Year: 1877

were well acquainted with each other.
Again the aforementioned one looked
at the old passenger, whose head had
dropped on his breast, and who appeared
to be dropping into good slumber.


Seeing this the man motioned to the
other, who Strengthened up, and the next
moment the twain occupied the same
seat


as he really asleep" asked the young
est


"You cant tell anything about the old
dodger," was the reply she looks as
though he was sleeping like Morpheus
himself, when he may be watching us
from one corner of his eye. We can't
afford to wait much longer, else the game
will be up The girl is sound asleep"


eyes, yes, you could jerk her from the
seat and not disturb her slumbers. Isn't
she a beauty


"a perfect houri"


"Of course she doesn't know that you're
on the train


| "Certainly not. Don't you recollect
that she was asleep when we boarded the
car at Romney9'


''If she knew was here, she'd keep
her eyes wide open and post the old gen.
tIeman, who yet remains, l believe, in
blissful ignorance Of the fact that have
made love to his child. If he knew me
as you do, Burdock, he'd play the roll Of
Virginus before should wed his Mabel"


"He would, indeedN' answered the
young man called Burdock. "But say,
let's to work. | have the bottle-shall |
use it now3 What do you say?"


"We are not there YETI" said the other,
looking out Of the window upon the star
lit earth.


"We must be very near. The road
where Morley is waiting is one mile this
side of the town. There! look there is
the clump of trees he told us about. The
road is three miles from this point We
must work now"


"What if the old fellow is shamming?"


an use the handkerchief Effectively"


"All right"


The youngest of the party now rose and
walked up the aisle to the further end of
the coach.


He cast quick but scrutinizing look
at the white. haired man who, despite his
suspicious, had fallen asleep. For three
successive days he and his daughter had
been on the train, and during the time
the father had slept but little. His child's
objections to the sleeping coaches had
been listened to, and the twain had not
Quilted the through passenger car.


They were travelling to one Of the larg-
est cities in the east, where they hoped to
dwell until death should tear them apart
and call each from the world.


Cyrus Radcliffe-for such was the
fathers name-was banker of eminence
in city far west of the Alleghanies. His
wealth was the "open sesame" into the
highest society of the land, but he was
not putfcd up with the pride that is gen.
orally found with riches. Having no
relatives, save his daughter, he fixed the
great love of his heart upon her, and it
was love vaster than his wealth, deeper
than the sea.


But let US return to the scene in the
through car, moving at the rate of twenty
seven miles an hour.


The man at the end of the car glided
toward his victim, the old gentleman.
His movements were watched by the as
sociate whom he had left in the seat.


When he paused beside his victim, he
drew handkerchief from his bosom.


Then the faint odor of chloroform be-
came prevalent, and the handkerchief
was held under Cyrus Radcliffe's nostris


While this was being done the blue
eyed man left his seat and came up the
aisle till he passed his confederate, and
stood beside the sleeping girl.


''Shall dose the others?" asked the
young man in whisper as he glanced at
the three remaining passengers who were
asleep in their respective seats.


"No! they'll not awaken!" was the re-
ply. "Now give Mabel bit--not too
muchl"


The chloroformed handkerchief, with
drawn from Mr.. Radcliffe, was applied
to his daughter, who unconsciously in
hailed the powerful anesthetic.


A moment later the agent Of villainy
was restored to his bosom, and with IA
look up and down the car the eldest man
lifted Mabel from the seat.


"We must be near the road. Ring
the engineer down to slower time.
Quick!"


These words were spoken to the young
man who caught the bell rope and tugged
at it manfully.


"Curse itr he exclaimed. at seems
to have caught somewhere. The train is
increasing its speed.'


The face Of the man who held Mabel
in his arms suddenly grew pale.


"Jerk it with all your might!' he cried
TO his confederate.


The man obeyed and the rope snapped
in twain


"The jig is up, am afraid. There
we've passed the road. 1t seems to me
that we're going at the rate Of forty miles
an hour"


"Yes, fifty of them " said his comrade