The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-03-26
Ross-H HuntressCom
Cor.West and Grove SITS.
p,,u,rd Norr,ort
Rutland. Vermont.

presence than of the few other meI
she met In town or ON her weekly visi
TO church.
Her grandmother, born matchmak
er, had already sensed the situation
and If Myrtle's mother had known that
| the old lady had found opportunity to
! drop a hint 10 Seth her passive ac'
quiescence In this frivolity would have
become active opposition. As II was,
she argued that since Mother Prentiss'
stay was to be short 1t would be posi-
bic TO regain her lost ground after the
old lady should have returned home.
In John Prentiss his mother found
an able ally. He gleefully recalled his
own Halloween celebrations and In
sisted that he could still duck for mp.
Piles with the best Of them.
Next year." he shouted, "well have
regular party. mother. ! haven't
felt so young In years" He bent again
over the tub to plunge his ruddy face
after the elusive apple, and bis wife,
griinIy rvearuiDs ti- upvcemfy per
Torrance, shook her head IN dIsap-
proval
But Prentiss was too absorbed 10 his
fun TO notice the head shake, and he
insisted upon trying all the tests he
knew. Almost before they knew 1t
the clock struck II and then half past,
and Myrtle, shivering deliciously over
the adventure, stole softly through the
orchard TO the bubbling spring.
There was no moon, but stars span
gled the sky, and their light made 1t
bright enough to see her reflection in
the little pool 0bedlent TO instruc-
tions, she leaned over the placid sur
face and began to repeat the verse her
grandmother had taught her Her
heart stood still as she heard the ap-
proach of footsteps, but her blood
froze in horror when two men took
their stand on the other side OF the
hedge and began to talk Of their plans
"The train will be along In about
thirty minutes" said the first II bet
she gets smashed up some this time"
Best Job ! ever did" was the re-
sponse. "Jlm's the engineer, and he
won't see that the rail Is out until
they're right on It. They'll be IN the
gully before they know what struck
'em. Wen have the safes an away
before they get hint"
She needed to hear no more OF the
conversation to guess at the identity OF
at least one of the speakers. For near
ly year the southwest had suffered
from the depredatlons Of a gang OF
train wreckers who operated only
when heavy conslgnments OF specie
were being carried by the express com.
panies.
In place Of the usual holdup they de-
rallied the train. often with heavy loss
Of life, and made away with the ex-
press safes before the first excitement
was over Half a mile beyond was a
ravine bridged by wooden trestle. II
was evident that they had removed
the spikes from one Of the rails and
that the train would pitch into the
gulch.
Even as she knelt over the spring
wondering what II would be best TO do
the sound OF a bell came floating down
from the house the signal that II was
Il O'Clock. In the water OF the pool
second face was reflected, and Myr-
lie gave sigh.
"If II only was you, Seth" she whis-
pered Il need you So"
1T Is Seth" came the answer IN |
whisper what is II, dearT
Even in her excitement Myrtle thrill.
ed deliclously at the word. 1t was
the first time any one had called her
dear" in that tone. She half rose to
her feet
There are two men on the other
side OF that hedge" she whispered.
"one IS Bill Logan and the other one
of his men. They are going TO throw
the express into Cat creek"
Their whispering was so low that II
could not he heard by the men In the
shadow o. the hedge. Seth, coached
by Myrtle's grandmother. had ap-
preached 70 softly that even Myrtle
had not heard him coming, and the
outlaws. ignorant OF their espionage,
talked freely Of their plans.
From their talk IL was evident that
they were armed. Seth was not But
there were a lot OF fallen branches on
the ground about them, and cautiously
be selected two stout sticks.
With catiike stealth he stole toward
the hedge where be judged the two
men 70 be. With a stick In either
hand be separated the shrubs until be
was able to bring bis clubs down with
feres upon the skulls Of the
two outlaws.
Before 6ey could recover from tbs
shock - oAd sprung upon them, gain