Year: 1877

| SSIdpu OpeTdGOF SJaJlO0eQ at q HUI
town upon the Grand Trunk line O
railroad.


Mine was by no means a mode
place of residence. There wer
beer gardens, drinking saloons, anC
gambling houses, out of all proper
lions to the most respectable shops
and residences; we had two arrests
of counterfeiters, and there wa!
scarcely a day passed that there
was not brawl amongst the ruf
fans around us. Still, there was {
school, and timid, blue-eyed wo
man had come to teach there.


How long an unprotected woman
might have lived there l can only
guess, for Alice Holt had been there
three months when she consented
to walk into church with me one
day, and walked out my wife. This
was in July, and we had occupied
a pretty telegraph office ever since
our marriage.


Being the only man in the tele-
graphic business in the town, was
obliged to remain constantly in the
office during the day and part of
the evening, and Alice herself
brought me my dinner and supper.


There was a small room next to
my office, with a window, but only
one door, communicating with the
larger room. Here Alice had fitted
a dressing table, and mirror, wash
stand, and shelves where she had
kept pepper, salt and pickles for my
Office repasts. The two rooms were
on the second floor of a wooden
building that stood alone.


With this necessary introduction
l come to the story of that October
night, and the part my blue-eyed
Alice, only Is and afraid of her own
shadow, played in it. l was in
my Office at 1880 o'clock, when
one of the railway officials came in
all durried, saying;


Sterling, have you been over to
the embankment on the road to-
day.


The embankment was not quar-
ter of a mile from the Office on the
east side.


No, have not.


1t was a special providence took
me there, then. One of the great
masses of rock had rolled down di-
rectly across the track. 1t will be
as dark as a VOLTS mouth tonight,
and if the midnight up-train comes
without warning, there will be a
horrible smash up.


1t must stop at Postville, then, L
replied. l will send a message.


Yes; that is what l stopped in
for. The down track is clear, so
you need not stop that train.


All right, sir.


was standing at the door, see
ing my caller down the rickety
staircase, when Alice came up with
my supper. 1t was hot and was
cold, so l sat down to enjoy it.
Time enough for business L thought,
afterward, as 1 ate and chatted.


Any message to-day? my wife
asked.


One from John Martin.


John Martin? Alice cried, the
greatest rufIian in the nelghbor
hood. What was the message?


Midnight train.


Was that all?


That was all. Mr.. Hill has just
been in here to tell me there was a
huge rock aross the track at the
embankment, so l shall stop the
midnight train at Postville. The
passengers must wait a few hours
there, and come on in the morning
after the track is cleared.


Have you sent the message, Rob
ert?


Not yet. There is plenty of
time. That train does not reach
Postville till half past IL and it is
not yet. Yes, it is just striking.


Better send it, Robert. If there
should be an accident you would
never forgive yourself. Send it
while l put some clean towels in
the wash room, and then 1 will come
and sit with you till you can come
home.


She went into the dressing room
as she spoke, taking no light but
depending on the candles burning
in the office. l was rising from my
seat to send the telegram, when the
door opened and four of the worst
characters in the town, led by John
Martin, entered the room. Before
1 could speak, two threw me back
in my chair, one held a revolver to
my head, and then John Martin
spoke:


Mr.. Hill was here to tell you to
stop the train The rock is there
to stop that train-put there for
that purpose. There is $4,000 in
gold on the train. Do you under
stand2


You would risk all the lives in
the train to rob it! l cried horror
struck.


Exactly! was the cool reply. One
drth of it is yours if you keep back
the message. The money has been
watched all the way along!


/ saw the whole diabolical scheme
at once. If the train came it would
be thrown of the embankment and