Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-03-10
THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN

Leonard! 1t is so late"
Il must. but won't be long. Don't
Sit up for me-
Olga's dark eyes filled with tears as
she asscnted. She had though, it WAS
goirg to he so different when she had
come up from her aunt's dull home to
live with her brother in the city. but
Leonard only kissed her ana WIS gone.
Il know he is mixed up with some
dreadful people" Olga Taurslon
thought as she returned to the little
sitting room and raEed the diving en-
bcrs of the fire into Il glowing heap
"BecauSc poor mother was a NusSiau
Leonard thinks himself bound to ira
tcrnizc with all the hIack sheep VINO
come over here. why cant he lee con
tent with ME English friends like
the CupninghamS:"
a blush overSprend her face rs the
remembrance of Hugh Cunnlughan'S
parting hat very afternoon crossed
her rnnd and she couG feet once more
the warm pressure of the hand ANA
hear the mellow voice saying: "Guod-
by, olga will come again tounr
row."
She had risen to eytii'%ui.t the lamp
before retiring to her CWu recon when
she heard the sound of kcN hptr"
turned in the front door. ana i"rr,H4
lest Leonard should he an4ry II ~
found her still UP she Slipped h"nind
Il curtain that was traWn nrruss ;rr
-
his room. TO her GiSun!N. n.NrN II.
her bro Ior was Not nIrln
lis friends Nr.ujaIIGi ara Schr"i'"l
We're win MIN. and they began t.
speak At once, evidently continuing Il
conversation.
"Iou understand what y0u have to
do" said Schrcbrr, addressing i.eun-
ard. Il will tell you One more. that
you make no mis- AXE. The train henr
ing that Internal vilain passes Your
station here at l2:iO and Reaches Red
vile at %. You must get in here
and leave ih" train again at nedti,le.
and mind you select the carriage in
front Of the saloon and leave your
parcel under tie scat H. close to the
partition rs yon can get it,
Pow long will ii last nH It is?" ask
ed Leonard III faIlerin9 tones.
For IN hour and Il hat 1t Is set
to 20 of ut l:2O. and he train will ia
halfway hnl Ween ReGvi'e and Let
terham then. That gives YOU plenty
of time even allowing for daliys"
Schreiber had spo,rn in English.
though with Il strong foreign accent.
and tho trenholm. girl b"h,d he WIN
dow curtain had heard rrery word
with shuddpring horror not only ON
account of The GHStdrdiy crime they
Were p.o:tili:;. blt because she renleIm
berrd that Captain Cun"im"hAm WIS
quarlercd III i.etterham and that hr
WIS dining in London that night and
would At o"t certainly 80 back by the
midnight train. The con>uirAt0rs teri
almost lame lately. frs; carrying iu,n
the room Il aquarr parnaGe done III, IN
brown paper and placing it carcfn!i
on Il chair.
AS in Il dream Olga watched leon
ard through a r"Nt IN the cur ain. Har-
ing drunk OF some WHISKY. ne ri -koN
up his burden a@l iet himself cut AZ,
the door. Within five minutes a rio~s.-
~ veilod figure was following him AN.
the brother ard sister reached The SD
ton simultaneously. they took ti"G-
cts for Erdville ana leut!ham re-.
sprctycly. Olga getting into Il coo,-
partment n the end Of the train and
Leonard entering the one next to the
saloon carriage.
At Re1yiile both got ont. and Olga
had the satisfaction Of seeing her
brother hurry away, while sac speedily
took his place and perceived to her
horror that Il man in Il fur coat was
asleep in one corner.
She had learned from q porter that
the train stopped once more halfway
to Letterham. and with ali her heart
she prayed that the awful thing might
not go off until she could get out with
it at the little roadside station. She
sat trembling from head to foot.
At last came shrill whistle. and,
with her heart beating in her throat
as it seemed to her, Olga began to
grope under the seat.
The man in the fur lined coat sat up.
"Cnn | help you to find anything?"
he asked. and Olga saw that one of her
fears was realized. for it was Hugh
Cunningham,
mo: please don't-don't touch it,.
she gaeped. ard as the train stopped
she lifted the parcel and placed it on
the seat.
1t was very heavy. and from it came
terrible ticking sound, which the
noise Of the train had prevented them
from hearing before. Hugh looked at
her curiously.
"Olga" he exclaimed. What Is
this?" He got out quickly. but in the
delay caused by having to give up his
ticket he lost sight of her. and she ran
swiftly down the dark road away from
the station.
She dared not go too far. gate
leading into a big field invited her to
enter. She did so and, having set
down the awful package. turned back
again with long. sobbing breaths. AS
she reached the gate an explosion rent