Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-10-04

Waiteu uhtil he nau unisneu- Aheu he
said quietly;
"Ses that my luggage IL sent down In
time Tor that train and have u checked
for Cleveland. and get me Pullman
section through ~ far ~ you can. Now
please give me some telegraph blanks.
lie p~nnei two telegrams. One va
to Lima Tennant and was as follows;
Il have Just heard; shall leave for
Cleveland tonight"
The other WAS to Winston. Lanny and
Company. Broad street. New York. IL
said;
"Turu everything you can Into cash
and have subject TO sight draft within
three days Shall want at least one
hundred thousand"
When hc had sent these u was not
quite eleven O'Clock. Ten hours u en-
forced idlcncss. 81 absolute inactivity.
were leforr him Just at the time when
u wa. more important than u had ever
yet becn Ia his whole life that he should
L. doing something. lie had not planned
Tor this. and ~ chafei under the delay
and sought for some means by which the
time might h. employed. Once be thought
be- would wri,c 90 George: then be de-
ciiei io wait aud see Lima Tennant and
the hank Irople and learn the whole
story. lie would make sure of what be
could do before writing 10 George or
going 10 Columbus. That he could do
something with the means At his CON-
mand be- never doubted for n moment.
As Ia what that something would b-,
what form II would take. his ideas ~
yet w,r. indefinite. That would depend
upon what he learned at Cleveland.
The long day dragged itself ON and
came 90 clo~e ut lAst. Il was raining
when u was tim. for him 10 go to the
train. and all through the night he could
hear the storm tsating In gusts against
the windows % his berth. All the next
day. ne tho train sr-e,lei on northwar,i
through the boundless pine forests of
Alabama. the rain kept pouring steadily
down and adding dreariness to every
drcary hour. II would have been enough
had hi. errand AMI his thoughts lren 81
the pleasantsst. Dut ~ u was. with his
mind hI-d ~ steadily upon the one
wr,tch.d fact isforc him. the monotony
was almost anlsarable.
AZ Cincinnati. a. he changed cars the
nest morning. the rain had given place
a. snow. ani as be- still went On north.
ward through Ohio the white blanket
gr-w dee,cr AMI deeper over the land.
The monotony 10 u was awful; like q
shroud spreading itself out over the
earth and. thought Chalmers, winding
ever closer and clo~cr about himself.
Would u wind him - Close In iis folds
that be could 10 nothing In this matter
UPON which be- had come up into this
inho.piiablc wintry landi Toward noon
the snow lad grown ~ deep that u t--
gan to imIr'ie the progress Of the train:
frequently u s'oppci. while the engine
was driven ahead Ia clear the track. A
snowplow was put on aud u threw up
great solid walls II snow. like quarriei
marble. on either aide the line. II
seeme,l As 10 the snow would never stop
com ng and n though they must IT,
swallowed mp In the white desolation.
passenger In the seat opposite ChAl.
mers askei the conductor N they should
h. able 10 get through.
IL don't know yet. The rad is ~
rorte,i blocked little way above here.
They may g,t u oIsn by the time we
reach there. n not. the through passen.
gers hal better 20 around by Columbus. !"
Chalmers listened nervously. lie knew
tha, route. The track wound along
elose beneath the great gray walls u
the prison. George was there; he could
not ~ that way. II would te easier ~
lose . little time. even after hurrying
Tor thousand miles ~ fast ~ steam
could bring him.
AT Springfield Il WAS yet doubtful
whether they should bs able 10 get
through. and some of the passengers
changed there aud went around 10y the
Columbus branch. This would strike
the main line again farther mp. and
would probably ave some delay. But
Chalmers remained In his coach and the
train kept on It's way-slow and uncer.
tain. but gradually making toward
Cleveland. lie took out his time card
after awhile and made some careful cal.
culstions. The snow was rrport~l not
ao bad farther north; they should get
through. but would not reach Cleveland
until long after dark. Chalmers felt
that he could not endure another night
of suspense and uncertainty. and at the
next station he sent another telegram "
Lima Tennant.
This one real;
"shali be In tonight. but train will Be
very late. Wait"
After this he settled down with what
patience he could. himself 10 wait"
also. and let the day and the train take
their own course to the end.