Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-09-11

The train had not yet ~slackened speed.
It's Wild rush still whipped the naturally
calm air into o fierce gale. The woman's
dark hair, which had become UNFINISHED,
streamed behind her IN elf locks. A tall
black figure, with q white, a death white
face and burning eyes, staring fxedly OF the
destination to which the train was hurrying
her, as fxedly as her mind was turned to
the work which she yet believed she was
doomed to execute
Thenight was cloudy and moonless. 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 Miller's eyes were
fixed, her lips the while muttering inaudible
words.
For a few moments Hervey stood in
silence by her side. Then he spoke. SITS
no good, Sarah, you can't give me the slip.
I'll follow you everywhere. Be a sensible
woman for once, and don't give me more
bother.n
She spoke, but not in answer to his words.
''That glarel that red glarer' she cried, in
a thrilling voice. "Look at It'll Look at it
WE'LL Do you know what it means to you
and to me2"
Before he could reply she answered her
own question. SIT is the red glare Of he'll"
she cried in still wilder accents. 1.-THE glare of
the fire which burns for you and for me.
The shriekI Hear the shrek Of the damnedP'
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 nonsenseF' 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 nest 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 be had time to raise one, was lost in tn
rush of the train and the shrek of tbc
steam-whistle. All was over in a second
the train was speeding on, leaving behind i
a dark mass lying between the up and tn
down lines. At the very last moment tn
way had been made clear to Sarah Miller
Even as she fell with her victim her on,
thought was of frenzied joy that she hal
found the means to do Gods work.
For, a minute or two after the last car
riage Of the train had swept by, that blacl
mass lay m~otionless in the six-foot way
Then part of it began to show signs of life
Slowly and painfully the woman detache
herself from her victim. She rose to he
knees, and remained there staring fixedly a
the white face that looked up to her own
Her frenzy for the moment had passed an,
she scarcely knew what had happened 0
what she had done.
She was unhurt. The mar had struck tn
ground first, and so borne the brunt of tn
shock His head had fallen heavily on th
ballast Of the line, and he lay without sens
or motion. Was he dead9
This, when her disjointed and ~scattere
thoughts were once more able to resume th
terrible kaleidoscope pattern into whic
fanaticism bad shaken them, was the on
question asked by the woman. She fell fc
the moment no remorse, no horror, but th
dread seized her that her hand might hay
failed; that the work might not yet be don't
that she had not fulfilled her destiny. Sh
bent over the PROSTATE man and placed he
cheek close to his lips.
He breathedl She felt the faint breat
on her cheek She laid her hand on b
heart and felt its pulsations, slowly distinc
She sprang to her feet with a sharp cry
distress. She had failedl Hervey was aliv
and would recover. The work had not bee
donei
She peered wildly into the darkness. ST
scarcely knew or what she looked. Alare
stone, a piece Of iron, anything which woul
show her that the hand which had guide
her SO far on the fearful road of fate ha
not deserted her; but she found nothinI
absolutely nothing which could serve ht
need.
But suddenly, away along the down liz
she sawa round red lightcreeping apparent
nearer and nearer. Her heart leaped at IL
sight. To the uttermost bitterest end IL
way was clear. The final word had gor
forth, the final revelation was made to hel
She placed her hands under the man
shoulders, and by an effort of strength
desperate and far beyond what might hay
been expected from her frame, dragged hi
over t. few feet OF roadway which la
betw m and the metals. He groane
once twice, but remained senseless an
motionless as she placed him right in tt
track Of the coming train.