Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-09


Little did Maurice Hervey, as from the
effects of fatigue, cigars and brandy he sat
half doing in the corner of the compart-
ment, dream what thoughts were passing
through the mind of the woman near him.
To him she was nothing more than an adj
sort of creature, who once upon
q time had done great deal towards bring
ing him to ruin; an act for which he rightly
believed he was now paying her in full.
How was she to do it? Time was passing,
and yet the path was not yet pointed out.
See, the mans eyes were closed! Had the
moment come? If she had knife she might
eveu now drive it into his heart! But she
had no knife; had nothing which would
serve her need, or rather Gods need. Sud-
denly she rememb ered, as one remembers
dream, that hours and hours ago she had
seen fellow passenger opening bag, and
had noticed on the too of that bag pistol
Had she Keen allowed to catch sight of the
weapon for the purpose which she was
deputed to carry out? If so, where was that
pistol, and how could she get it into her
bands? She rose, and without any settled
object, passed Hervey and stepped out into
the gangway.
Her movement awoke him. He put hi
head through the door and watched her as a
cat watches a mouse. Sarah went the
length of the long carriage but found
nothing to guide her to her end. Every
door was Theoretically sealed. 1t seemed as
if she and her companion were the only per-
sons awake. The only sound heard was the
ceaseless rush of the train as it tore its way
on and on through the night.
The woman returned and resumed her
seat, The means had not yet been given
her. A phantom of common sense also
fitted through her mind. If she killed this
man in such manner it meant arrest and
trial of herself. 1t meant shame and ex-
posure to her loved mistress. No, she must
wait yet 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 the end of the
long, dreary journey was close at hand; not
until kind of instinct told her that in a
few short minutes Munich would be reached
Hervey, whom necessities had deprived of
the means Of telling the time, was still
sleeping his wakeful and suspicious dogs
sleep. Suddenly the long, shrill whistle
sounded. The man started up, wide awake,
and for the first time for hours doubt as
to her true reading of Gods purpose flashed
through Sarah Miller'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 up?
She clenched her hands convulsively, dig
cling the nails of one into the flesh of the
other. She glanced once more at Heryey'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
dazed way she opened the door at the end
and stepped out into the open air. Hervey
followed her and tie door closed behind
Them, and the man and the woman stood
alone on the iron platform which lies be-
tween one carriage and its forerunner.
The train had not yet slackened speed.
Its wild rush still whipped the naturally
cam air into fierce gale, The woman's
dark hair, which had become UNFINISHED,
streamed behind her In elf locks. A tall
black figure, with white, death white
face and burning eyes, staring fixedly at 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.
The night was cloudy and moonless. Some
way ahead, little to the right, the lights
of the great city Lit up the dark sky. It was
on these lights that Sarah Miller's eyes were
fixed, her lips the while muttering inaudible
words
For few moments Hervey stood in
silence by her side. Then he spoke. ''It's
no good, Sarah, you can't give me the slip.
Ra IL
woman for once, and don't give me more
bother"
She spoke, but not in answer to his words.
a thrilling voice. "Look at it! Look at it
well! Do you know what it means to you
and to mes"
own question. ut 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 shriekl Hear the shrek of the damned''
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 companion's wild bear
ing, turned to her savagely.
Here, no nonsensel' 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 OF four iron steps, and, with the womans
arms still holding him, the two fell with a
fearful thud on to the six-foot way. His cry,
ii 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 a second
the train was speeding on, leaving behind it
a 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 the means to do Gods work.
For minute or two after the last car
rage 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.
Slowly and painfully the woman detached
herself from her 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 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 deada
This, when her disjointed and scattered
thoughts were once more able to resume the
terrible kaleidoscope pattern into which
fanaticism had 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 breathed! She felt the faint breath
~, ber cheekI She laid her hand on his