The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-08-13
ghe walked straight toward her, and
shook hands with her.


shook hands with her.
knew Robert Barclays father, and
the young man had often visited at my
house. He was about 80, a good business
man and a determined one. The girl
had required all his attention.
settled myself in my seat after ne
had sat down beside the girl. As did
SO, recalled what had heard my
daughters saying about young Barclay
few weeks before. II seemed that he
had had business to transact in one OF
the larger towns in southwest Missouri
few months before this, and while
there he had fallen in love with pretty
Alice Clay. She had not been Indifferent
to him, but when he had asked her to
marry him. told him that she was en-
gagged to Mark Conway, one OF the
young men who lived near her home.
Robert had accepted her decision
without comment, but at the same time
he resolved not to give her up. He knew
Young Conway, and did not like him.
So sure was he that Conway was not to
be trusted that he had exacted promise
of Alice that she would not marry with
in a year. Inclined to look with favor
upon Roberts suit, and yet bound to
Conway by ties of old family friendship,
and a childhood engagement, Alice had
consented without scruples. She had
respected for years to marry Mark Con-
way, and perhaps if this imperious
young stranger had not interfered, she
i. would not have doubted that she loved
her old sweetheart.
Barclay had confided his love affair
to my sympathetic daughters, and had
heard something about it, but not clear
Ily. 1t all came out afterward.
The year of waiting was almost esei
I when we were fired upon in the early
twilight of that November night. The
, sound of the shooting was so startling
and the crash of window glass and shut
tiers SO terrifying that ducked my
: head behind the back of the seat il
front of me, as did all the others. Idle
! not have time to observe the behavior
of Barclay and Alice Clay, but she toll
me afterward that he took care OF hel
, beautifully. She thought so becaus
she was in love.
1t was in the moment OF fright
} when the firing was going on that sh'
betrayed her love.
When the glass in the window at tn
farther end of the car was shivered
Alice cried out in alarm. In fiasl
Robert put his arm around the seat
and whispered:
"It's nothing. will not let anyon
I hurt you'll"
r Then he fumbled at his hip pocke
{ and drew out his revolver. At the sigh
of it Alice exclaimed in fright, thre'
? her arms around his neck and cried:
i "You will be killed! You will b
e killed."
n By this time the conductor and brake
: man had entered the car with the pri.
Z oners. At the call for help from tn
passengers, Barclay sprang to his fee
e lifted Alice from the floor to the sea
J; and started down the aisle toward th
n masked robbers.
d l noticed that he seemed pale whe
IS he left the would-be train robbers. b
went back to Alice, however, and tol
l. her that she need give herself no III
> easiness, that there was nothing mol
Ir to fear.
% The masks were taken from the pri
E. oners' faces. One of them held his hea
, very low, and seemed to fear thu
y some one might recognize him. Whe
n we arrived, at the station where we le
the prisoners, all the passengers lie
d the train and went into the waitin
n room, while the authorities were beir
n. sent for. Alice wanted to come wit
d