The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-19
o,oss,esu rush of thu train as 1t tore II. way

seat The means had not yet b0en given
her A phantom OF common sense also
fitted through her mind II she killed this
man In such manner it meant arrest and
trial of herself 1t meant shame and OK
posure to her loved mistress No, she must
wait vet while God had not yet spoken
the last word; not yet SHOWN the exact way
in which His work was to be done. Yet her
belief never swerved, never wavered
Or not until she knew that tho end Of the
long, drearv journey was close at hand; not
until kind of instinct told her that in a
few short minutes Munich would DO reached
Hervey, whom necessities had deprived OF
the means of telling the time, was still
sleeping his wakeful and suspicious dog 5
sleep. Suddenly the long, shrill whistle
sounded. The man started up. wide awake.
and for the first time for hours doubt a.
to her true reading Of Gods purpose flashed
through Sarah Milier'S brain. The time
was SO short. There was so much--so much
TO be done The way was still in darkness
Would the last few moment light it upf
She clenched her hands convulsively, dig.
ging the nails Of one into the flesh of the
other She glanced once more at Hervsy's
face which, from his fatigue looked pale and
wan She rose, and mechanically like one
in dream, stepped out of the compartment
into the dimly lighted gangway Hervey
| followed her.
Without knowing why or wherefore, she
walked the whole length of the carriage. In
a dazed way she opened the door at the end
and stepped out into the open air. Hervey
followed her ana the door closed behind
them, and the man and the woman stood
alone ON the iron platform which lies De-
tween one carria re and its forerunner.
The train had not yet slackened speed.
Its wild rush still whipped the naturally
calm air into fierce gale. The woman's
dark hair, which had become untwis ed,
streamel behind her in elf locks A tall
black figure, with white, death white
face and burning eyes, staring iixedly at the
destination to which the train was hurrying
her, as tixedly as her mind was turned to
the work which she yet believed she was
doomed TO execute.
The night was cloudy and moonle's Some
way ahead, a little to the right, the lights
of the great city lit up the dark sky 1t was
on these lights that Sarah MillerS eyes were
fixed, her lips the while mutterlng iuaulibie
words.
For few moments Hervey stood in
silence by her side Then he spoke. ITS
no good, Sarah, you can't give me the slip.
I'll follow you everywhere. Be IA sensible
woman for once, and don't give me more
bother
She spoke, hut not in answer to Lis words.
''That glare! that red glare" she cried, i'll
thrilling voice. "Loo6 at It, Look at 1t
well Do you know what it means to you
and to me!"
Before he could reply she answered her
own question. 1T is the red glare Of hell
she cried in still wilder accents. THE glare OF
the fire which burns for you and for me.
The Shrek Hear the shrek of the damnedr'
Once more the whistle sent its pierciag
scream of warning far on the night air; and
in another moment the strong brakes would
have fallen on the great wheels. Hervey,
really startled by his companions wild bear
ing, turned to her savagely.
Here, no nOnsenseW he said roughly.
These were the last words he spoke. Sud
denly, and without the slightest warning,
the woman threw herself upon him. Her
arms clasped him with the strength of frenzy.
Her weight threw him off his balance. He
staggered backwards He made one wild
grab with his uninjured arm at the iron rail,
missed it, and most likely could not have held
it had he caught it, then slipped down the
three or four iron steps, and, with the womans
arms still holding him, the two fell with
fearful thnd on to the six-foOt way. His cry,
il he had time to raise one, was lost III the
rush OF the train and the shrek OF the
steam whistle All was over in second
the train was speeding on, leaving behind it
dark mass lying between the up and the
down lines. At the very last moment the
way had been made clear to Sarah Miller.
Even as she fell with her victim her one
thought was of frenziei joy that she had
found tho means to do Gods work.
For Il minute or two after the last car
riage of the train had swept by, that black
mass lay motonless in the sx-foot way.
Then part of it began to show signs OF life.
Slowly and painfully the woman detached
herself from her victim She rose to her
knees, and remained there staring tixeily at
the white face that looked up to her own.
Her frenzy for the moment had passed and
she scarcely knew what had happened or
what she had done.
She was unhurt. The man had struck the
ground first, and so borne the brunt of the
shock His head had fallen heavily on the
ballast Of the line, and he lay without sense
or motion. Was he deadf
This, when her dsjonted aud scattered
thoughts were once more able to resume the
terrible khleluesCOplc pattern lHtO WHICH
fanatic.sm bad shaken them, was the one
question asked by the woman. She felt for
the moment no remorse, no horror, but the
dread seized her that her hand might ha We
failed; that the work might not yet be done;
that she had not fulfilled her destiny. She
bent over the PROSTATE man and placed her
cheek close to his lips.
He brea thed! She felt the faint breath
ON her cheek She laid her hand on his
heart aud felt its pulsations, slowly distinct.
She sprang to her feet with sharp cry Of
distress. She had failedl Hervey was alive
and would recover The work had not been
done!
She peered wildly into the darkness. She
scarcely knew for what she looked. A large
stone, . piece of iron, anything which would
show her that the hand which had guided
her ~ far on the fearful road of fate had
not deserted her; but she found nothing,
absolutely nothing which could serve her
need.
But suddenly, away along the down line
she saw a round red htcreeping apparently
nearer and nearer Her heart leaped at the
sight To the uttermost bitterest end the
way was clear. The final word had gone
forth, the final revelation was made to her.
She placed her hands under the mans
| .ho,,ldarc .nA hy oHort nf strnp1fh