River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-01-13

"Come," Martin said "will you Join us Z"
"Never VI cried, Indignantly.
Then we must force you. Tie him
fast y
| trembled for Alice. If only nv life
were at stake could have borne it better.
But even il we were both murdered,
could not take the blood of the passengers
in the train on my head. Not sound
came from the little room as was tied
hand and foot to my chair, bound so se-
cure,y that | could not move. 1t was
proposed to gag me, but finally concluded
that my cries if made any could not be
heard, and a handkerchief was bound
over my mouth.
The door of the wash-room was closed
and locked, Alice still undiscovered, then
the light was blown out, and the ruffian
left me, locking the door alter them.
There was long silence. Outside ]
could hear the step of one of the men
pacing up and down, ching. rubbed
my head against the wall behind me, and
succeeded in getting the handkerchief off
my mouth, to fall round my neck.
had scarcely succeeded in this when
there was tap on the inner door
"Robert" Alice said.
eyes love- speak low there is man
under my windsw."
"Are you alone in the room!
"Yes, dear"
81 am going to Postville. there is no
man under nv window, and | can get out
there. have six long roller.towels her. :,
knotted together, and have cut my
VIII tie skirt into wide strips to join them
The rope made so reaches nearly to the
ground. shall fasten it to the dc or knob
and lei myself down. 1. will not take
long to reach home, saddle Selim and
reach Postville in time. Don't fear for
me. When you hear hen cackling under
my window, you'll know am safely on
the ground.
Little Alicel My heart throbbed
heavily as heard her heroic proposal,
but ] dared not stop her.
"Heaven bless and protect you,"
said, and listened for her signal. Soon
the cackling noise told me the first step
of her perilous undertaking was taken.
1t was dark, cloudy and threatening a
storm, and, as nearly as | could guess,
close upon nine o'clock. She had to go
six miles, and | could only wait and pray.
| was too much stunned even yet to real
ize the heroism OF this timid woman,
starting alone upon the dark ride,
through wild country with storm
threatening.
Nine o'clock As the bell of the
church.clock ceased to strike, a rumble,
fash, told me thunderstorm was COM
ing rapidly. Oh, the long, long minutes
OF the next hour!
Ten o'clock. The rain falling in tor.
rents, the thunder pealing, lightning
flashing! Alice was so afraid Of light
ming 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 prospect, or was she
lying somewhere on the wild road, over
come by terror, or perhaps stricken by
lightning!
Eleven o'clock. The storm was over,
though still the night was inky black
no sound to cheer me, none to make the
hideous suspense more endurabe. A
host of possibilities, like frightful night.
torture brain.
Would the next hour never pass Once
the clock toled midnight, all was safe.
| was drenched with perspiration
wrung from me one hour, chilled with
horror the next. No words can describe
the misery Of waiting as the minutes
dragged slowly along. In the dead
silence far-oll' sound struck thrill OF
horror to my heart, far excee ling even
the previous agony. Far, far away, a
faint whistle came through the night-air.
Nearer and nearer, then the distant rum
BILE Of the train growing mere and more
distinct.
The midnight up-tran was coming
swiftly, surely, to certain destruction
Where was my wife Had the villains
intercepted her Mt the cottagel Was she
lying dead somewhere upon the wild
road! Her heroiSm was Of no avail, but
was her life saved In the agony Of that
question the approaching rumbllng Of the
train wa partially lost; far more did
] feel the bitterness OF Alice dead than the
horror Of the doomed lives the train car
ried. Why had let her start upon her
mad errand
tried to move, and writhed in impo
tent fury upon my chair, forcing the crue
cords to tear my flesh as | yainly tried u
loosen even one hand.
The heavy train rumbled past the tel
egraph Office. IL was an express train
and did not stop at my station; but as
listened, every sense sh1rpened by ml
mental torture, it seemed TO me that thu
speed slackcned. Listening intently,
knew that it stopped at the cmbankment
as nearly as could judge. Not with tn
sickening crash expected. preceding
walls and groans from the injured pas
sengers, but gradually and carefully. 4
moment more and heard shouts, th
crack OF firearms, Sounds Of some con
flic..
What could ii oil meant he minute
were hours, till heard key turn in til
door Of my prison, and a moment late
two tender arms we're round my neck
and Alice was whispering in my car