The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-12-29

Westiield Is an old, old town, and
the railroad has run through il for
many year, now upon embellishments
which slope To creeks and inlets. now
through narrow cuts with high hills
rising sheer on either side. Day after
day. year after year, the trains go TO
and fro, and sometimes reckless way
farers are seen in the brightness OF the
midday making their way from West
field To the nearest village, or return
ing. on the railroad track.
But there are few who venture that
way after shutdown. Ii is dangerous,
they say. Many have met their deaths
through folly OF this kind. And this
is true. Nevertheless there are those
among them who are thinking of the
Railway Ghost.
IL is the ghost of woman. A dozen
years and more since she died. And
always nj dusk that faint, sad wrath
floats TO and fro over the shining steel
rails that run down cityward from
Westiield between the high rocks and
beneath the first dark arch of stone; IL
is there the white shape floats and
fades and reappears. For IL was at
that spot There Is "A curve
Immediately beyond the bridge, and
all shut in by rock. You can scarce
breathe. having heard the first dull
roar of the approaching train, ere it
Is upon you, leaping and shrieking,
and the carriages dance by like mad
creatures.
But the pale ghost knows no fear.
lt fingers there as ever. And fourteen
years ago there was no ghost.
Let us turn back fourteen years and
read the story
Ii is morning in June. Morning in
the great city. The sun shines sweet
", the leaves Of ivy and wisteria SHIN
mer i'm the soft wind, where the thick
vines have hidden sombre brown stone
exteriors.
Innnumerable aggressive sparrows
compete, carriages clatter through the
closc-built crosS-strects occasionally,
and "A hand-organ somewhere is meas
uring of yard-lcngths of The Little
Duke"
Two people hear the tune as they
stand smiling In each Others eyes.
They stand near the window In the
drawmg-rOom of one of those fine
brown stone, wistera-mantlcd man
sions. The window Is opened little.
and the tune comes up In blithe STAG
cato; one almost hears the words
See how hs face he covers
lie was tho prince OF lovers.
The two people stand smiling a lit
tie longer; then the man turns from
the woman.
II must go, he says. Everything
Is prepared. You will not fail at the
last moment? You will not be afraidP"
He Is tall, and dark, and large
framed; she Is slight and fair, and
petite.
She looks at him with great shining
eyes Of azure.
'.Oh no" she says; III will not fail.
i am woman.
'sThcn ara reUoir. he says. AT three.
/ will meet the cab at the station.
"Good-bye." she says. aud watches
him go out and down the sunny street.
'He was the prince of lovers"-the
hand-organ flings il at her from the
distance. And she huns the tune rs
she goes about her task. Her task is
great. yet little. Only 10 write "A let
ter-the briefer the better. All else
II fOtnplttt. titl iiNNtllUk LUX ~
packed. She Is ready To go-to leave
all--for him whom she loves.
The letter is brief. She writes IL
without tear or pang.
George. IL says. II have gone
for ever DO not seek me. | have
never loved you. No one Is to blame.
was never happy rs your wife.
IRENE.
As the clock strikes the half-hour
before three. she places the letter
where IL shall easily be found. and
goes out into the sunshine goes out
from her husbands home for ever.
The lovers travel far away; they
Journey unmolested. efen Dy com
science. The woman Is happy In her
choice. They have no wealth COM
pared with that once hers. But they
have each other
Months slip by. They rarely speak
Of the past.s But at length she says ~
him one day:
George could not have cared much.
He will soon cut the legal knot. And
we can be married, can't we, FrancisP'
Yes. he answers carelessly.
Other months slip by. The lovers
tire Of journeying. They drift back TO
the great city, but somehow do not