Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-05-09
care you alone in the room ?"

care you alone in the room 7" IA
Eyes, DEAR" d M 8e. s.,t
IL am going to Postvlllc., There il
no man under my window, and / can
get out there. I,have six long roller
towels here, knottcd together, and ]
have cut my white skirt into wide
strips to join them. The rope so
made reaches nearly to the ground.
| shall fasten it to the door knob and
let myself down. / will not take long
to reach home, saddle Selim, and
reach Postville in time. Don't fear
for me. When you hear a hen cack-
ling under my window you know /
am safe on the ground" sl
Little Alice! My heart thrObbed
heavily as heard her heroic. prOpo-
sal, but / dared not stop her. 81 frr
Heaven bless and protect you,' j
said and listened for the signal. Soon
the cackling noise told me tha4 the
first step of her perilous undertaking
was taken. ~. a14 49,.
1t was dark, cloudy, and threaten
ing storm, and nearly as can guess,
close upon nine o'clock. She had to
go six miles, and could only wait
and pray. Twas too much stnnned
even yet to realize the heroism OF this
dark ride through wild country,
with q storm threatening.
Nine o'clock !? AS the bell of the
clock ceased to strike, rumble, .
flash, told that thunder storm was
coming rapidly. Oh, the long, long
minutes Of the next hour.
Ten o'clock. Tho rain falling in
torrents, the thunder pealing, light
ming flashing. 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
stricken by lightning?
Eleven o'clock. The storm was
over, though the still night was still
inky black-no sounds 10 cheer me.
none to make the hideous suspense
more endurable. a host Of possibil-
tiles, like frightfhl nightmare, chas-
ed one another through my tortured
brain.
Would the next hour ever pass ?
Once the clock tollcd midnight all
was safe.
I was drcnchcd with a perspiration
wr,ing from me by mental agony one
hour, chilled with terror the next.
No words can describe the misery Of
waiting; as the minutes dragged
along. In the dead silence far-offl
sound struck thrill Of horror to nv
heart, far exceeding even the previ-
Gus agony. Far, far away a faint
whistle came through the air. Near
er and nearer, then the distant rum
bic of the train growing more and
more distinct.
The midnight train was coming
swiftly, sure, to certain destruction.
Where was my wife? Had the ruff
fans intercepted her at the cottage /? |
Was she lying somewhere upon the |
road? Her heroism was uf no avail, |
but was her life saved? In the agony
Of that question the approaching rum
bic of the train was lost; far more |
did / feel the bitterness OF Alice dead |
than the terror of the doomed lives
the train carried. Why had | let her
start upon her mad errand?
tried to move and writhed in i'm
potent fury upon my chair, forcing
the cruel cords to tear my flesh as |
vainly strove to loosen even one hand. |
The heavy train rumbled past the
telegraph office. 1t was an express
train and did not stop at my station,
but as listened, every sense sharp
ened by mental torture, it seemed to |
me that the speed slackcned. Listen
ing intently, knew that it stopped
at the embankment, as nearly as L
could Judge. Not with the slacken-
ing crash | expected, followed by
walls and groans from the injured
passengers, but gradually and care
fully. A moment more l heard |
shouts, the crack of firearms, the
sound of some c onflict.
What could it mean? The min |
utes were all hours till l heard kew
turn in the door of my prison and a |
moment later two tender arms were
round my neck, and Alice was whis-
pering in my ear.
''Thcy will come in few minutes,
love, to let you free! The villains left
the key in the door! 1 thought Of that
before Istartcd, but there was man
at the front watching. crept around
the house and saw him, though 1 did
not dare to be seen."
"But have you been to Postville ?"
"Yes, dear"
'1n all that storm 2"
"Selim seemed to understand. He
carried me swiftly and surely. / was
we'll wrapped in my waterproof
cloak and hood. When I reached
Postville the train had not come up.'
"But it is here?"
fOnly the locomotive and one car
riage. In that carriage was sheriff,
a deputy sheriff and twenty men,
armed to the teeth, to capture the
gang atthe embankmcnt. Icame too,
and they lowered me from the plat
form when the speed slackened, so
that could run in here and tell you
all was safe.'
While we spoke, my wife's fingers
had first united the handkerchief
around my neck, and then, in the dark,
found some Of the knots of the cord
binding me. But was still tied fast
and strong when there was rush of
many feet upon the staircase, and in
another moment light and joyful
voices.
"We'ye captured the whole nine !"
was the good news. Three, includ-
ing John Martin, are desperately
wounded, but the surprise was per-
feet. Now, old fellow, for Your
A dozen clasp knives at once sew
cred my bonds, and dozen hands
were extended in greeting.
As for the praise showered on my
plucky little wife, it would require a
volume to. tell half Oft.
The would-be-assassins and rob-
bers were sent for trial and sentenced
to penal servitude. 4
Alice and left for more civilized
community the following year. But
before we went there was an invita-
tiOn sent US to meet the committee
from the railroad company al Post
vile. We accepted; had q dinner;
were toasted and .complimented, and
then Alice was presented with tea
service as testimonial from the pas
sengers of the threatened train, the
company and the railroad directors,
in token of their gratitude for the
lives and property saved by my
heroine ,.....5..s s.
HOME FROM rHk Hills.
At A. . =