The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-07-10
3Mtscella,1cuus.
My Wife's Exploit.

was II telegraph operator stationed in the
little town OF Deering, upon the line of the
Pacific Railroad, between the cities of D.
and c.. Six miles further west was the
more pretentious town of Paris, upon the di.
rect road to D.
Decring was by no means model resi-
dence. Still there was n school and timid
little blue.eyed woman had come from Yer
mont to teach it. How long an unprotected
woman might have lived in Deerlng | can
only guess, for Alice Holt had been there but
three months when she consented to walk
into church with me and walk out my wife
This was in July, and we had occupied a
pretty cottage nearly quarter of mile from
the telegraph station since our marriage.
With this necessary introduction | come
10 the story of that October night and the
part my huc-cyed Alice, only eighteen and
afraid of her own shadow, played in it.
was in the office at about half past seven
O'clock, when one of the city officials came
in, all hurried, saying
Stirring, have you been over to the en-
baukment on the road to day 7"
M, have not"
1T was special Providence took me
there, then, One of the great masses of rock
has rolled down directly across the track. 1t
will be rs dark rs VOLTS mouth tonight,
and if the midnight train comes from D.
there will be Il horrible smashup."
"The midnight train must stop at Paris,
then" l replied. II will send message"
Yes. That is what stopped in for. The
other track is clear, so you need not stop the
train to D"
"Al right sir"
was standing at the door, seeing my call
or down the ricketty staircase, when Alice
came up with my supper.
ANY messages to-day?" my wife asked.
"One from D. for John Martin"
John Martin = Alice cried; "the greatest
ruffian in Deering. What was the message ?"
Midnight train"
"Was that all ?"
That was all Mr.. Hill has just been in
here to tell me there is II huge rock across the
track at the embankment, so | shall stop the
midnight train at Paris"
She went into the dressing-room, taking
no light, but depending upon the candles
burning in the office was rising from my
seat 10 send the telegram, when the door
opened, and four of the worst characters in
Deering, lei by John Martin, entered the
room. Before | could speak, two threw me
back in my chair, one held a revolver to my
head and John Martin spoke:
MIR. Hill was here to tell you to stop the
D. train. You will not send that mes
sage Listen. The rock is there to stop that
train-put there for that purpose. There is
half a million in gold in the express car. Do
you understand"
trembled for Alice. Not sound came
from the little room as was tied, hand and
foot, to my chair, bound so securely that
could not move. 1t was proposed to gag
me, but finally concluding that my cries, if
made any, could not be heard, q handker
chief was bound over my mouth.
The door ofthe wash room was closed and
locked, Alice still undiscovered, then the
light was blown out, and the ruffians left me,
locking the door after them.
There was long silence. Outside could
hear the step Of one Of the men pacing up
and down, watching. rubbed my head
against the wall behind me, and succeeded in
getting the handkerchief on my mouth to
fall around my neck. l had scarcely accom-
plshed this when there was tap on the in
ner door.
Robert" Alice said
Yes, love. Speak low, there is man
under my window"
II am going to Paris. There is no man
under my window, and cen get out there. |
have six long roller towels here knotted to-
gether, and | have cut my white skirt into
wide strips to join them. The rope made SO
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
Seim and reach Paris in time. Don't fear
for me-"
Nine O'clock AS the bell of tile church
clock ceased to strike, u rumble, a flash, told
me that thunder storm was coming rapid
ly. Oh, the long. long minutes of the next
hour. Ten o'clock. The rain falling in tor
rents, the thunder pealing, lightning flashing
Alice was so afraid of lightning. Eleven
o'clock The storm over, though still the
night vas nky black.
The midnight down train was coming
swiftly, surely, to certain destruction Where
was my wife? Had the ruflians intercepted
her at the cottage? Was she lying dead
somewhere upon the wild road? Her hero.
ism was of no avail but was her life saved
In the agony of that question the approach
ing rumble of the train was far more than the
bitterness of Alice lost, in the horror of the
doomed lives it carried Why had let her
start upon her mad errandp
The heavy train rumbled past the tele.
graph office. 1t was an express train, and
did not stop at Deering station; but as list
ened, every sense sharpened by mental tor
ture, it seemed to me that the speed slacken-
ed Listening intently, knew that it stop
ped at the embankment, as nearly as | could
judge. Not with the sickening crash ] ex-
pected, not preceding walls and groans
from the injured passengers, but carefully
A moment more and heard shouts, the
crack of firearms, sounds of some conflict.
What could it all mean? The minutes
were hours, till heard key turn in the
door of my prison, and a moment after 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 p
But have you been to Parish"
Eyes, dear"
"In all that storm 7"
"Seliln seemed to understand. He carried
me swiftly and surely. was well wrapped
in my waterproof cloak and hood When
reached Paris the train had not come from
D."
But tbs here"
"0nly the locomotive and one car. In