The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-08-27

plausible, to account for her interest In
this man, who was virtually hardly more
than her fathers clerk. Miss Dnane very |
properly assumed that her motive was no |
affair OF mine. Her one concern was to
spare no expense in finding julius Wright.
Il am 50 very sure you will find a clue
at Walling," she said; 81 can not put that
find him give him this from me-"
Il was obliged to tell her of my prior
undertaking, and to intimate that I feared
that the mission was opposed to hers. She
lore open the note she had given me.
tx Y 2 thousand. dollars. the sum with
which Wright had absconded) "were this day
paid In your name to the 7. & d. Railway
the charge against you to be withdrawn"
Here are the railroad company's re-
ceipts," she said, Inc displayed them,
duly attested. Now you must see; the
added day of his absence makes it harder
to reinstAte him"
She paused, gasped, shuddered, and put
out one hand toward me with a look OF
fright and pain. As I caught her cold slim
fingers in answer to that appeal, she fell
she looked, I could not bring myself to
call for help. It seemed to me ii would be
an infamous thing to expose her to the
Indifferent curiosity and comment OF do
mestics and chance guests. With my free
hand 1 tossed the flowers from a vase close
by, and dashed the water in her CHASTITY
face.
90, .Godp' she moaned, ''the irel the
merciless fre!"
Her left hand was clasping some orna-
ment at her throat, dragging down the
supporting chain until it threatened to
strangle her. I bent to unclasp that cling.
ing hand. 1t yielded its grasp stifly, and
the pendant 1ocket swung into my own
hand. The gold burned my flesh as If it
were a coal: And with that contact an
sensation like that we nave when we seem
to re-live in a dream some part of aformer
existence. Out Of this vague mistiness of
thought and feeling, l seemed to resolve
the face of julius Wright, distorted. full of
horror and agony unspeakable. l started.
eyes.
call no one:n she said, weakly, but with
/ brought no one here-but you may give
me, If you will, q cup of wine from the
cabinet in the corner"
She slipped the restorative slowly, and
graciously smiled at my clumsy speeches
Of sympathy.
to give me relief, will you not? For this
arises from pure anxiety and grief. l
never swooned in my life until a fortnight
ago. It seems contemplate to trade upon
ones weakness, does it notr But-well-
the sight Of physical suffering, where the
extreme of mental anguish would make no
impression"
MADAM" I said, "what does that locket
c~ontain?"
She started with q naughty, questioning
glance, that became lost in wonder.
sit holds-a miniature"
"Perhsps a lock of hair? Yes, I thought
as much. Now, let me advise you. Take
it from your neck, with care to touch only
the chain, put it away in a safe, or drawer
where you Without of reach of contact
with YOU, and I guarantee you immunity
from these swoons.
"What do you-what can % mean:
What do you know?"
81 know no more thar yourself-.only
that there is a subtle essence of relation
between the material and the spiritual that
our finite, faulty knowledge has not
grasped. You wear the portrait and the
hair of a person for whom you have
strong congenial affinity, and on physical
contact with it your over-susceptible or
ganization receives the force of his suffer.
ing-stayl it may not be bodily suffering
lit may be grief, or app~rehension-ol
remorse."
Her proud head dropped.
81 believe you are right" she said; "my
folly has been so great that I have fancieG
I found actual consolation in touching the
lock of hair I had arranged to meet my
hand. And o l fancy that I can remem'
Der how every attack OF this nature has
been coincident with such q lapse of weak
ness. At all events, I will experiment or
your advice. My very life is Slapped by
these swoons, from which I bring no def.
mite recollection, but a sense of indescriba'
BILE horror, and peril to Julius Wright"
All the restlessness and b intensity o.
Miss Duane's own spirit seemed to possess
me when I went to Walling. And all fulfil.
ity and non-fruition of effort seemed tC
confront and mock me. It was easy
enough to set any Walling tongue a-wag
cling about "the swell thai fired for Stacy,
and skipped between two days." but to the
published facts no one could add a word.
Wright had been a clever actor, and had
given no clue. His record here was like
the outward life of any man in his appar-
repeat his story, but it was the same un
varying account he had already given sc
often. His conclusion of it now began to
be colored, as I have intimated by a touch
of resentment. He was evidently not q
little vain of his unassisted management
of his great machine in that memorable
night-run, and jealous at hearing tina,
others had surpassed the feat. Indeed, he
had become SO arrogant and unreasonable
as to lave offended most of 'the boys a
the yard" Walling being a division ter
minus, the little town was a general stop
ping place, whence the men were various
~ assigned to the trains dispatched nigh
and day.
"An Stacy wants now is a Jew-stor,
diamond.pin to make a way-up conduc.
but he'll have to sport a double chin befor,
he can get to be a director. He'll be
runnin' the whole thunderin' line pretty
soon," said a railroad man, one of a grouI
lounging on the clearinghouse piazza.
"Well, he can start in right now" SAT-
another, land rn copper on any train b
! starts. I'd sooner drive the DEVILS dump
y cart than to fire on '23' again tonight
That engines got the phthisic, and she
! go'n T bust and blow the whole crew owe
! into Utah."
! "Give us a rest" spoke up a boss fror
. division. They's not a rivet sick abou
her."
10, they amt, amt theya Well, what
fumes just settle down in the cab so thic
l you could make a sieve out of 'em with
!, shotgun. 1 swear, I thought I'D chok
last week."
, 'That's So" said a quiet little fellow
. haiG T by Ra air. P Ii fred o ON 90. as' Mses 'fo1
last, and I could hardly breathe; an
I. worse N that, somehow I got scared, an
-and-well, 1 don't know what was tn
? matter, but I went to sleeper tainted, Q
! was a lying full o. cold sweat, and STAG
shovelin' doublec coal right over my head.
. "Them's mel" cried the m~alcontent.
"Scared! Why, my heart elm up an
8 clawed at my tongue, and it felt as big an
r hard as a driving-wheel, and I keeled ovel
;, Gents, '23' IS freight, but she's got a pas
!, senger aboard. His names Mr.. Spool
and his PROFESSIONS warmth. He's serve
notice on me that '23' g got a notion
i layin' down on her back, and makir
poached duck out o. me. I'll promenad
. over, and sort o. tell Mr.. Train Dispatche
i Pm caught OUT"
t "Suppose he'd put me on in your place?
u I said.
t The men gathered about me with note
of admiration, both decisive and sincere
r It was an of hour, and the bunch escorte
Y me over to the Office and presented me I
9 the train-dispatchsr. There was muc
mock ceremony, conducted with a gravit
that would not discredit Parliament, an