Smyrna times., 1901-08-28

hAONAJ hP AAOhi lhC OlNDdIu Win |
the tired oxen, his wife met him at the
back door.
"Here's a letter for ye," she said.
'Suppers leetle mite late, but the old
mare limps so | couldn't git home as
soon's planned. Better read the letter
fore ye set down to eat, hadn't YEP
mo-" answered Cyrus, limping to the !
barn with the oxen. It'll keep until !
arter I've had cup O. tea, reckon"
Cyrus Stackpole ate his supper delib- /
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 to his feet again and ran STUN
bling to the barn. Her husbands cry
and sudden leap caused Mrs. StackpOle
to drop a 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 fluttered 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 dismay.
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 home at
last-a rich man! Have been out of the world,
practically, since l wrote you last-liying in a
| hut 200 miles beyond civilization. Will tell you
all when l see you. Look for me next Tuesday
| evening. l learn that you have railroad
now, and can 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 ye 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.
"Git out O. the wayr' he shouted as
he lashed 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 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 brstling
stump fence across the railroad, and
the whole dreadful truth flashed upon
her. Cyrus had built a fence to stop OF
wreck the next train, and that was the
: very train that Frank had written he
should take from Wilmington!
, The village station was n mile be
yOnd the Stackpole farm. The train
+ would not have even begun to slow
: down when it passed through the or
chard. 1t was already getting dusk.
would be pitch dark by the time th'
, train came along in just an hour.
Cyrus StackpOle never looked at hi
=. wife, but worked with feverish haste
, and she did not interrupt him, for sh
knew that every moment was precious
Il lG OAGll dlnGu llllSulllJ at lllC SIGd
= stumps. but they were so crowded to
= gether and interlocked that it was har
= to get them off the track. Cyrus ha,
:. performed his defiant task unfortu
- nately well.
:. Light the lantern!' cried the pant
- ing old man at last. His wife took tn
- match he flung her and kindled til
= slight flame in the dusty globe. Cyru
. bent and adjusted the chain anew b
y the candies feeble light. Then tn
- oxen strained together once more, bU
- the biggest stump of all would nc
:: move. The long, tough roots wer
y wedged between and under the rails.
% "GOdv groaned the old man. 1t wa
=, the shortest of prayers, but it was
~ prayer and not an imprecation.
-" "Hark!' cried the trembling old wifi
~ From far off through the darkne'
X: came a faint rumbling sound. 1t ws
III the evening train from Wilmington!
Is Cyrus" exclaimed the woman, ''re
nc light II stop 'em. I've heard so. Hahn
is we got anything to make a red ligl
with? Quickw
us Cyrus dsgorged the contents of a
'e- his pockets at one sweep. Among the
d. was an old fashioned red bandanI
el handkerchief. His wife seized it, wit
ne cry of joy, and. catching up the Ia
ue tern, FASTENED down the track towal
us us the approaching train. She turned
ile the wick of the lantern until it smoke
ns furiously. Then she wrapped the r'
Ut handkerchief around the globe, he
liu the lantern up in both hands and slo'
% ly swayed it to and fro.
IL The train was almost upon her b
1i fore the engineer saw the faint r.
'ie signal. But the airbrakes did the
% magic work. and the engine stopp
~ within 20 feet of the last huge. br
-. "a tling stump of Cyrus Stackpole's fen
- -, across the railroad. Frank StackpC
~ was one of the first passengers to lie
n isn from the intercepted train.
,Ia "What in thunder-why, fathers