Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-06-08

sage. The money has been watched all
the way along !"
/ saw the whole diabolical scheme al
once. II the train came it would be
thrown of the embankment and easily
! lie in wait there.
"Come," Martin said. "will you Join
us?"
"Neverr' I cried indignantly.
"We must force you then. Tie him
fast ?"
I tresnbled FOR Alice. II only nv
! life were af stake 4 could shsSesbss&s
it better. But even il We were both
murdered I could not take the blood
of the passengers in the train upon my
head. Not a sound came from the lit
tie room as l was tied hand and foot
to my chair, bound SO securely that
could not move. 1t was proposed to
gag ME, but finally concluded that my
cries, if made anv, could not be heard,
and handkerchief was bound over my
mouth.
The door Of the wash-room was closed
and locked. Alice stood undiscovered,
then the light was blown out and the
ruffians left me, locking the door after
them.
There was a long silence. Outside
/ could hear the step of one of the
men pacing up aud down watching.
rubbed my head against the wall behind
me, and succeeded in getting the hand
kerchief on my mouth to fall round nv
neck.
had scarcely accomplished this
when there was q tap on the inner
door.
"Robert!" Alice said.
"Yes, love! Speak low, there is a
man under my window"
"Are you alone in the room :"
"Yes, dear"
81 am going to Postville. There is
no man under my window, and can
get out there. l have six long roller
towels here, knotted together and /
have cut my whit shirt into wide stripes
to Join them. The rope so made reach
es nearly to the ground. Ishall fasten
it to the door knob and let myselfdown
1t will not take long to reach home.
saddle Seiim and reach Postville III
time. Don't fear for me. When you
hear hen cackling under my win
dow you will know l am safely on the
ground"
Little Alice! My heart throbbed
heavily as l heard her heroic proposal,
but dared not stop her.
Heavens bless and protect you," 1
I, 81
the cackle noise told me the first step
of her perilous undertaking was TIA
ken.
1t was dark, cloudy and threatening
n storm. and nearly as could guess,
close upon 9 o'clock. She had to 60
six miles and l could only wait and
prav. was too much stunned even
vet to realize the heroism of this dark
ride through wild country with q
storm threatening.
Nine o'clock As the bell of the
church clock ceased to strike, rumble,
a fash, told me q thunder storm was
coming rapidly. Oh, the long, long
minutes of the next hour!
Ten o'clock. The rain falling in
torrents, the thunder pealing, light
ming flashing Alice was so afraid Of
lightning. Often had held her, white
as death, trembling, almost fainting,
in such a storm as this. Had she
feared to start with the storm in pros
pect, or was she lying somewhere Oil
the wild road overcome BY terror, or
perhaps stricken by lightning3
Eleven o'clock The storm was over,
though the still night was inky black
no sound to cheer me, none to make the
hideous suspense more durable. A host
Of possibilities, like frightful night
mares, chased one another through my
tortured brain.
Would the next hour ever pass p
Once the clock .tolled midnight, all was
safe.
was drenched with perspiration
wrung from me by mental agony one
hour. chilled with horror the next. No
words can describe the niserv Of wait
ing as the minutes dragged along. In
the dead silence far off sound struck
thrill of horror to my heart, far ex-
ceeding even the previous agony. Far,
far away faint whistle came through
the air. Nearer and nearer, then the
distinct rumble of the train growing
more and more distinct.
The midnight up train was coming
swiftly, surely, to certain destruction !
Where was nv wife? Had the ruff
fans intercepted her at the cottage p
Was she living dead somewhere upon
the wild road? Her heroism was of no
avail, but was her life savedI In the
agony Of that question the approaching
rumble Of the train was lost; far more
did feel the bitterness of Alice dead
than the horror Of the doomed lives the
train carried Why had / let her start
upon her mad errand?
I tried 10 move. and writhcd in i'm
potent fury upon my chair, forcing the
cruel cords To tear my flesh as vainly
tried to loosen even one hand. The
heavy train rumtled past the telegraph
Office. 1t was an express train and did
not stop at NV station, but as l listen
ed. every sense sharpened by mental
torture, it seemed to me that the speed
slackened. Listening intently / knew
that it stopped at the embankment. as
nearly as l could Judge. Not with the
sickcning crash expected, not rreced.
ing walls and groans from the injured
passengers, but gradually and careful
! ". A moment more and heard shouts,
the crack Of firearms, the sounds of some
conflict.
What could it all mean? The min.
utes we're al hours till ! heard key