Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-26

meanest countenance and the most
treacherous eyes have ever seen.
"You, men!" he shouted. Have you
seen anything of girl?" and he. rat
tied out description of the very per
son whom had left on top of my car.
Look in the caboose-there's six
way fares there" observed the con-
ductor, and l hurried back to my car
70 find no trace of the mysterious
young lady who had so recently ap-
pealed to my chivalry and sympathy.
She was gone. l scanned the level
stretch beyond the tracks, expecting
to glimpse her flying form, for doubt
ed not that she was a runaway.
pitied her if the man l had just seen
was her guardian or relative.
She did not drift soon out of my
mind. So wildly had she impressed
me that l could reproduce her mental
ly with clearness. We made our run
and dusk came on just as we reached
the junction. AS we made up new
train and got we'll on to the belt spur
| determined to open the trap in the
roof and get inside and by the aid of
my flashlight enjoyed the lunch l had
tossed among the packages below.
We were just passing an overhead
bridge when l caught a fleeting
glimpse of descending form. In a
flash my suspicious were excited, and
rightly. A man had dropped to the
roof Of the car from the Orders. He
bore down upon me.
OF course l realized what was do.
ing. A gang were after the contents
of the special car, and here was the
forerunner of the group. He made for
me and we collided. | went fiat, and
he, too. He was intent on throwing
me off the car and later cast the pre-
cious freight to confreres awaiting
him farther down the line.
slid and, lying extended, seized
the rod Of the brake wheel. He would
be upon me in another moment, when
he uttered sharp cry. Turning, /
saw a figure beside the open trap.
saw the ankle of my enemy seized.
He was swung backwards and then
squarely over the side of the car into
space.
The girl! In flashing second l un.
derstood it all. She had got down into
the car hours before, doubtless fright.
ened into hiding from the man who
was looking for her. She had thrown
back the scuttle cover just in time to
save the freight and myself.
And now, having shown the cour'
age of true woman, she became tim
id and reticent. l could not influence
her to explain her situation. Only
to get away from persecution" she
uttered more than once, and shud
dered. "Only to find some secluded
home, a shelter, safe retreat for a
single month"
l won upon her confidence during
that strange night journey. When we
reached the terminus took her to the
home of my sister. She told heI
everything, but the information was
not impaired to me then.
The company traced the man who
had been halted so summarily in his
scheme to loot the special car. They
found him cripple for life and broke
up his thieving gang.
By the end of the month my mys
terry girl became my true love. In an
other thirty days l was ordered by
this imperious little tyrant to abandon
hard work and peril.
"For am an heiress, you see," said
Elvira, land the cruel guardian l was
escaping from, bent on forcing me tc
marry his son, has no further power
over your loving and happy wife" Sc
l ceased to be car rider, but blessed
the day ever that made me one
whereby gained the love of the dear
est little woman in the world.