The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-03
The Obstructed Track.

Above the fair girl who looked out of q
small dormitory window shone countless
stars; she might have seen Bootes and Or.
Ion had she looked up, but that night the
worlds Of heaven had no attraction for her
She was listening to strange sound
borne from the weat by the nocturnal breeze
that chilled her check. 'I believe it is
Gwynnc's Gut" she said at last, to herself.
'Perhaps some villain IS obstruct,ng the
Track for deviish purposes. The Red Bird
will soon be due, and this Is Eds trip
down."
The moonbeams stealing in at the win.
dow, fell on the face of the dial and told
Viola that it was IL O'Clock.
, Twelve" she murmured. "What 12
o'clock, and he whistles to me OF half-past
My heavensI What If the track Ia OBJ
structed in the cut |"
With the last word on her lip, she turned
and soon left the houae.
AT the gate she paused q moment and
listened The stars looked down upon a
little object that glittered like silver In Vi
ola's hand.
She was the belle of the county she IN
ssahited. ( Her father was dead and, with
%$her widowed mother, and little brother
y OF twelve, she dwelt In the humble house
won by the sweat of her fathers brow. A
railway station called Beaumont, was the
only settlement near, and 1t was six miles
from her home.
-..I Tt; d brace of shrieks, loud and shrlll.
&oouht1eu every night, told her who
1ns Sthat engine toward that great city on
W sissippi's banks. They recalled the
-, .-o year since, when the first engine
she had ever seen had stopped at Beaumont,
scarcely station then. The engineer was
young and handsome; as he saw hor cx-
umining the great driving wheels, and
looking with wonderment upon the mighty
beauties of his iron pet, he leaped TO the
ground.
"a pretty piece of machinery" said he
to her, land she goes like a bird"
She blushed when she caught his eye,
and the sound of his voice thrilled her.
A week later ahc found herself at the sta
tion talking to him again. BY and by Ed.
Gordon, the engineer, carried a picture
over his heart, and on Viola's bureau lay
the photograph sembance OF his face.
But to return to the night when Viola
left her home to investigate the sounds
that seemed to come from Gwynno's Cut.
Viola at last reached the cut, into which
the mellow moonbeams fell, and paused.
Something high and dark obstructcd the
track before her, at the very spot where
the cattle guard seemed to be, and she held
h6r breath. 1t was ID o'clock when she
left the house, and her walk had occupied
q number of precious minutes. The shricks
of the Red Bird would soon be heard and
moment thereafter Its headlight would
flash Into the cut or gorge. She saw more
than Il pile OF strong ties on the track. She
. saw the dark figure Of man moving about
among The pyramids, as if contemplating
his nights work, and specializing upon the
death and ruin it would cause. She
watched until she believed that one man
/ had accomplished the dlabolical deed, and
then she crept forward through the shadow
! Of the bushes that lined the side of the cut,
until she stood within ton feet Of him.
"I'll go back to the station, now," she
heard him say to himself. II can got
there before the accident, and when 1t oc-
curs. why can run up there and sec him
leh ilCt tho ruins of his engine, so crushed
d that tho doll faced girl will not recognize
him. '.."'
Sa The last words, full Of DEVILS triumph,
ss8still quivcred on his lips, when Viola step
ped from the shadows and thrust tho m,lz.
VILE of hor revolver into his face.
sS 'This Is your ovenge, Morgan Duke" "
gisshe said, looking sternly into his oyes
flS "Now, obey my commands, or there vii
be lifeless body on this track, to be min
s5 gled among the ruins Of tho night express
;@sT 10 work at once; OFF with your coat, ant
removu evory obstruction your wicked hand
81 have placed there.'
@ 'rho train can't be saved now," he said
sM and there was Joy In his tones SIT tool
Ss Inc one long hour to obstruct tho guard
S In twenty minutes or less, perhaps, you'l
~ see tho Bed Birds headlight up the cut" t"
~ "Villain |" she cried, "if this track
not clear when see her headlight, II
81 drive bullet through your brain. 70
s know what to DO, Ill talk no longer"
"a He worked for dear life, for no kne,
80 when the laundering train was due, and
glance at the girl on the track told hit