The Republican., 1894-08-23
MY RIVALS REVENGE.
The Story of a Terrible Night and
a Lucky Escape.

desolate part of the three kingdoms
at least, it was desolate enough during
the winter months. Then, except for
the freight of human beings that the
trains bore past at certain intervals,
did not see creature from the time
that my mate left me until the hour
when he came tG relieve me of my duty.
The rail way company, in whose EN-
ployment | had been for several years.
had found me useful to them, and had
been pleased to acknowledge my serv-
ices by promising me a position of
trust and mportance-such a position
as men ten years my senior had waited
for in vain. In a way. then. my future
was secured, and l was only filing the
post of signal-man until the vacancy
should occur for me to drop into.
Some little distance down the line
where my signal-boX was stationed
ran the big river that gave its name to
that part of the country, and over this
river a bridge-the construction of
which was somewhat out of date-car
ried trains into the next shire Much
depended upon the bridge, and one of
my chief duties was to keep it clear
for passenger trains.
One November evening I was at my
post in the signal-box. | had a bright
fire burning, and rose from my seat
beside it and gazed, in turn, through
the many windows of my small do
main. The outlying country looked
very dreary: without storm was at
hand. Even as the thought passed
through my mind. there was muffled,
rumbling sound which came nearer
and nearer, until one mighty crash
broke overhead, and. an instant after,
the whole place was flied with blue
lurid light, which made the darkness
that succeeded it the more intense.
Another rafting peal of thunder, the
sound of which echoed far and wide
and then the flood gates of Heaven
seemed to open and the rain poured
down-rain and hail that the wind
lashed against the windows with a
fury that seemed irresistible. In all
my experience | had never witnessed
anything like that storm. At no great
distance the river swollen and turbu-
lent, was rising above its banks. hur-
y
came in its way.
| was not afraid of storm. | told
myself again and again that | was not
afraid, but somehow this storm had
strangely affected me. | paced my
little room from end to end, brooding
over my past life, dissatisfied with my
self, and feeling-for conscience makes
towards of us all-that | would have
given the world had | been better
man. Then | tried to recall some
good deed had done in days gone by
that would encourage me; but instead,
there came before me with startling
distinctness the remembrance of man
who had been my rival-my antag
onist-one Matthew Holt by name,
man who had openly and persistently
avowed himself to be my enemy. 1t
was some years since we had parted.
Poor Matthew! | could think of him
pityingly after that lapse of time, al
though his last words had been full of
bitter passion, as he swore that one
day he would have his revenge. He
had gone abroad. | knew not what
had become of him. he might be dead.
1t was not often that the thought of
the enmity between us had troubled
me. When it did cross my mind | had
been wont to lay the blame entirely
on him; but on this night | saw the
past with different eyes. Perhaps
there are other men who, looking back
to the time when they were in the
twenties, feel half contemptuous for
L.. F.. Il.
was how felt. "Ah! Frank Bryant"
said to myself, you fancied yourself
a very fine gentleman indeed. and in
many ways you were little better than
a conceited coXcomb.' Then. with an
effort. brought my mind back from
the past into the present.
The first fury of the storm was some
what spent | replenished the fire
and looked about me. The signal-box,
in which so many hours of my life had
been spent during the last year, was
lighted by several jets of gas: and
fitted in their appointed places along
the wall were the many mechanical
contrivances, the use of which must
puzzle the uninitiated. and upon
which so much depends for the safety
and dispatch of our great railway
ira tfic.
While ! listened to the storm | had
not been forgetful that goods-train
was far behind its time, and as
turned from my fire, had warning of
its approach. 1t could not cross the
bridge on such night, and perhaps
endanger the evening express which
would soon be due, so ! turned the
points and sent it off into the siding. |
heard it rumble past with feeling of
pity for the engine-driver and guard
who were forced to delay in such
weather. AS turned from the levers,
having set the metals back in their
places in readiness for the express,
raised my eyes and became aware that
a mans face was pressed against the
wet glass at the end of the boX-the
zane over the door. As | looked at
that strange face, those wild, angry
eyes and the red hair blown about by
the wind, my heart seemed to stand
still with a sudden terror. | felt. in
deed, as if | looked upon a ghost, for
the face before me was no other than
that of the man who had been haunt
ing my thoughts for the last hour
my old enemy Mattbayv Holti