The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-06-28

DTlttle SUCKS llkely 10 snap unueI tnc
weight of my weary body tried TO
throttle, with my hand, the sharp pain
in my side and wondered, half-con-
sciously, how long my heart could stand
the fearful strain.
II was not my crime that sent zoe
stumbling. breathelessly, along that
stony road at two o'clock In the morn
ing. with crowd Of angry farmers fol-
lowing a quarter mile behind was
not guilty. but | might AZ well have
been.
Thank Heaven had good start,
but of what good is start when man
is almost dead from fatigue? If could
find way out, trick to deceive them!
My brain worked madly as plunged
ahead, with my lips wide apart and
painful breath kissing between my set
teeth. AS rounded a curve in the
road, l saw dark shadow ahead. and
knew 1t was the little wayside sta
ton. prayed to God for freight
train. l looked up and down the track
for some friendly headlight, but all was
darkness.
Automatically looked for hiding
place. A long, narrow pine box on the
platform caught my eye and shud-
| dered, thinking that tomorrow perhaps
| that box might enclose a corpse. Sud
| denly an idea flashed across my mind,
made light by fear.
touched the handscrews on the
cover; they turned very easily. l
pulled off the top and looked In. Heav-
| ems! II already held coffin. slid the
| lid from the black coffin and stood,
shuddering at sight of a still, white face.
/ drew back hastily. Up the road | saw
the lanterns of my pursuers and desper-
| alton scattered all computations, all re-
| spect for the dead.
DaZedly, scarcely knowing what did.
| reached down and pulled that cold,
shrouded form from its coffin. He was
heavy, that dead man, and | was tired
| and weak, but false strength seemed
come to me. With tremendous effort,
| dragged him across the track and
threw him into the lake.
The lanterns were bobbing up and
down, nearer and nearer; but / smiled
as / moved the box cover half way up
that might manipulate 1t from the in
side. crawled into the coffin, drew up
the cover and lay on my back my clasp
4 knife in my hand. Some insane in
stinct caused me to draw the coffin lid
over me. even laughed deliriously as
I cut hole in the side of the coffin and
through the outside box Then wait
ed feverishly for the coming of the
furious men.
had not long to wait. heard them
jumping, one by one, onto the platform
One of them cursed; one came to the
box, and he must have held lantern
up, for heard him read the label:
Henry Donnelly, Jackson City, Iowa. y
Here's that Donnelly's corpse wait.
in for the three o'clock" he said and
them tainted.
A dim, indefinable sense of rumbline
noises, like the regular roll of machln-
cry seemed to sing to me. 1t lulled me
gently while swaying. rising motor
seemed to carry me higher and higher
till began to wonder IL I should fall
Was 1t the air that made breathing sc
hard? What was that dark spreading
gloom that appeared suddenly ant
seemed to be racing with me?
strained every muscle-and then-f
nameless horror awoke every sense
That black mass was a coffin top, thu
whirling wings were wheels, and
was on board train, alone in a car
a supposed corpse-Henry Donnelly
of Jackson City, Ia.-bound for
|
let me dream?
Again, tried to shove the lid away
but my hands were held down.
sought for the knife | had held in m,
hand, but it was gone. pressed m.
mouth to the hole / had cut In tn
side and drew in my breath VIII,
was 1t could not get more air? A
last guessed it; the satin lining wa
keeping the air out. | tried TO rails
my hands to the place but the lid he'll
them down. In determination
gnowed the lining with my teeth an
then | cried out with all my strength
No answer. My voice seemed almos
inaudible to myself.
Again I attacked the lining with m
| tSCIHy anu 4 thoubht a iAttit hiOlt al
came in, but 1t was such little.
was growing weak and faint agar
The thought that If 1t overwhelme
me, might not awake, till It was TO
. late-till earth covered me six fee
!, deep-made me fight against tha
faintness with all my might, | Sc
, my teeth and clenched my fist, fight
= ing off the fatal fight of sense.
y, wrenched fiercely at the satin lininl
j. but 1t nauseated me. thought of tn
= dead man that had lain there and
:. made me sick-sick of heart and sic
!, of soul. Then | prayed that | migf
: die. All my life had dreaded deaf
= now | prayed for it,.
: For yesterday l was not to blam
a Bad company and weakness did
Because an old road companion ha
; asked for shelter in the farmhoui
|, where | lived, and tried to work hoi
a estly, and / had let him in and |
= had beaten down the good farmer al
. his wife and robbed them-was
blame for that? / knew too well TIL
a the avenging neighbors would not b
Iof \