Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-06-23

and Mr.. Austin stepped into the hall,
accompanied by stranger.
"How is Mrs. Austin?" asked the
former, anxiously,
can shure she's asleep, sir But
oh, Miss Alice--hiv ye seen Miss
Alice?"
''No; where is she?"
can oh, she wint Arthur the doc
tor, sir, and she wint be the tunnel;
an I'm shure she's kilt, for the thrain's
jest afther goin' byr' cried Betty, ex-
citedly.
Good heavens! the tunnell' ex-
claimed Austin, turning white.
eyes, sir. She said it was shorter
that way" sobbed the girl.
'Hush! Get my lantern, Betty,
while run upstairs. I'll be down
directly Dana" turning to the fine
looking man he had brought with
him.
He hurried to his wife's room, pressed
kiss upon her white brow and re-
turning to the hall took the lantern
from Betty. saying:
"Don't leave Mrs. Austin an instant.
We may be absent some time, but you
need not be alarmed"
The two gentlemen did not utter
word as they left the house, but fol-
lowing the path through the woods
clambered down the cut and entered
the tunnel, swinging the lantern right
and left as they walked on. Suddenly
Dana stopped. Directly in his path
lay dark heap. Throwing the light
OF the lantern upon 1t, the gentlemen
stopped and then started back with an
exclamation of horror, for before them
lay bleeding, mangled, shapeless
mass of human flesh and bones.
Some poor fellow has gone to his
doom, muttered Dana, striding away
from the sickening spectacle
They had walked some distance fur
ther when deep groan broke the
ghastly silence of the tunnel. Flash
ing the lantern on the other side of
the track, Dana discerned another
man s form close to the dripping wall.
AS he was about to raise him, Austin
uttered hoarse cry, and, springing
forward, the two men stood over the
prostrate form Of a woman between
the tracks. Apistol lay on the ground
beside her, which Austin instantly
recognized as his own. He trembled
so violently that Dana pushed him
one side and raised the slight form.
AS he did so, his companion bounded
past him and in a voice in which Joy,
pain and incredulity were blended
cried out:
ooh, my boy, my precious boy!
She has found my Eddier' and he
caught the little form to his heart
and fairly sobbed aloud.
"Oh, heaven, he is dead! Gerald,
look at himn' and the fathers eyes
burned with anguish as he looked on
the white baby face pillowed upon his
breast.
Dana laid Alice on the ground and
looked earnestly at the child.
'Cheer up, Ned. The little fellow
has been drugged. Listen; his heart
beats!' and, putting his ear down, he
heard the faint fiutterings which told
of the spark of life still remaining in
the wasted form.
"And Alice, is she"
''She is in swoon, and the sooner
we get her to the DOCTORS the better.
1t is quite evident that she was pur-
sued by those scoundrels while rescu-
ing your child, and that fellow yonder
has somewhere in his body ball from
this pistol" picking it up as he
spoke.
Lifting the insensible girl in his
strong arms, Dana strobe down the
track, followed closely by Austin, who
held his boy wrapped warmly under
his coat. After some minutes walk
they were out of the tunnel and
reached the depot, where they drove
directly TO doctors. For an hour
Alice lay insensible in the DOCTORS
Office, and when she opened her eyes
Austin whispered in alarm:
"Why does she look SO strangely,
aoctor?"
s'Thcre has been such terrible
strain on her nervous system that l
fear she may have an attack of brain
fever unless reaction takes place"
he replied with some anxiety. "a
good hearty cry would do her more
good than any of my remedies.
''Let her see the child. That baby's
face ought to be enough to melt
heart of adamant," said Dana, COM
passionately.
Austin laid Eddie beside her. She
looked at the little, white, emaciated
face with troubled, sorrowful ex-
preston for an instant and then,
clasping her AIMS tightly around the
child, burst into passionate, uncon-
trollable flood of tears.
By this time the news of the child's
rescue had spread like wildfire through
the town. Bells were rung, bonfires
lighted, and men, women and children
rushed to the doctors house, ,crowding
the street and sidewalks. The entire
village had turned out, and yards,
doorways and stoops were alive with
an excited populace. The crowd was
clamoring to see the little hero of
the hour, and cries for Eddie Aus
tin" filed the air