“’I will report you for this detention.  What is the matter with you?  You look wild enough to be put in an asylum.’

“Mechanically I completed the signature and handed him the order.  Just as he was about to step from the station to the platform, he suddenly turned round, and said somewhat apprehensively, ’Of course you have received no orders to detain me?’ ‘No,’ I replied, in a voice that did not sound like my own.

“As the train began to move slowly out of the station I sprang to my feet, ran to the window, and gazed in terror at it.

“Just as Rawlings was about to jump on one of the cars, some impulse made him pause and glance at the window where I was standing.  Something in my face must have strangely affected him, as he allowed the car on which he was about to jump to go by, and without apparently seeming to know what he was doing, swung his lantern from right to left.  If the engineer had seen this signal he would have stopped the train.  With an impatient shake of his head Rawlings jumped on to the step of the next car.  He stood on the step as he passed, and with contracted brow again fixed his eyes on mine.  The moment I lost sight of the train the spell that bound me to the window was broken.  An involuntary cry came from my dry lips, and I dashed my hand through the glass with the imbecile impulse of stopping the train.  The remarkable presentiment that the train should not go on had full possession of me now.

“Like one possessed I ran out of the office, burst open the door leading to the agent’s house, mounted in bounds the stairs leading to it, and ran through the sitting-room into the parlor, where I knew I should find Herbert.  Just before I entered the room I heard Herbert say in a broken voice, ‘Then there is no hope for me?’

“‘No,’ replied a choked voice, which I recognized as Julia’s.  An embarrassing scene met my gaze; kneeling at Julia’s feet with a look of keen disappointment on his face was Herbert.

“As I rushed into the room he sprang to his feet with an exclamation of anger and amazement.  But when he saw my face, an expression of deadly fear passed over his.  Without stopping to think, I caught him by the coat-collar with my wounded hand; instantly his white shirt was stained with blood.  ‘Herbert,’ I cried desperately, ’the express has just left!  For heaven’s sake tell me that you are quite sure you got no order to hold her.  I am certain something is going to happen, something dread—­’

“I never finished the sentence.  I pray that I never again may see such a look of mortal agony on any face as passed over his, or again hear such a scream as he uttered, when he rushed past me with uplifted arms, and ran downstairs crying at the top of his voice, ’Stop her! stop her!’ This terrible scene had all been acted in less than a minute.  I bounded after him.  Someone was following me, but I never thought of stopping to see who.  My mind was now quite clear.  If the express had