Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-10-17

There look there is the clump
of trees he told us about. The
road is three miles from this point.
We must work now"
"What if the old fellow is sham
mingg"
"I'll use the handkerchief effect
ivelyp
"All right"
The youngest Of the party now
arose and walked up the aisle to
the further end of the coach.
He cast quick but scrutinizing
look at the white-haired man, who,
despite his suspicious, had fallen
asleep. For three successive days
he and his daughter had been on
the train, and during the time the
father had slept but little. His
child's objections to the sleeping
coach had been listened to, and the
twain had not quilted the through
passenger car.
They were travelling to one of
the largest cities in the east, where
they hoped to dwell until death
should tear them apart and call
each from the world.
Cyrus Radcliffe-for such was
the fathers name--was a banker of
eminence in city far west of the
Alleghanies. His wealth was the
"open sesome" into the highest So
ciety of the land, but he was not
puffed with the pride that is gen.
orally found with riches. Having
no relatives, save his daughter, he
fixed the great love of his heart
upon her, and it was love vaster
than his wealth, deeper than the
sea.
But let US return to the scene in
the through car, moving at the rate
of twenty-seven miles an hour.
The man at the end of the ear
glided toward his victim, the old
gentleman. His movements were
watched by the associate whom he
had left in the seat.
When he paused beside his vic
tim he drew handkerchief from
his bosom.
Then the faint odor of chloro-
form became prevalent, and the
handkerchief was held under Cy-
rus Radcliffe's nostrils.
While this was being done the
blue eyed man left his seat, and
came up the aisle till he passed his
confederate, and stood beside the
sleeping girl.
"Shall | dose the others 2" asked
the young man in whisper as he
glanced at the three remaining pas
sengers who were asleep in their
respective seats.
"No f! they'll not awaken" was
the reply. "Now give Mabel bit
not too much J"
The chloroformed handkerchief
withdrawn from Mr.. Radcliffe, was
applied to his daughter, who un-
consciously inhaled the powerful
anaasthetic.
A moment later the agent of vii
lainy was restored to his bosom and
with look up and down the car
the eldest man lifted Mabel from
the seat.
1--WE must be near the road.
Ring the engineer down to slower
time. Quick !"
These words were spoken to the
young man who caught the bell
rope and tugged at it manfully.
"Curse it y he exclaimed. at
seems to have caught somewhere.
The train is increasing its speed"
The face of the man who held |
Mabel in his arms suddenly grew
pale.
"Jerk it with all your might y
be cried to his confederate.
The man obeyed and the rope
snapped in twain.
"The jig is mp, I'm afraid.
There we've passed the road. 1t
seems to me that we're going at the
rate of forty miles an hour"
eyes, fifty of them!" said bis
confederate between his teeth.
At that moment the door before
them swung open, and Conductor
Davis stepped into the coach.
The blue-eyed man FASTENED to
place Mabel in the seat from which
he had lifted her without being
seen by the conductor. But in this
he had failed.
"Gentlemen," said Davis, calmly,
and at tho sama time displavino n