Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-09-20

N4L "a ~ - AHAN " 8aA NN4N ~
came slowly M from the orchard with
the Ured oxen, his wife met him az Che
back door.
Here's a letter for ye." she saiA
"Supper's a leetle mite late, but tAe old
mare llmps 20 / couldn't git home a.
sOon's / planned. Better read the letter
fore ye set down TO eat, hadn't yer
mo-" answered Cyrus. limpinR to the
barn With the oxen. "Itn keep untn
arter I've had a cup o tea, I reckon"
Cyrus ~Stackpole ate his supper delfb-
erately and then sank into the old pad
ded rocker by the window aud opened
his letter. Hardly had he commenced
TO read II when, with a startling cry, he
eprang 10 his feet again and ran STUN
bling to the barn. Her husbands cry
and sudden lelp caused Mrs. Stackpolo
~ drop n lot OF plates she was carrying
to the sink. but not ever the terrific
crash Of broken crockery ELECTED the
slightest attention from Cyrus. The
letter had iuttered from the old mans
hand to the floor as he ran, and Mrs.
stackpole stopped and picked It up with
shaking fingers. Something IN that let
ter, she knew, had caused her hus.
bands sudden dlsmay.
She turned first to the signature. It
was from Frank, their own dear boy,
from whom they had not heard for two
years and whom they had about given
up for dead, since he disappeared In the
Alaskan ~goldfelds. He wrote:
Dear Father and AotherLi am coming home At
last-a hch mani Have been out Of the world.
practically, since l wrote you last-llving in q
hut 900 miles beyond civilization. Will tell you
all when l see you. Look for me next Tuesday
evening. learn. that you have a new railroad
now. and I can reach you By train the same even.
ing ! get to Wilmington. God bless you bothi
Lovingly, FRAu.
What was there in that blessed letter
that could have caused her husband
such distress? Mrs. StnckpOle wiped
the tears Of Joy from her eyes and sped
out to the barn.
Cyrus" she cried, what oh airtA
air We doingY'
Cyrus was hurriedly replacing the
yoke on the aecks Of the weary oxen.
His hands trembled. His face was over
spread with an ashen gray pallor.
"Git ont v the wayP' he shouted as
he dashed the oxen from the barn, the
long chain that dangled from the yoke
gathering behind. He caught a lantern
from a nail and hurried after the star
tied and be%ilaefed beasts.
Where air ye going, Cyrus9" de.
mauded his wife, following the dis
tracted old man as he led the oxen over
the crest or the hill to the orchard bars.
Cyrus made no reply. and his wife fol-
lowed hiTn. Then she saw the bristllng
stump fence across the railroad, and
the whole dreadful truth flashed upon
her. Cyrus had built a fence to stop or
wreck the next train, and that was the
very train that Frank had written he
should take from Wilmington
The village station was a mile be-
yond the Stackpole farm. The train
would not have even begun to slow
down when It passed through the or
chard. II was already getting dusk. II
would be pitch dark by the time the
train came along 10 just an hour.
Cyrus Stackpole never looked at his
wife. but worked with feverish b aste,
and she did not interrupt him, for she
knew that every m0ment was precious.
The ken strained nightly at the great
stumps, but they we're so crowded to-
gether and l~nterlocked that It was hard
to get them or the track. Cyrus had
performed his defiant task ~unfortu-
nately well.
Light the lanternP cried the pant
ing old man at last His wife took tho
match he flung her and klndled the
slight fame In the dusty globe. Cyrus
bent and adjusted the chain anew by
the candies feeble light. Then the
Oxe strained together once more. but
the biggest stump OF all would not
move. The long. tough roots were
wedged between and under the rails.
"(iodl" groaned the old man. It was
the shortest Of prayers. but II was a
prayer and not an lmprecatiOn.
"HarkP cried the trembling old wife.
From far OF through the darkness
came a faint rumbllng sound. 1t was
the evening train from Wilmington!
Cyrus" exclaimed the woman, red
light II stop 'em. I've heard so. Hain't
we got anything to make a red light
with2 Quickl"
OyEuh ulbBOFSeu tue cOntenB OF all
his pockets at one sweep. Among them
was an old fashioned red bandanna
handkerchief. His wife seized It, with
q cry OF Joy, and. catching up the Ian
tern, FASTENED down the track toward
the approaching train. She turned up
the wick OF the lantern until II smoked
fuFiOnsly. Then she wrapped the red
handkerchief around the globe. held
the lantern up In both hands and slow
ly swayed 1t to and fro.
The train was almost upon her be-
fore the engineer saw the faint red
signal. But the airbrakes did their
magic work, and the engine stopped
within 20 feet Of the last huge, brls.
Ting stump of Cyrus stackpole's fence
across the railroad. Frank Stackpole
was one Of the first passengers to leap
from the intercepted train.
what 10 thhnder-why, fathers old
orchardF' be exclaimed. "And here's-
motherr' He caught a tOttering. gray
haired figure IN bis strong arms. Mrs.
stackpole. like all heroines, had first
accomplished her deed aud then faint
ed away.
The railroad company did not enter