The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-20
On the Midnight Mail

oiose. dog-day atmosphere. the Sitting
uust, TIE uua4euans ROAR oliu tnv inipt-
allvv meeu "a COile-nuai dct-tits 10 1>-P
pace Witn tne hefVf-ehetiit5 F1'Nf "-
what wonder III oc0tt q DaOOu gtew n01
10 tne point of DOlunS
NOW cne pouch 10 be Jeff at the next
station was IOcKeQ, anu Ipf a lew mo
menLs he wOutQ De uuoccupicd. 14U at0oo
watching DivasOu, SOFA Dusy cropping
packages ana papers INTO poLcLc9-
tnrusLug them intO pigeon nOies, or tvaa-
ing thera into cOmp4rLmenJs. me turned
away ana, taking the doupic-ntaihpcN
letter from ms pocket, bestowed on Pc a
Iuruve' glance. lneu ne Put AZ DelNh 81"
brought out SOmeJnlug eise-a DAB JdCh
knife his father had gwen MIN ana Wnlch
he always carried. bulk5 though % was
With one eve on Gleason, ne opened llis
knIfe and ran mis- 1lnger along the cose
OF ITS blade up 10 iIs sharp point NO
hunters weapon could nave Deen more
suitable for the purpose; the sole ques-
ton was, should ne plunge II INTO me
mans back or try 20 slit MS JuEul2rE
The train rushed onward down river
There was a stretch OF wilderness Just
ahead, where a body thrown out miBht
not be found for months, ii al All scott
Crept nearer his intended victim, keeping
the knife concealed by the hand Which
was to strike the deadly blow The tram
was making upward Of titty miles an
hour and the many curves gave the tih-
preston Of a Still higher speed. Tue
mail car Oscillated fearfully Gleason
sturdy figure braced itself against III
Cessantiy changing forces, untn Dy ana
by a more than usually violent JERK
caused him to throw a missive into the
With a muttered curse be bent far for-
ward 60 recover It, and Scott perceived
that his moment had come. His enemy
defenseless back was fully exposed q
fair and easy mark for the six inches Of
cold steel awaiting IT. Two strides would
have brought him 70 the spot. but he mad
not made one Of them when a sharp
whistle sounded from the locomotive and
the trains speed abruptly slackcned.
causing Scots TO pitch headlOng toward
the front Of the car In another second
there was a mighty crash. and for him
the whole world seemed 70 come to an
end
when he opened his eyes ne was in bed
with sewed up head and mended les,
and his wife's anxious face was bending
Thank God. you are alive. Charlie
she exclaimed. 1T was a horribly mar
row escape. Poor elem was killed in
stantly."
Fee6ly he sought to withdraw his hand
from hers, but his strength seemed TO
/ and could not suppress a groan at the
/ pain the fruitless effort caused him.
she IS conscience smitten, that is all, +"
His wife mIsinterpreted the look that
/ came into his eyes and leaned over to
/ kiss his hot forehead murmuring
! Dearest, you are suffering; your poor
/ head got such a dreadful cut, but the
j doctor says you are going TO be all right
/ again soon
/ He stirred uneasily, and instead of re-
{ spending to her speech. said:
[ There was a letter. had about me
| when the smash came-where is ito"
! She rose and crossed the room, then re-
| turned with something in her hand. He
| seized and scanned the letter, and saw
/ that the seal was still Jnbroken.
J. Il have confession to make, darling,
she said, in some embarrassment. 81
didn't cell you sooner because-Weli,
/ hoped il would stop and I wanted %
{ avoid any trouble between you two
/ Glen Gleason had been writing to me and
| saying things he shouldn't. When the
] first letter came I thought something haC
] happened to you, so ! tore it open anC
/ began to read it. but when 7 found what
| it was / threw it into the fire. 7 sup
! posed If I 6idn't answer that he wOuldn'
| write again. but he did. a thick letter
| which I Immediately slipped into another
{ envelope, unopened. and sent back to him
How strange that you instead OF III
! should have received #"
| II truth, purity and love ever were
/ they shOne down upon Scott IN the clear
gaze Of the woman whom he had so stu
pidly. so CrIminally doubted. For a mo-
| ment he closed his eyes in a deirlum Of
! jOv and relief.
! Dear little wife" he whispered. rails
ing his arms yearningly toward her
| you are an angelH'
And he mentally vowed she nevef
should suspect how near TO becoming
murderer ne himself had been.