The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-08-24
cut last night and the house set on

{
fire afterward."
Great heavens ! what q mon
ster ~
We had continued the converse
tion throughout in a whisper, scarce.
ly above our breath, and now the
conductor rose and left me to study
the faces of my fellow-passengers
with curious dread and horror.
Somehow, often as | revolved the
matter in my mind, my fancy would
settle on q coarse, brutal-lookinp
man opposite, with a bushy beard
and coat of shaggy wool, with the
collar turned up around his ears.
felt convinced that this man
with the brutal eyes, and heavy
hanging jaws, was the Cain ! And
as looked furtively across, / caught
the wide-open orbs of the fair little
girl.
Obeying the instantaneous i'm
pulse of my heart, rose and went
over to her.
''You heard what we were saying,
my child ?"
''Yes, a murder-oh, how horri-
blen'
"Do not be frightened; no one
will hurt you."
She smiled up in my face, with
sweet, confding innocence.
Our stay at Exmouth was but
brief; but during the delay | could
see that the watchful detective had
changed his seat to one nearer the
british man in the shaggy over
coat.
"Seew faltered the young girl
"they locked the car doors at Ex-
mouth they are unlocking them
now.n
She was right.
Probably they were fearful lest
the criminal should escape" | re-
marked, in an undertone.
"Will you-may | trouble you to
bring me a glass of water?"
/ rose end made my way to the
ice-cooler, by the door, but with diff
ficulty, for the train was again un-
der rapid motion. To my disap-
pointment, the tin goblet was chain
ed to the shelf.
''No matter she said, with a
winning smile Il viii come my
self"
/ drew the water and held up the
cup; but instead Of taking it as she
approached, she brushed suddenly
past me, opened the door, and rush
ed out upon the platform.
'Stop her. stop her p shouted the
springing to his feet.
"She will be killed. Conductor
brakeman-hold up"
There was rush-a tumult-a
hustle. | was first upon the plat
form but it was empty and desert
ed, save by half-frozen-looking
brakeman, who seemed horror
stricken.
"She went past me Ike shadow,
and jumped off as we crossed Cairn
turnpike road" he stammered.
Jumped Off the express train !
Well" said lhe conductor, struggling
his shoulders, "she must have been
killed instantly. What mad follyl"
''It's five hundred dollars out of
my pocket said the detective, rue
fully. Il didn't want a scene before
we got to Bayswater, but l was
confounded fool. A woman corner
ed viii do anything, | believel"
What p / calculated, ''you surely
do not mean that child"
Il mean, said the detective, calm
ly, that the child, as you call her,
is Attila Burton, a married woman,
.wenty-six years old. who last night
murdered four persons. in cold
blood, and was trying to escape to
The train was stopped and 4 par
" of US went back to search for any
race of the young creature, whose
innocence had appealed to
my sympathies so earnestly.
We found her az length, quite
lead, by the side of the track, fright
iully mangled by the force OF the fall.
md mutilated almost beyond recog-
lition.
''Do you suppose she expected to
De able to spring from the train
without injury ?" / asked.
Without much injury? Yes; We
men are unreasoning creatures But
never dreamed of such insane fol-
y, or / should have taken measures
o prevent it,"
They lifted up the fair dead thing,
md carried it to the nearest place of
,efuge-a lonely farmhouse among
he frozen hills-and we returned to
.he train, reaching Bayswater only
1 few minutes behind time. And
when, in the morning papers, | read
he account of the murder, and the
.ragic end of the murderous, /
thought of the slender creatures
blue eyes, and rosebud mouth,
with strange, pitying thrill at my
heart.