Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-06-17
complished this when there was q tap

on the inner door,
"Robert," Alice said.
"Yes, love. Speak low, there Is
man under my window"
81 am going to Paris. There Is no
man under my window, and l can get
out there. l have six long roller tow
els here knotted together, and 1 have
cut my white skirt into wide strips to
join them. The rope made 80 reaches
nearly to the ground. l shall fasten
it to the door-knob and let myself
down. 1t will not take long to reach
home, saddle Selim and reach Paris in
time. Don't fear for me-"
Nine o'clockl AS the bell of the
church clock ceased to strike, rumble,
a flash, told me that thunder storm
was coming rapidly. Oh, the long.
long minutes Of the next hour. Ten
O'clock. The rain falling in torrents,
the thunder pealing, lightning flash
ing. Alice was so afraid of lightning.
Eleven o'clockl The storm over,
though still the night was inky black.
The midnight down train was com.
ing swiftly, surely, TO certain destruct-
ion Where was my wife? Had the
ruflians intercepted her at the cottage?
Was she lying dead somewhere upon
the wild road? Her hcroism was Of no
avail, but was her life saved? In the
agony of that question the approach
ing rumble Of the train was Ear moro
than the bitterness of Alice lost in the
horror of the doomed lives it carried.
Why had l let her start upon her mad
errand?
The heavy train rumbled past the
telegraph office. 1t was an express
train, and did not stop at Deering sta
tion; but as I listened, every sense
sharpened by mental torture, it seemed
to me that the speed slackened. List
ening intently, knew that 1t stopped
at the embankment, as nearly as l could
Judge Not with the sickening crash
| expected, not preceding walls and
groans from the injured passengers,
but carefully. A moment more and l
heard shouts, the crack Of firearms,
sounds of some conflict.
What could it all mean? The min
utes were hours, till heard key turn
in the door ofmy prison, and a moment
later two tender arms were round my
neck, and Alice was whispering in my
ear:
"They will come in few minutes,
love, to set you free"
"But have you been to Parls?"
"Yes, dear"
"In all that storm?'
"Selim seemed to understand. He
carried me swiftly and surely. I was
well wrapped in my waterproof cloak
and hood. When reached Paris the
train had not come from D."
"But it is here"
"Only the locomotive and one car.
In that car was sheriff, deputy sher-
if and twenty men, armed to the teeth,
to capture the gang at the embank-
ment. l came, too, and they lowered
me from the platform when the speed
slackened, so that conld run here and
tell you all was safe."
While we spoke my wife's fingers
had first united the handkerchief
around my neck, and then, in tho dark,
found some of the knots of the cords
binding me. But | was still tied fast
and strong, when there was rush of
many feet upon the staircase, and, in
another moment, light and joyful
voices.
"We've captured the whole nineT"
was the good news. "Three, including
John Martin, are desperately wounded,
but the surprise was perfect. Now,
old fellow, for your
A dozen claspknives at once severed
my bonds, and a dozen hands were ex-
tended in greeting. AS for the praises
showered upon my plucky little wife,
it would require volume to tell half