Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-03
into their confidence, and had told her

into their commence, and had told her
in words.
It was plot to wreck the train
And now she was out ir, the open air,
beyond the upper entrance, and she
could see the peaceful light still shin
ing from Aunt Betsey's window. But
there was no time to go there for help
The train must be SO very near
Katie did for a moment think of
kindling a bright fire on the track,
but that would take too long, and the
great ruin and horror would come be-
fore even a small fagot would be well
ablaze.
"There's nothing but my own little
lantern" almost sobbed poor Katie.
Maybe he will know it when he sees
it, but he must be warned before he
reaches the CUT
The lantern shone like a frosty little
star determined to be seen as Katie
sprang forward up the track. She had
not far to go, for the train was ahead
of time that night, Instead OF being be-
hind, as would have been more desira
| BILE under the circumstances. Never
had anything appeared to Kate Crown
inshield more suddenly than did the
great glaring eyes of the locomotive
headlight that now glowed upon her
out of the overshadowing night, and
her lantern seemed to have instantan-
eously vanished.
1T is so small" she cried, in ag-
ony, "and he will never see it."
Nevertheless, on low mound Of
earth and stones, close by the side of
the track, Katie took her post of char
ity and danger, and swung her little
lantern frantically to and fro, while
she now tried to make her sweet girls
voice heard through the roar and
clamor of the rushing train.
On came the railway giant, Juggling
with him his precious freight of human
life, and it flashed upon Katie Crown
inshieId's mind what an awful capacity
: for suffering that train might have on
board. On, with the great glare and
the all-absorbing torrent of sound, and,
almost before Katie knew it, the OBJ
iect of her hope and fear had dashed
ruthlessly past her, and was quickly
swallowed up from her sight in the
rocky Jaws of the deep cut. With a
cry of grief and disappointment on
| uGE llpS, dllI JILL LII VI DdlI1
her heart, the poor girl sank upon the
ground and buried her face in her
hands, while the little lantern dropped
neglectedly beside her.
Only for one brief instant, however,
did Katie yield to the terror and trou-
bic of it, for in another she had picked
her starry friend, sprang to her feet,
and darted down the railroad track to-
ward the cut. She was light of foot as
any fawn, and there were sad wings to
her speed, but it seemed to her as if
she would never get through the cut.
She paused moment, when she
reached the lower end, to gather breath
and to brush the salt mist from her
eyes before she looked upon the awful
scene she knew must be prepared for
her.
And then-why there was the train,
the rear car rising close in front of her,
while the others (and there were but
few of them that night stood all erect
upon their wheels beyond-not all
upon the track, to be sure, but all APP
parently safe-all, except one great,
dark mass, whose polished metal gilt
tered in the varying lights that flashed
upon it, and whose hoarse throat
screamed angrily with the escaping
steam, for the locomotive had come to
grief pretty decidedly among the gran
tie boulders that were heaped on the
track by the fends who had planned
the wreck. The passengers were
swarming out Of the cars, and none of
them seemed to be hurt at all, nor did
Katie hear sound that told of pain as
she swiftly threaded her way among
and past them. She had caught a
glimpse of a group away beyond even
the shattered locomotive, however,
which forbade her lingering for an in
slant. Right down toward her own
garden gate four men were carrying a
heavy burden, and others were follow
ing, and Katie heard them say, as she
darted by:
"Who is it,"
"Why, it's the conductor. He was
thrown from the platform of the for
ward car"
els he killed 90
"They say SO. Nobody else was
hurt. He was splendid fellow"
A tall, handsome, bearded man, in
dark blue clothing, but his face was
CHASTITY pale when they laid him on
Grandfather Crowninshield's own bed,
and the surgeon, who had been among
the passengers. bent gloomily above
him.
"Head all right, muttered the man
of science. "Only cut or SO. All,
there's rib, two Of 'em, and his arm
below the elbow. Struck the ground
so, that's clear, and the other bones
are likely to be all right. Must have
been leaning out to look ahead, [
should say. Hullo, what's that Ii ht
on his face 2"
The light in the room, what with the
crowd and the country candles, had
been none of the brightest, but just at
this moment clear golden CLEAN was
poured down on the face of the injured
man, and slowly, as if the radiance
itself had awakened him, he opened
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