The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-10
"Angi," grunted the wood'passer'
oil die nj iOht

|
very dear friend Of yours, Miss Ashton a'sap
| peared-"
The Young man lifted one hand as he stepped
back pace, and his dark check blanchcd'
| "Hush I" he said, in deep, vibrant voice
az left Mobile because could not bear 10 re
main aftcr-But, ''interrupting himself VIVA
has she to do with that I"
He pointed as he spoke, to the yawnins gal
in the trestie.
"Iisten," returned the engineer, "and you
shall hear. AS you are proDaDiy nwn,o' we
and was running like hurricane, IN oroer u
reach Columbia on time, when irst saw tnt
| iight- II darted through the trees like will-o
the-wisp, and gaining the track, stopped tnere
I saw 1 had not moment to lose, and, opening
with the chorus of toots that yeu nea.uI !,
was that was so wildly waving us back IN
stantly reversed the engine. Then saw ina
the nerson who had signaled us was woman
| The waving lantern shone on her Dress anu
shawl. The old "SXteen" was numbering
down on her, and she would not move, standing
| as she was in the center OF the track. MoIlemt'
seemed ages. 1t looked as II she wanted 70 ole
NV heart leaped into my throat. jumped Out
on the running board, and was about to steT
| down ON the front of the engine, when mar
suddenly rushed from among the expresses on
The left, and seizing the girl by the waist, drag
ged her off the track, the pilot grazing her a;
| The engine rolled by. But IN that moment
| saw her face. It was as white as the face OF
dead girl, the black hair flying around 1t, and
| the great wild eyes on fire. Now, listen to me
nv friend. AS sure as l am living man, the
| lady who saved us was none other than youl
old love-" The engineer paused. Claude ROTH
we'll was looking at him with dumb agony IN
his handsome dark eyes.
"Well 7" he whispered
The engineer, iE low voice, pronounced the
name, "Miss Clara Ashton"
Rothwell lifted one hand to his shaking lips.
"What," he muttered, "could she be doing
here :"
~ don't know" returned his friend, shaking
lis head ~ can't guess. But, Claude, new
err could see through that affair you confided 70
me. There must have been some terrible mis-
take. Surely Miss Ashton would not have ia
ken criminals part against you If"
Rothwell interrupted him.
(which way did she go!' he asked.
The engineer swung his lantern toward the
| left
'The last saw OF them" he added, "the
man had her in his arms, ana was SPrlnglne
| like goat over the roots and knees. That was
| Just as the engine was stopping, ond,-. But,
| Claude Rothwell where, in The name OF com
| mon sense are you going?"
A hard, reckless laugh followed his words.
The young man had suddenly quilted his side
and springing down the embankment, had II
not been for the dim light the lantern shed about
him, would have already been swallowed up III
the gloom among the expresses.
"Don't trouble yourself" he cried. ~ am
going to unearth this mystery, Murray"
A loud guffaw broke from the astonished nc
groes.
The conductor muttered an oath OF surprise
Murray stared after the vanishing form: :.
sRothwell," he called, "come back! Don't
make an litter fool of yourself"
The mockng laughter OF his friend was the
only reply, and the voice that uttered it was al
ready far away. a. n
This determination of Rothwell, however-the
determination to follow the man and woman, OF
whom the engineer had spoken; through tnose
painless low grounds, in the darkness OF
moonless and misty Autumn nght-was not SO
wild as it at first appeared.
A South Carolinan by birth, much Of his child
hood had been spent near this place, and, being
of a very adventurous spirit, ne had often pen
etrated into the deepest recesses OF the Wateree
Swamps.
Those frightful solItudes, now voiceless in
the embrace of the October night, held no ter.
rors for him. His mind was occupied with
thoughts of the past
He remembered spot he had once seen near
here sort of island, formed by the iodg-
ment of reeds, leaves and prusnWooo aln1ng
also, having Sc on that island low hut Dnlt
perhaps, by some runaway slave.
1t was toward the hut-believlng he should
! find there those he was seeking-ihat he was
now making his way. He was determined, II
possible, to lift the vail of mystery which had
| SO long enshrouded the lite Of the woman be so
passionatey, but, Us he believed, hopelessly
| loved.
AS he went onward, clingng to the gray stems
| of the expresses, and springing from one cone
| shaped base or knee to another, the events OF
| the past year began TO pass IN swift ana vlvlo
| review before him.
First he saw his sleeping apartment in hotel
| at Montgomery saw masked burglar enter
| it at midnight and begin rifilng his desk OF the
money and valuable papers it contained; saw
| himself spring upon him, and the desperate
| struggle that eDsued. The burglar, drawing a
| dirk. had stabbed him, infctiDg painful but
| not dangerous wonnd, and escaped; not, how
| ever. without having the mask torn from his
| face and Claude Rothwell felt that, if he ever
met that man again, be would know him among
| ten thousand.
One month, two months, passed away; and
the wound in Rothwell's arm healed. Another
went by; STILL although strict search had
been instituted no trace of the burglar could be
discovered, Rothwell then forgot all about
him. He met the beautiful young Mobilian,
Clara Ashton. -.
She was an orphan; as have said, beautiful
but poor. Claud Rothwell, however, was first
charmed with her gentle, heroic nature, afterWard
fascinated with her engaging manners, and he
ended bv falling madly in love with her. 10
use a rather hackneyed phrase, it was "the hap
NEST hour of his life" when he drew from her
own dear lips the shy and faltering confession
that his love was returned. A brlef dream OF
Joy, so deep and holy it was akin TO sadness
~ MI. ha
One odorous moonlight evening in June, a
month after their engagement, he called on his
betrotbed, A lamp was burning in room on
the left. and the French window, from which
the curtains were partially withdrawn, was
omen. Thus, as Rothwell stepped on the lat
ticed yerandah of the little cottage, he could see
plainly within the room.
He stopped, and cold thrill ran through
him. Clara was seated in low chair near the
window: but she was not alone. A man was
standing near her, leaning lightly on the back
of her seat He was speaking to her In O low,
Laughing voice, while she listened with uplfied
smiling eyes, The face of this man was turned
toward Rothwell, and ne recognized it instantly.
1t was the face of the man who had robbed him
in the hotel at Montgomery.
The Young man, enraged, bewildered, almost
| doubling the evidence Of his own senses, did
| not take time to reflect. Acting under the i'm
pulse of tue moment, he stepped into the room,
| and grasped the stranger roughly by the arm.
| AS he did so, the stait which the man could not
repress showed Claude that the recognition was
mutual.
A fierce but short struggle followed. pis-
| toll was drawn and discharged-in the confu-
| sion Clara Ashton could not tell by whom.
| Then the stranger, wrenching himself free from
| Ro;hwell, bounded through the window and
| disappeared. 1t was he who bad drawn the
| pistol; but Claude had instantly caught bis
| hand, and the ball lodged in the ceiling above.
| Claude did not follow him. AS his retreatips
footsteps died away in the silent night, he turn