The daily gazette., 1879-04-25
The Distracted Track.

Above the fair girl who looked out of
q small dormitory window shone count
less stars; she might have seen Bootes
aud Orion had she looked up, but that
night the worlds of heaven had no at
traction for her.
She was listening to q strange sound
borne from the west by the nocturnal
breeze that chilled her cheek. 81 believe
it is in Gwynne's Cut" she said at last
to. herself. "Perhaps some villain is OBJ
structing the track for devilish purposes.
The Red Bird will soon be due, and this
Is Eds trip down."
The mOOnbeams stealing in at the
window fell OH the face of the dial aud
told Viola that it was IL o'clock.
"Twelvs," she Murmered. "What!
II O'Clock, and he whistlts to me at half
past My heavens what If the track is
obstructed In the cut"
With the last word on her lips, she
turned and soon left the house.
AT the gate she paused moment and
listened. The stars looked down upon
a little object that glittered like silvet in
Viola's hand.
She was the belle of the country she
Inhabited. Her father was dead, and,
with her widowed mother, and little
brother of twelve, she dwelt in the hum
BILE house won by the sweat of her faith
ers brow. A railway station called
Beaumont was the only settlement near,
and it was six miles from her home.
The brace of shrieks, loud and shrill,
which sounded every night, told her who
ldrove that engine toward the great city
on the Mississippi banks. They recalled
the day, one year since, when the first
lengine she had ever seen stopped at
beaumont, scarcely station then. The
lengineer was young and handsome as
he saw her examining the great driving
wheels, aud looking with wonderment
upon The mighty beauties of his iron
pet, he leaped to the ground.
GA pretty piece Of machinery" sad he
to her, "and she goes like bird.o
She blushed when she caught his eye,
and the sound of his voice thrilled her.
A week later she found herself at the
station talking to him again. BY and by
Ed. Gordon, the engineer, carried pic
ture over his heart, aud on Viola's
bureau lay the photograph semblance of
his face.
But to return to the night when Viola
left her home to investigate the sounds
that seemed to come from Gwynne's Cut.
Viola at last reached the cut, into which
the mellow moonbeams fell, and paused.
Something high and dark obstructed the
track before her, at the very spot where
the cattle guard seemed to be, and she
held her breath. 1t was u o'clock when
she left the house, and her walk had oe
, cupied a number of precious minutes
ohria TO of RaH rI
,, be heard, and moment thereafter its
headlight would flash into the cut or
gorge. She saw more than pile of
strong ties OH the track. She saw the
dark figure of a man moving about the
pyramids as If contemplating his nights
, work, and speculating upon the death
and ruin it would cause. She watched
until she believed that one man had ac-
complished the dabolical deed, then she
crept forward through the shadow OF
: the bushes that lined the sides of the
cut. until she stood within ten feet OF
I him.
iii go back to the station, now," she
heard him say to himself. 81 can get
) there before the accident, and when il
J occurs, why can run up there and see
him under the ruins of his engine sc
= : crushed that the doll faced girl will moi
3 recognize him."
b The last words, full of DEVILS triumph
Q still quivered on his lips, when Violi
stepped from the shadows and thrust tn,
muzzle of her revolver into his face.
"This Is your revenge, Morgan Duke,
= sac said, looking sternly into his eyes
), Now, obey my commands, or there will
be q lifeless body on this track, to 6'
mingled among the ruins of the nigh
1t express. To work at once; Oft with you
coat, and remove every obstruction you
wicked hands have placed there"
"The train can't be saved now," HI
said, and there was joy IN his tones. 81
: took me one long hour to obstruct th
guard. In twenty minutes, or less, per
haps, you'll see the Bed Birds headlgh
up the cut"
not clear when | see her headlight, II
r drive bullet through your brain. Yol
" know what to 10. III talk no longer"
a. He worked for dear life, for he knew
4 when the thunderidg train was due, AM
- a glance at the girl on the track told hin
lb that she would surely kill him If he di'
not do her bidding
She said to him: "lnever thought thi
of you, Morgan Duke. When l reiecte
~ you, thought you would bear il like
man."
He replied not, but glanced at hi
watch.
- "Half-past 12," he said.
"To work p was the stern command
and Viola stepped forward and brough
q q the revolver nearer his head.
"a 81 "I can't get them out" he said
IL "You must" was the reply.
al drove them in with a sledge,"
81 did not hear the sound"
alt WITS dsadensd with my coat.