The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-10

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eye, five years after the conversation
just related, see human being on whose
face is stamped indeibly cruelty of the
vilest order, crawling about railway
embankment in the United States,
have shuddering conviction that some
diabolical monstrosity is about to be
perpetrated. And so it is. The wretch
ed creature is carrying huge bar of
iron (stolen from some store at hand, /
supposed, and with it he slips down the
embankment, ut the risk of his life, I'M
til he reaches the entrance to a tunnel.
There, across the rails, he deposits his
burden. He is careful so to place it
that by no possibility shall the engine
of the doomed train now fast approach
ing clear its path of the incumbrance.
He chuckles as this assurance strikes
him fully. Then ne smites the bar a
heavy blow with the palm of his hand,
and dreadful madness glistens in his
coal-black eyes, as he mutters, "Fine,
! tine!" A minute after, and he is over
the embankment again; and, half an
hour subsequently, when all is confu-
sion and horror and suffering, he quiet
ly tells the story of his deed, and is
borne away with loathing to await the
time when it shall be pronounced wheth-
err he shall be put out of life as malig-
nant criminal, or be henceforth well
housed and cared for as an interesting
lunatic of peculiar propensities.
Into that train, now coming on to it's
fate, there stepped at the terminal sta
ton an elderly gentleman and beauti-
full girl. They had come to America
from England for the benefit of the
young lady's not over-strong health.
what lot of fog We do get here 4"
said the gentleman, testify "We started
because it was charming morning, and
now we are in damp mist, getting
darker every minute. A blessed inven-
ton, those fog-signals, for am sure the
engine-driver cannot see his hand be-
fore him."
Papa" said the young lady, timidly,
and with the dreamy air which we assoc
ciate with the looking back on long-past
events, did you notice gentleman
who entered the train as we were Just
starting?"
"A young man with brown hair and
dark gray eyes? Yes, Laura: and 1
thought how wonderfully like he was to
that headstrong lad, Willie Stansfeld,
who will turn up again, L suppose, one
of these days"
DO you think, papa, it could possibly
have been hep"
"There is no saying. We always as
sumed he went abroad. He may be
here-may be in this train. L we'll re-
member the last words l said to Turner
about him, that he must do something
very praiseworthy before he could re-
turn to my favor. dare say, like the
rest of the world, he is striving and
struggling. Laura, this is indeed a
wretched day for travelling"
But Laura's thoughts were upon the
brown hair and the gray eyes.
This is the station, Laura, before we
come to the long tunnel. On we go
again. How We all of us cry out for
change! Restless creatures we human
beings arel Bah! The idea of my NOR
alizingw and the hard-headed business
man laughed at the notion.
Il don't see anything to laugh at,
papa. L feel little dull myself, at the
moment. Do you know, fancy am
in more critical state than you think
L may not live, you know, papa. L may
not. If / should die, you will not bury
me here? You will take me home,
and"
MY Laura my Laura!" exclaimed
her father, drawing her TO him and en-
bracing her, what has come over you?
What sudden alarm is this?"
They We're alone in the carriage, and
the old mans tear dropped unchecked.
1T will pass away, dare say, papa !;
but curious presentiment came over
me, and felt weak will talk of other
things. [ wish this journey were
ended, for / am rather frightened at
such darkness"
There is nothing to fear my girl.
This line is admirably worked, and all
contingencies are provided for, and"
No. Not that of heavy bar lying on
the rails, placed there after the last train
has been signaled "All right"
CRASH!
The huge engine reared up as if in
rage, and fell back on the foremost car
riages. The hind part of the train was
jerked off the line, the carriages falling
around and upon one another in hideous
confusion. Only few of the center
carriages escaped injury. How many
passengers were killed l cannot tell you
now. In a sense, they were favored
above the cruelty wounded, for the sum-
mons was immediate, and was imme-
diately obeyed.
Mr.. Manley rose from the embank-
ment, on to which, by some eccentricity
of movement of the falling carriages, he
had been thrown. For minute all was
confusion in his mind. Then memory
returned. Where was Laura? She re-
manned in that shattered compartment
upon which another carriage was partly
resting. He could just hear her voice
now, crying for her father
The old man shouted for help, but
there were far worse cases, and no help
came. A cry then arose that the train
on the other line was just due, and, the
way being blocked by the debris, an
other accident was imminent. A loud
wall of despair issued from the poor
father, as fruitlessly he strove to remove