Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-08-22


tied III the direction from which the
next train would approach the train
from Wilmington. due TO pass N 5
o'clock in the evening. Should a loco
motive strike those formidable roots
the butt of the stump would only be
driven firmer into the ground. Some
thing would have to stop or smash. and
Cyrus felt confident that it would not
be the stump.
1t was several minutes past when
the horn blew for supper. Cyrus was
gao OF the extra time and glad that
his field of operations was hidden from
the house by rise of land. When he
came slowly up from the orchard with
the tired oxen, his wife met him AT the
back door.
Here's a letter for ye," she said.
"Supper's a leetle mite late, but the old
mare limps so l couldn't git home as
soon's planned. Better read the letter
fore We set down to eat, hadn't ye?'
No" answered Cyrus, limping to the
barn with the oxen. It'll keep until
arter I've had a cup o tea. reckon"
Cyrus Stackpole ate his supper DELHI
erately and then sank into the old pad
ded rocker by the window and opened
his letter. Hardly had he commenced
TO read it when, with a startling cry. he
sprang 10 his feet again and ran Stun
bling to the barn. Her husbands cry
and sudden leap caused Mrs. Stackpole
to drop ii lot of plates she was carrying
to the sink, but not even the terrific
crash of broken crockery elected the
slightest attention from Cyrus. The
letter had futtered 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 dsmay
She turned first to the signature. 1t
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 goldfields. He wrote:
Dear Father and Mother-I am coming horne at
last-a rich man! Have been out Of the world,
practically, since l wrote you last-livng in a
hut 200 miles beyond civilization VIII tel you
all when l you Lock for me next Tuesday
evening. | learn that you have new railroad
now, and l reach you by train the same even
ing l get to Wilmington. God bless you both!
Lovingly FRANK.
What was there in that blessed letter
that could have caused her husband
such distress? Mrs. Stackpole wiped
the tears of joy from her eyes and sped
out to the barn.
Cyrus" she cried, what on airth
air We doing"
Cyrus was hurriedly replacing the
yoke on the necks of the weary oxen.
His hands trembled. His face was over
spread with an ashen gray pallor
cit out O. the wayr' he shouted as
he dashed the oxen from the barn. the
long chain that dangled from the yoke
Gathering behind. He caught lantern
from a nail and hurried after the star
tied and bewildered beasts.
where air We going, Cyrus?" de-
manded his wife, following the dis
tracted old man as he led the oxen over
the crest of the hill to the orchard bars.
Cyrus made no reply. and his wife fol-
lowed him. Then she saw the briStling
stump fence across the railroad, and
the whole dreadful truth flashed upon
her. Cyrus had built 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 ii passed through the or
chard. 1t was already getting dusk 1t
would be pitch dark by the time the
train came along in iustan hour.
Cyrus Stackpole never looked at his
wife. but worked with feverish haste
and she did not interrupt him, for she
knew that every moment was precious.
The oxen strained nightly at the great
stumps, but they were so crowded to-
gether and interloclled that it was hard
to get them of the track. Cyrus had
performed his defiant task unfortu-
nately well.
Light the lantern" cried the pant
ing old man nj last His wife took the
match be flung her AMI kindled the
slight fame in the dusty globe. Cyrus
ben; and adjusted the chain anew by
the candies feeble light. Then the
oxen strained together once more. but
the biggest stump Of all would not
move. The loug, tough roots were
wedged between and under the rails
cod" groaned the old man. 1t was
the -aortest of prayers, but it was a
prayer and not an imprecation.
"Hark"' cried the trembling old wife. I
From far off through the darkness
came faint rumbling sound. IL was
the evening train from Wilmington,
Cyrus" exclaimed the woman. red T
light II stop EN-. I've heard so. Haint /
we got anything to make red light +
with? Quick
Cyrus disgorged the contents Of an /
his pockets at one sweep. Among them I
was an old fashioned red bandanua
handkerchief. His wife seized It. with /
a cry Of joy. and. catching up the Ian I
tern. fastened down the track toward /
the approaching train. She turned W (