The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-08-19

open.
He was glad Wilbraham was aboard.
He would show the president what 1t
meant to be unjust He would make
his coup when the train passed Cults
tunnel The 5:12 was running to
Leeds. arriving about s o'clock, ana
1t would be dark about 7. after the
tunnel was passed The country was
very wild about there; il would not
be hard to carry out his plan.
Then he remembered that the train
was actually speeding toward his old
home. which he had not seen for six
years. His mother and old Stevens
lived near Leeds His mother wrote
occasionally. and once year he sent
her few lines She never compliance.
but he knew that Stevens made his
mothers life unbearable.
AS he stood there, with roar the
train plunged into the tunnel
When 1t emerged 1t was nearly dark.
The boy. lingering his cheap revolver
In indecision, looked through the glass
front of the door of the express car.
Old Saunders was still reading his
newspaper With a resolute gesture
Rolfe took the revolver from the peck
ct into which he had thrust 1t and
moved forward.
III.
Suddenly he heard shouts from the
engine, and then the train began to
slow down. He heard revolver shot.
another shout; the train stopped sud
denly. the wheels biting into the met
ais, as If the brakes had been TANNED
down hard The engine snorted and
pulled to a standstill.
The next moment two men clam
bered aboard the platform OF the ex-
press car. so hastily that they did
not see Rolfe on the platform Of the
car behind them. They carried re-
volvers, and pushed open the door.
Rolfe saw old Saunders start up. He
grabbed his carbine. The next In.
slant, before he could aim 1t. one OF
the men brought down the butt OF his
revolver with a sickening thud upon
the old veterans head Saunders
pitched forward insensible upon the
floor of the car.
The other man snatched at the safe
and, raising It on high. staggered
toward the platform with It. Then 1t
was that Rolfe realized he had been
forestalled. And the evil thoughts died
out of his heart.
He held the revolver in his right
hand and aimed steadily. He fired.
The man who was carrying the safe
dropped 1t with crash and toppled
forward. He sat up, looking with lu-
dicrous surprise at a stain Of blood
upon his trousers. The other man
spun round and fred wildly in Rolfe's
direction. Rolfe heard the bullet whiz
past his head into the air.
Then he had leaped upon the ex-
press car platform and engaged In q
furious fight with the second bandit.
The man thrust his revolver into his
face; Rolfe lodged Just in time to
avoid the bullet, and closed with his
opponent. He knocked the revolver
from his hand. and it went spinning
across the floor of the car
The bandit released himself and
snatched up Saunders carbine. He
aimed a stunning blow at the boys
head Rolfe ducked; it caught him on
the shoulder and his arm dropped as
the collarbone fractured. With his
left hand Rolfe seized the carbine
The bandit wrested 1t from him and
sent him staggering back upon the
platform. He saw the man coming
for him again, was conscious Of
shower Of sparks before his eyes. and
tainted.
He was in the little room that he
had occupied years before in his moth
er's home. He saw her face bent over
his. and looked at her without under
standing. 1t all seemed like dream.
Mother" he cried. What has
She laid her cool hand on his fore
head. Hush. dear" she said, as II
he were little boy again.
Il can't stay In this house. with
him"
"He died three weeks ago. Kenny"
she answered.
It was not until q week later that |
he learned the truth. The president.
the letter from Stevens. had |
been impressed by its injustice. Be-
ing the sort of man who deemed that |
no sacrifice was too great for an en-
ployee, he had taken the train that |
night for Leeds. in order to interview
Stevens. He had arrived on the ex-
press car platform in time to see
Rolfe stricken down and to aid In
capturing the outlaw. assisted by the