Year: 1874

Edward, and felt how vastly superior he
was i'll every way to this Mr.. Archer.


The note was short and rough.


Ellen, it began, not that he had any
right to address me in that way-certain-
ly L was not and never had been "Ellen''
to him, but so it was" Ellen, you have
deceived me, you and Ned Walters ;
but give you warming it is for the last
time. You and he shall never marry
will see you both dead first


was dreadfully frightened when l
read this ; but 1 came to the conclusion
1t was mere rodomontade when 1 began
to think it over calmly. L laughed at
the idea of that whipper-snapper little
Archer, doing any damage to my Ed
ward, and yet L was uneasy. Then father
came home in rather bad temper. The
party had been failure, for everybody
had been upset by that young Archer,
who behaved like mailman Mt the hall,
told everybody of his troubles, and
abused father to all the company, and mt
last went off to walk home to the station,
seeming quite wild and disturbed.


cts all your fault, too," said father,
flirting and encouraging that young
chap to come here" Father went to bed
and bade me put the lights out and go
to bedtoo. But still I couldn't'get rid of
my uneasy feeling couldn't make up
my mind to go to bed while I was uncer-
tain as to what might be happening at
the station when Richard and Edward
met, as they would be sure to. I ran
down the garden and opened the gate
gently, and went along the path. In q
moment [ stood upon the bank over
II
express whistling and moaning n long
way off. L made up my mind to stay till
the train went by; and 1 watched it
coming on, its lights gradually growing
more distinct, and the wreaths of steam
it threw off looking like white feecy
clouds i'll the moonbeams. All of n sud
den heard sort of smothered cry in
the direction of the station, and, turning
round, saw two men were struggling
upon the railway line, right in the way
OF tho express. They were Edward and
Archer and then in a moment it struck
me that Archer, mad with disappoint-
ment and jealousy, meant to murder his
friend and kill himself at the same time
by means of the express train. The
train was just upon me, in another half
minute it would be over them. could
do nothing 1 could only scream and
look up to heaven. And then L saw n
light above my head, the distance signal
of the station shining "All right" to the
advancing train. Instantly there came
into my head one of those inspired
thoughts that seem to be communi-
Gated by Providence in moments of sud
den danger. The wire of the signal by
which it was moved from the station ran
along little posts along the side of the
line. If l could only reach that wire and
turn the signal to danger, might yet
save my lover.


L dashed down the bank and over the
ditch at the bottom, and there my foot
struck against the wire of the signal and
seizing it with both hands, L dragged it
with my utmost strength but it would
not move-no, L could not move it an
inch either way. 1 knew the reason
afterward. 1t was one of those patent
signals, that always point to danger I'M
less held at safety by the wire from the
station and this wire now being held
tight by tho lever at the station, which
was fastened in its place, nothing could
move it. The ground was now beginning
to tremble under me with the swift rush
of the train, and still the terrible wire
Knocked all my efforts. In a transport of
frenzy almost cast myself upon it. 1t
broke-yes, it broke with my weight sud
denly thrown upon it-and with clang
and clatter the signal-lamps went round.
An indignant roar of whistling from the
engine told me the signal had been seen,
but with hardly abated speed the train
now went past me. I shrieked loudly
and waved my hands, and L saw the fire
fly from the metals, and heard the dis
corditnt scream of the wheels against the
rails. Then 1 rose and ran toward tho
station.


The train had been stopped Just in
time the buffers almost touched poor
Ned, who was pinned there, unable to
escape. He was dreadfully bruised, too,
by the iron boot in which his foot had
been fixed, and we feared ut one time
that the shock of those dreadful few
minutes would have been too much for
him. But we took him to our house,
where he had careful tending, assure
you, and before long he was his old self
once more, and doubly dear to his Ellen
for the pcrils he had undergone and 1
never can be sufficiently thankful that he
was spared to me, for he is one of the
dearest and best


CONCLUSION BY THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR.


Rather than listen to my wife's rhap-
sodies, 1 dare say you would like to hear
about my poor friend Archer, whose
sudden frenzy had SO nearly been fatal
to me. 1 must do him the justice to say
that 1 don't believe this outrage of his
was premeditated. 1t seemed that on
this night the goods train had dropped
truck at the siding, and the porter, to
save himself the trouble of running back
ward and forward to the switch, had
jammed stone in to keep the points
open. The porter had gone off home,