Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-06-26
'mplished this when there was a tap

On The inner door.
Robert" Alice said.
Yes, love. Speak low. there is a
man under my window"
q am going to Paris. There is no |
man under my window, and / can get
out there have six long roller tow
els here knotted together. and | have
cut my white skirt into wide strips to
Join them. The rope made so reaches
nearly to the ground. l shall fasten
1t to the door-knob and let myself
down. 1t Will not take long to reach
home, saddle Selim and reach Paris in
time Don't fear for me"
Nine o'clock As the bell of the
church clock ceased to strike, rumble,
a flash, told me that thunder storm
was coming rapidly. Oh the long.
long minutes of the next hour Ten
o'clock. The rain falling in torrents,
the thunder pealing, lightning flash
ing Alice was 50 afraid of lightning.
Eleven O'clock! The storm over,
though still the night was inky black.
The midnight down train was com
ing swiftly, surely, to certain destruct-
ionl Where was my wife? Had the
rutiians intercepted her at the cottage? =?
Was she lying dead somewhere upon
the wild road? Her heroism 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
errand2
The heavy train rumbled past the
telegraph Office 1t was an EXPIRE S
train, and did not stop at Deering sta
tion; but as | listened, every sense
sharpened by mental torture, it seemed
to me that the speed slackened. List
ening intently, / knew that It stopped
at the embankment, as nearly as coulc
Judge. Not with the sickening crast
expected, not preceding walls anc
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 min
utes were hours. till | heard a key turl
in the door of my prison, and momen
later two tender arms were round m
neck. and Alice was whispering In IN
ear:
"They will come in few minutes
love, to set you free!"
"But have you been to Paris 2
ayes, dear"
\ '1n all that storm?'
"Selim seemed to understand. II
carried me swiftly and surely l wa
well wrapped in my waterproof cloa
and hood When | reached Paris th
train had not come from D" "
"But it is here"
"Only the locomotive and one CA
In that car was sheriff, deputy shel
iff and twenty men, arAed to the teetI
to capture the gang at the embank
ment. ! came, too, and they lowere
me from the platform when the spec
slackened, 50 that l conld run here an,
tell you all was safe"
While we spoke my wife's finger
had first united the handkerch;e eI
around my neck, and then, in the dark
found some Of the knots of the cord
binding me. But was still tied fast
and strong, when there was rush O
many feet upon the staircase, and, il
another moment, light and ioyfu
voices.
We've captured the whole niner
was the good news. "Three, including
John Martin, are desperately wounded
but the surprise was perfect Now,
old fellow, for your
A dozen claspknives at once severed
my bonds, and dozen hands were ex-
tended in greeting AS for the praises
8howered upon my plucky little wife,
1t would require volume to tell halt
of them.