The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-05-08

lhe MISSING WlbneSb tneY nau 30 Nhlnly
sought / distinctly remembered,
enrly in February, running up to town
rather late In the afternoon, spending
just half an hour there, and returning
by the first train I could catch. My
landlady didn't even know but that l
had been for rathera longer walk than
usual. ] had entered into conversa-
tion on the return journey with the
only other occupant of my compart-
ment, a young man with small black
bag, on which was printed the letters
&c. F" remembered all this dis
tinctly. In order to make sure /
snatched up my diary and quickly
turned to the date of the murder,
February 6. There was the entry {:
''Ran up to town in afternoon. In
quired concerning material for chap.
ter vii. Saw b for half hour. Re
turned by 6. 40 train"
The horror of the situation now
flashed upon me. A mans life-the
life of my old friends son---depended
upor me. l looked at my watch. 1t was
just II o'clock. Hurriedly ! dragged
on my boots, thinking the while what
l should do. My first impulse was to
rush to the telegraph office. Then,
with dismay, / remembered that it
was shut for the night after 8 o'clock
and that the postmaster took the $50
train to the large town of F., about
five miles off, where he lived, leaving
the Office for the night in the charge
of q caretaker and returning by an
early train the next morning.
1t wasimpossible to telegraph. Then
l thought of going to the police There
were just two| |constables and sergeant
in our little town. but what could
they do more than L? Country police
are proverbial for the leisurely "rou-
tine" manner in which they set about
any inquiry and it would never do to
trust them. 1 was in despair.
Madly threw on my hat and rushed
out. ran in a mechanical way to the
postoffice. OF course, it was shut,
and if 1 had aroused the caretaker he
couldn't have wired. Besides, all our
wires went first to F., and, as have
said, all communication was shut off
after o'clock. Then I started for
the railway station. This was about
half a mile from the postofice and
we'll outside the town. Aas hurried
along 1 thought, with fresh dismay,
that this would also prove a fruitless
errand, for the last train to Silkminis-
ter was the $50 p. m, by which 1
have mentioned the postmaster always
travelled. SIlkminister. must men
ton, was nearly $50 miles down the
line.
Should / wait till the morning and
telegraph? 1 remembered that the
office did not open till 8 o'clock. 1
had by this time, reached the station.
OF course, it was all shut up and all
the lights were out, except those IN
the signal lamps tor the night ex-
presses. 1t was now past 11.30.
Was there no hope? Yes
At this moment my eye caught
light in the signal box, about a quar-
ter of mile up the line. 1 could see
the signalman in his box, the outline
of his figure standing out against the
light within. l looked at my watch
the down express from London was
almost due. / would make a rush for
that signal box, and compel the occu-
pant to put the signal against it and
stop it. 1t was desperate game but
only get that train to stop for an in
st ant and all would be right. By get
ting into it could reach Silkminster
in the early morning, and what cared
/ for any action the company might
take if saved my friends son. If
the signalman refused to put back the
levers, the strength born of despera-
tion would enable me to master him
and relax them myself. All this
flashed across me in an instant, and l
clambered over the ratings on the
side of the station, and found myself
on the line.
Even as / reached the rails a sema-
phore signal that was near me let fall
its arm, aud the light changed into a
brilliant green. The express was sig
nailed Would there be time? 1 dash
ed along over the rough ties toward
the signal box. 1t was very dark, and
stumbled over and over again.
had cleared about half the distance,
when heard the ominous roar ahead,
and in a few seconds could distin-
guish the glitter of the engines head
light bearing toward me. The tram
wes just over a mile FROM me, rushing
on at express speed. With groan ]
calculated, "roo latel"
At that instant my eye fell upon a
CHASTITY looking structure by the side
of the track, looming grimly through
the darkness. 1t resembled a one
armed gallows with an arm hanging
from it For moment thought it
must have been fearful fancy con-
jured up by the thought OF Fenthurst's
dreadful fate, but Immediately / re-
membered that this strange looking
was none other than a mail
bag suspended from post-in fact,
part of tine apparatus by which train
going at full speed picks up the mails.
The express train that was coming had
a postal car attached to it. From the
side of the car strong rope net would
be laid out, catching the bag saw
before me.
As bag would be deposited from
the train in a somewhat similar man
Der, there ought to have been man
on guard. afterward found he had
left his post and gone to have a chat
with his friend in the CHEEKY signal
box.