The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1901-09-05

letter. Hardly hsd be commenced 10
read u when, With a sisrtling CRY, he
srrsns 10 bis feet sssln sn5 rsa siumbl
ins 10 The barn. Her hashssa's cry aud
sudden leap caused Mr. s,seip pole 10 drop
10, oi plates che wss csrrJias TO the
sint. bul nei even the terrific crash oi
broken efoskery ehcitei the slie hiest st
ien,ion from 0yrua Tue letter had hui
tered from the old mans hand to the
noor ss be ran, aud Mrs. S,sckpele s,oor
ed and picked II up With shaking nnsers
Something In tbst letter. the knew, bad
csused her husbands sndden dismsy.
Sue iurUed art TO the signature |, was
from Fsnk. their own dear toy, from
whom they had not beard tor lao yesrs
sud whom they had sboui given up Tor
dead, since ha disappeared 10 the Alaskan
eoldael 8, He wfoie.
Doar Father aud Mother. - | am csmips
bone at last rich mani Have been
on, Of the world. practically, since
wrote you last living in ao. 200 miles
| IvJ s.s -s-Gii-..i- u.ii - .~@ aii
xhen Sc you, Look Tor me next Tacs
dsy tverius. ! learn that you have .
new railroad now, and can reach you by
tsin The same evening get 10 Whining
ton. Col bless yon BOTH Lovingly.
FRANK,
What was there 10 that blessed letter
that could have caused her husband sncb
dislress2 Mrs. stackpole wiped the tears
Of Joy rom her eyss and sped ont TO the
barn.
Cyrus she cried, what on slfih air ye
doingf
Cyrus Was hurriedly replacing the yoke
on tho necks Of the weary oxen. His
hands irembled. His face was overspresd
with 40 ssben gray psllor,
Git ont o. the wayl be shouted s be
lsshed the oxen from the barn. the long
cham that dspRled from the yoke clst
tering behind. He osasht lantern from
a nail and hurried after the startled aud
bew ildered bessis.
Where sir 70 going, Cyrus, demanded
bis vile, following the distracted old man
! as he led the oXe1 over the orest OF the
hill to the orchard bars. Cytas made no
reply and his vile followed him. Then
she saw the bris,ling stump fence across
the railroad, and the whole dresdful truth
flashed upon her Cyrus had built fence
to stop or wreck the eeIt train, and that
was the very traiu that Frank bad written
be sbould take IRON Hilminstonl
The village station was mile beyond
the Stack pole farm. The train would mol
have even begun TO slow down when II
passed through the orchard. 1t was o.
ready getting dusk. II would be pitch
dark by the time the train came along
in just sn hour.
Cyrus Stsckpole never looked at hit
wife, but worked with feyerish haste, ane
che did not interrupt him, for she knew
= .nsv oyc.y mvnuuu wpo ptovsouo, Au'
oxen strained nightly at the great stump'
bat they we're so crowded together and IL
! terlocked that it WAS hard TO get them OF
tho track. Cyrus had performed bis def
D ant task unfortunately we'll.
Light the lantern cried the painting olt
] man at last, His wife took the match h'
flung her and kndled the slight hame II
! the dusty globe. Cyrus bent and sdlus
ed the chain anew by the candies ieebl
: lieht. Then the oxen strained togethe
once more. but the biggest stump OF OIL
!, would not move, The long tough root
r we're wedged between and under the rails
0 Godl grosued the old man. IL was th
o shortest Of prayers, bat it was q praye
and not sn imprecsiion,
: Hsrkl ciied the trembling old vile
u From far tf through the dsrkness cam
= = FAINT rumbiine tonnd. IL was the eve
i ing train from Wilmington
o Cyrus, exclsimed the woman, red lisb
~ stop them. pve heard so, Haint "
B got anything to make red light with
y Qaickl
u Cyrus disgorged the contents OF .
e his pockets st one sweep. Among ther
o was sn old fashioned red bsndsnns han
O kerchief. His wife seizsd II, with or
u Of Joy. and. catching up the lantern hs'
d ened down the track toward the sppfosc
u ing train. She turned up the wick
O the lantern until IL smoked furiouslI
o Then she wrapped the red bsndkerchi'
O around the globe, held the lantern np !
d both hands sul slowly swsyed II to sn
fro.
l. The train was slmost upon her beiol
o the engineer ssw the faint red sisnel. B'
'e the sirbreskes did their magic work. 81
ID the engine stopped within twenty feet
10 ths last huge. brittling stump Of Cyrt
'r Stsckpolss fence across .he rsilroi'
. Frank Stackpole was one Of the fret p'
10 sspgers to lssp from the intercepted trs
u What 10 thunder why. fsthers old
% chsrdt be exclaimed. And here's mol
10 erl He caught toitering. gray hsirt
'e figure In his strong aims. Mrs. S.sskpo
o. like ill hsroip's. bad fret sccomplish'
ID her deed aud then tainted away.
" Tbs rsilrosd company did not enter
o. complaint ssaiust Cyrus Stsckpele. u
d big, black b,Tded. hesltby son may hs
10 hsd something 70 do with that and be m
ue not. Very likely the unrestricted sud
g. disputed iiaht Of way throuah the o
ID mans orch.rj r.s sn inducener',
10 .uy rate, the mst " was dropped, Al
q. Cyrus SlsokpoIf proved TO be sosubdu
b, 10 ,pirit th,t oliy two days after !
ID stump fence disappeared from the trs