The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-04-12
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ting road running from the great iron
J artery Of the r., W. and b. Railroat
! M through the pleasant valley o
: Chester county, Pennsylvania.
II was near Chadd's Ford, and Al
beautiful romantic spot. There is {
, turbulent stream running betweer
, high banks, on which stunted willows
grow, while further down, at the wa
ter's edge, the weeping variety OF th'
! same tree dips its greenish tresses il
, the musical water, which has hushet
J its riotous noise to almost a requiem
since the death Of George ricketts, and
Mollie Dolbell-"as fine young man
and ne pretty girl" the farmers say,
: "ss you will find in all Chester coun'
ty." This Is how they met their death,
Mollie was one Of those pink-and.
white dairy-maids that you sometimes
meet in the grazing regions Of Penn
sylvania. Her hair was bonny brown,
. but with Just CLINT Of black in il, as
if Il had been gently touched by a
ravens wing. She was lighi-heartcl
and rs merry as the lark with which
she arose, tho lark that caroled above
her head as she loopcd her neat dress
about her enhancing ankles, and
skinned into the stone dairy where
the painted pans were ranged in rows
and the yellow pots Of butter flccke,i
the cool water.
The trouble with Mollie was that
The had two lovers--one George Rick.
etts, a stalwart farm hand, and the
other, Hugh ODonnell, a sullen, red.
whiskered man, employed on the
small drawbridge over the Fox Run
that We have spoken OF. This draw
was seldom used save for lazy schoo-
ner that came up to get terra-cotta
pipe from mandatory above.
The two men knew that they were
rivals, and. Mollie knew it, too, being
! sore troubled in her white soul as she
stood Saturday evening before Lent in
the porch of the house where she
lived, and promised to take ride on
the morrow with Gcorge--not a ride
in buggy nor a sail in boat, but a
rafting ride on a hand-car, a practice
which is frequent on these lonely lines,
whose rails vibrate but seldom under
the crunching advance Of the engine.
II is unnecessary to describe the
hand-car that fits the rails, is worked
by crank, and when started goes
like the wind. The car had been
loaned to George by band Of labor
ers who were making repairs about q
: mile above. He had busted il neatly
and when the pretty girl reached him
by a short path through the woods, he
had arranged the vehicle 50 cleverly,
; with cushion for Mollie, that it did
: not seem unlike Cleopatra's barge.
She was in her Sunday hest, and she
laughed lightly in the sunshine a;
George swung her into her seat and
then leaped to the handles.
There were no Sunday trains; there
was no danger.
Mollie crossed her tiny feet. felt the
exhilaration 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 glistening rails ringing,
the bonny brown hair blown about,
and the Fox Run bridge near Al
hand.
On that bridge Hugh ODonnelf sal
smoking his pipe. The draw was
open, although no drifting schooner
was in sight. Some evil bird had
whispered to Hugh the Sunday trip Of
his rival with Mollie. lie determine
ell on murder at 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 up the converging lines Of
metal that seemed like satin ribbons
: tied in how by the perspective.
lie did not have 10 wait long. First
came the rumble--lhe far-away sound
that dies away while il increases and
then, swinging suddenly around a
curve, the hand.car, hearing the girl
he loved and the man he hated. lie
: drew another Whit of smoke, and
looked calmly at the tumbril n death,
with its arms whirline wildly, since
George had trusted to the steep grade
: and the appalling acceleration he had
given the machine to accomplish the
passage of the bridge, and sat down
alongside of Mollie with his arm
) around her waist.
; Just as they neared the draw, which
was never legally allowed open on
Sunday, he turned his head, and hi,
, face became white, Mollie felt th,
/ chill circle her waist a. his blood froz,
! in his arms. lie sprang to his feet,
A Il