Year: 1877

HuSC AOICS you GueH.
him FAST


| trembled for Alice. If only my
life were at stake / could have
borne it better. But even if We
were both murdered l could not
take the blood of the passengers in
the tram upon my head. Not 6
sound came from the little room as
, l was tied hand and foot to my
chair, bound so securely that could
not move. 1t was proposed to gag
me, but finally concluded that my
cries, if l made any, could not be
heard, and a handkerchief was
bound over my mouth.


The door of the washroom was
closed and locked. Alice stood un
discovered, the light was blown out
and the rufiians ieft me, locking the
door after them


There was long silence. Ont
side could hear the step of one of
the men pacing up and down, watch
ing. l rubbed my head against the
wall and succeeded in getting the
handkerchief on my mouth to fall
around my neck.


I had scarcely accomplished this
when there was Il tap on the inner
door


Robert! Alice said


Yes, love! Speak low, there Is a
man under my window


Are you alone in the room?


Yes, dear.


am going to Postville. There
is no man under my window can
get out there. l have six long
towels here, knotted together, and /
have cut my skirts into wide strips
to join them. The rope so made
reaches nearly to the ground. l
shall fasten it to the door knob and
let myself down. 1t will not take
long to reach home, saddle Selim
and reach Postville in time. Don't
fear me. When you hear a hen
cackle under my window you will
know l am safely on the ground.


Little Alice! My heart throbbed
heavily as l heard her heroic pro-
posal, but l dared not stop her.


Heaven bless and protect you, 1
said, and listened for her signal.
Soon the cackling noise told me the
first step of her perilous undertak-
ing was taken.


1t was dark, cloudy, and threat
ening storm and, as nearly as l
could guess, close upon 9 O'Clock.
She had to go six miles, and could
only wait in the dark. L was too
much stunned even yet to realize
the heroism of this timid woman.
starting alone upon the dark ride
through a wild country, with a storm
threatening.


Nine o'clock As the bell of the
church ceased to strike, rumble, a
flash, told me thunderstorm was
coming rapidly. Oh, the long min
utes OF the next hour.


Ten o'clock. The rain falling in
torrents, the thunder pealing, light
ming flashing. Alice was afraid of
lightning. Often l had held her,
white as death, trembling, almost
fainting, in such = storm as this.
Had she feared to start with the
storm in prospect, or was she lying
somewhere on the wild road, over
come by terror, or perhaps stricken
by lightning?


Eleven o'clock. The storm was
through. The still night was inky
black-no sound to cheer me, none
to make the hideous suspense more
endurable. A host of possibilities,
like frightful nightmares, chased
one another through my tortured
brain.


Would the next hour never pass?
Once the clock tolled midnight, all
was safe.


was drenched with perspiration
wrung from me by mental agony
one hour, and chilled with horror
the next. No words can describe
the misery of waiting as the min
utes dragged along. In the dead
silence a far off sound struck thrill
of horror to my heart, far exceed
ing the previous agony. Far, far
away faint whistle came through
the air. Nearer and nearer, then
the distant rumble of the train
growing more distinct.


The midnight up-train was CON-
ing swiftly, surely, to certain de
structionl Where was my wife?
Had the rufllans intercepted her at
the cottage? Was she lying dead
somewhere on the wild road? Her
heroism was of no avail, but was
her life saved? In agony of that
question the approaching rumble of
the train was lost, far more did /
feel the bitterness OF Alice dead
than the horror of the doomed lives
the train carried Why had l let
her start upon her mad errand?


| tried to move, and writhed in
impotent fury upon my chair, fore
ing the cruel cords to tear my flesh
as vainly tried to loosen even one
hand. The heavy train rumbled
past the telegraph office. 1t was an
express train, and did not stop at
nv station; but as l listened, every
sense sharpened by mental torture,
it seemed TO me that the speed