The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-05-16
MARRIED ny DEATH.
The Terrible Ride ON 81 HaiiToad Hand
Cara FeaFfai HrV cRae.

/ Iho Terrible hldo ON halFoad uaha
Cara FsaFfai Rev ease.
A most horrible affair took place re.
Gently on branch line Of the radiating
road running from the great iron artery
Of the T.. W. and Is. railroad, up through
the pleasant valley Of Chester county.
Pennsylvania.
IL was near Cha1d's Ford. and at
beautifully romantic spot. There ~ "A
turbulent stream running between high
banks, ON which stunted willows grow,
while further down, at the waters edge,
the weeping variety Of the same tree
dips ltH greenish tresses ia the musical
water, which has hushed It's riotous noise
20 almost a requiem since the death Of
George Ricketts, and Mollie Dolbell--
3" as fine young man aud as pretty n
girl, the farmers say, as yOu will find
III all Chester county" This is how
they met their death Mollie was one
Of those pink and white dairy maids that
you sometimes meet in the grazing re-
gions OF Pennsylvania Her hnr was
bonnie brown, but with just CLINT Of
black in il, AS If il had been gently
touched by a ravens wing. She was
| light hearted and ms merry 81 th0laTk
4 with which she arose-the lark that car
! oiled above her head as she looped her
neat dress, and SKINNED into the stone
dairy where the painted pans were
/ ranged IN rows, and the yellow pots Of
/ butter flecked the cool water
/ The trouble with Mollie was that she
/ had two loyers-One. George Ricketts,,
n StAlwart farm hand, and the other
] III 4 fFes
/ man, employed on the small drawbridge
over the Fox Run that we have spoken
Of. This draw was seldom used save
/ for "A lazy schooner that came up 10 get
ternaotta pipe from a manataciory
above.
The two men knew that they were
rivals and M0llir knew IL too, being
sorely troubled IN her white soul as she
stood one Saturday evening IN the porch
/ 81 thc house where she lived aud prom
/ ised 81 take a ride on the morrow with
/ George-not a ride IN buggy, nor in n
/ sailboat, but a rattling ride on a hand
car, n practice which is frequent on
! these lonely lanes, whose rails yibraie
/ but seldom under the crushing advance
I Of the engine
/ Ii is unnecessary 90 describe the
hand car, that tits the rails, is worked
4 hy a crank, and when started goes like
/ the wind. The car had been loaned
/ George by band Of lAborers who were
making repairs about a miie above. he
had busted II neatly. and when the
pretty girl reached him 10y short path
/ through the woods. lac had arranged
the vehicle 80 clcyerly with a cashion
for M0llie that II did not seem mike
Cleopatra barge. She was in her Sun
day bets, and she laughed lightly IN the
sunshine as George swung her lightly
into the seat and then leaped 10 the
handles
There we're no Sunday trains there
was 10 danger.
Mollie crossed her tiny feet, felt the
cGhilAration of the movement, as
Georges swelling arms produced the
terrible momentum, and saw her neat
skirts blown about by the rushing wind
beneath the platform. On, on they
went, the glistcning rails ringing. the
bonny brown hair blown about and the
Fox.run bridge near a. hand.
On that bridge Hugh O'Donnell sat
smoking his pipe The draw was open,
although no drifting schooner was in
sight. Some evil bird had whispered 90
Hugh the Sunday trip Of his rival with
Molhc. he determined on murder Rt
once. This is the reason the rusty draw
was open, while Hugh sat IN his sentry
box on the other side smoking his pipe
and watching mp the cunyerging lines
of metal that seemed like satin ribbons
tied in a bow by the perspective.
he did not have 20 wait long. First
came the rumble-the far-AwRy sound
that dies away while il increRses-and
then, swinging suddenly arounda curve,
the handcar, bearing the girl he loved and
the man he hated. He drew another Whit
Of smoke and looked calmly az the tumbril
Of death, with It's arms whirling wildly,
since George had trusted 20 the steep
grade and the appalling acceleraton he
had given tho machine 30 accomplish
the passage Of the bridge, and had sat
down alongside Of Mollie with bis arm
around her waist.
just as they neared the draw, which
was never legally allowed open on Sun
day, he turned his head and his face
became white. Mollie felt the chill
circle her waist as his blood froze IN hrs
arms. he sprang 10 his feet and trled
10 seize those revolving handles. which
were only blur and n mist. He thought
of throwing the girl of. but before he
could think Of anything else the car took
the leap. and as Hugh O'Donnell sat
smoking in his sentry box be saw the
upturned faces, palhd with agony, but
pressed close together, go down with
the hand car b. the deep pools and cruel (
rocks OF the Fox run, and as he did so
he said
Course You =" and lighted another
pipe.
They found him there, but mad-not .
raving mad. but in that lymphatic state .
of mania which is beyond reach. On the .
shore below, held by the gnarled roots .
of willow, we're discovered the bodies
of George and Mollie. In the moment 1
of death she had thrown her arms about ,
him. and as the sunlight filtered through .
the surging branches and fell upon the .
upturned faces. they seemed like bride .
and groom in the sleep Of happiness. /
So they we're married, but death had 7
been the minister. - Cincinndti In
quiror.