Year: 1877

!


stunned ever yet to realize the hero
ism of this dark ride through wild
country, with storm theatening.


Nine o'clock As the bell Of the
clock ceased to strike, rumble, "a flash
told that a thunder storm was coming
rapidly. Oh, the long, long minutes
Of the next hour


Ten o'clock. The rain falling in
torrents the thunder pealing, light
ming flashing. Often held her, white
as death, trembling, almost fainting,
in such a storm as this. Had she
feared to start with the storm in pros
pect, or was she lying somewhere in
the wild road overcome by terror, or
perhaps stricken by lightning?'


Eleven clock. The storm was
over though the still night was inky
black-no aound to cheer me, none to
make the hideous suspense more en-
durable A host of possibilities, like
frightful nightmare, chased one
after the other through my tortured
brain.


Would the next hour pass? Once
the clock tolled midnight then all was
safe.


| was drenched with perspiration
wrung from me by mental agony one
hour, chilled with horror the next
No words can describe the misery Of
waiting, the minutes dragged along
In the dead silence a far off sound
struck thrill Of horror to my heart,
far exceeding even the previous agony.
Far, far away faint whistle came
through the air. Nearer and nearer
then the distinct rum bling Of the train
growing more and more distinct.


The midnight train was coming
swiftly, sure, to certain destruction.
Where was my wife? Had the ruff
fans intercepted her at the cottage?
Was she lying somewhere upon the
road Her heroism was Of no avail,
but was her life saved? In the agony
of that question the approaching rum
bic of the train was lost; far more
did | feel the bitterness of Alice dead
than the terror Of the doomed lives
the train carried. Why had let her
start upon the mad earand ?


tried to move and writhed in i'm
potent fury upon my chair, forcing
the cruel cords to tear my flesh as |
vainly tried 10 loosen even one hand.
The heavy train rumbled past the tel
egraph office. 1t was an express train
and did not stop at my station, but as
| listened, every sense sharpened BY
mental torture, it seemed to me that
the speed slackened. Listening in.
tently | knew that it stopped at the
embankmeat, as nearly as | could
Judge. Not with the s,ackening
crash I expected, followed by walls
and groans from the injured passen,
gers, but gradually and carefully
A moment more and / heard shouts,
the cracl, Of firearms, the sounds Of
some conflict.


What could it all mean? The min
utes were all hours till | heard key
turn i'll the door OF my prison and a
moment later two tender arms were
around my neck, and Alice was whis-
pering in my ear. They will come
in a few minutes, love, to let you free!
The Williams left the key in the door !
| thought Of that before | started, but
there was a man at the front watch
ing. l crept around the house and
saw him though l did not dare TO be
seen.


"But have you been to Postville ?"


eyes, dear"


ain all that storm p


"Selim seemed to understand. He
carried me swiftly and surely. l was
we'll wrapped in my waterproof cloak
and hood. When | reached Postville
the train had no. come up.'


"But it is here p


Only the Locomotive and one car
riage. In that carriage was a sher-
if, a deputy sheriff and twenty men
armed to the teeth, to capture
The gang at the embankrnent.
| came too, and they lowered me
from the platform when the speed
was slackened, SO that I could run in
here and tell you that all was safe Il


While we spoke, my Wife's finger