Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-11-21

In dream, stepped out of the compartment
into the dimly-lighted gangway. Hervey fol-
lowed her.
Without knowing why or wherefore, she
walked the whole length Of the carriage. In
dazed way she opened the door at the end
and stepped out into the open air. Heryey
followed her, and the door closed behind them.
and the man and the woman stood alone on
the iron platform which lies between one
carriage and its forerunner
The train had not yet slackened speed. It's
wild rush still whipped the naturally calm
air into fierce gale. The woman's dark
hair, which had come UNFINISHED, streamed
behind her in elf locks. A tall black figure.
with white, death-white face and burning
eyes, staring fXedly at the destination to
which the train was hurrying her, as seealy
as her mind was turned to L q HI
she yet believed she was doomed e.
The night was cloudy and mO0eiit lie
way ahead, little to the right, the lights of
the great city lit up the dark sky. 1t was on
these lights that Sarah Miller's eyes were fix
ed; her lips the while muttering inaudible
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
1
once, and don't give me more bother.n
She spoke but not in answer t. his words.
"That glare! that red glarer' she cried in
thrilling voice. Look at it! Look at it well?
Do you know what it means to you and to
me?"
Before he could reply she answered her
own question. lit 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 piercing
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 nonsenser' 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
wOman'S arms still holding him. the two fell
with fearful thud on to the Six-fOot way.
His cry, if he had time to raise one, was lost
in 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 frenzied joy that she had
found tne means to do Gods work.
For minute or two after the last carriage
of the train had swept by, that black mass
lay mOtiOnless in the Six-fOOt way. Then
part of it began to show signs of life. Slow
ly and painfully the woman detached herself
from the victim She rose to her knees, and
remained there staring fixedly 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 50 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 dead?
This, when her disj0inted and scattered
thoughts were once more able to resume the
terrible Kaleidoscope pattern into which fa-
naticism had shaken them, was the one ques-
ton asked by the woman. She felt for the
moment no remOrse no horror, but the dread
seized her that her hand might have failed;
that the work might not yet be done;. that
she had not fulfilled her destiny. She bent
over the prOstrate man and placed her cheek
close to his lips.
He breathed! She felt the faint breath on
her cheek! She laid her hand on his heart
and felt its pulsations, slowly distinct She
sprang to her feet with sharp cry Of dis
tTess. She had failed! 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, a piece of iron, anything which would
show her that the hand which had guided her
so far on the fearful road of fate had not de-
serted her; but she found nothing, absolutely
nothing which could serve her need.
But suddenly, away along the down line
she saw round red light creeping apparent
ly nearer and nearer. Her heae Neapt 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
shoulders, and by an effort of strength, des-
perate and far beyond what might have been
expected from her frame, dragged him over
the few feet of roadway which lay between
him and the metals. He groaned once orr
twice. but remained senseless and motionless
as she placed him right in the track Of the y
coming train. Nj
The red light was close-close at hand =
the man lay still and rocked nothing o
The woman having accomplished her ghaStly =
work, wound her black shawl tightly round
her head, then fell upon her knees, waited,
and lived an age in every moment
She heard, through the muffiing the rush,
she felt on her hands the wind of the metal
monster as it swept by; but she heard or felt
no more. She rose and shuddered cOnyul-
sively; then, without glance to see what
her hand had wrought, stepped over the line,
down the steep embanknent, and was lost in
The night She had done what she believed
10 be her appointed task. No longer would
Maurice Hervey stand between Beatrice and
s pinessl
The poor wretch was almost cut in two
The wheels which had crushed the life out
1f him were those Of an engine on its way to
pick up trucks on siding some way down
he line. The driver felt the slight obstruc-
ion, and having marked the spot where It
occurred, upon his return stopped the train
md knew what had caused that momentary
olt, knew that mans life had, in that sec
md, passed away.
The body was picked up placed in truck,
aiken to the Munich station, and thence to
he place appointed for the reception of the
bodies OF unknown men who met with sud-
len or violent death.
CHAPTER xxxIII.
Il AN mad"
If by any chance Beatrice, who certainly
lad trouble enough to make her wakeful,