the Miner
Arms in time to avert the impending {
non tastrophe. And even supposing that
and could. was Harry Rivers in a condition
ers. comprehend what was said to hlms A
the with bitter groan. rising up from I
DEPTHS of her heart. she realized all I
old 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 swi'
tn kew was kept--she remembered hav
once seen Harry slip IT under project
le Is ledge of rock upon a sort OF natu
ell. shelf, secure from dew. rain or tempe
II. 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.
SYM idea and to act upon it were teiesrap
T iii almost simultaneously from brain
had hand. Snatching the key from Its
loth- ing place. she stopped IN the faint
her light now beginning to gllmmer thro
larry the breaking clouds, and strove
dow every force of her weak woman 5 strer
te, a to move the iron rails.
ne' God be thanked! they stirred
h,,, grated in their sockets-and. even al
{ ''''i moment in which the gory-red eye oil
! r. approaching express train biazed IN
u W. -. fogsy distance. Hero dragged the $"
40, = into its proper place.
Yet even then she could scarcei!
lieve that it was right. as with the
, the dangling by her side. she leaned par
nina against the rocks until, with shrek
Rail. that of some fire throated demon OF
. him nus. the train swept by, dizzy succe'
of lighted windows. and darkness
!, dis. silence again settled down over her.
Hero Lewis neither tainted or '
= saw She was not Of the material that shire
man and fainters are made of. She knew
-, hsa saved all their lives upon