Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-11-29

hdtlC was itdiil COuId1tOuS utllt SOUL.
She hid her lantern under her shawl, how
ever, and stepped very lightly and swiftly
forward, trying to remember if there were
not a rock or hollow where she would be
as safe from men as she had been from the
passing train. She did not think of or find
any such place, and, after all, the persons
whose voices troubled her were not i'm the
cut, nor were they coming to meet her.
She was very nearly through, herself, be-
fore she could any way make out what it
all meant; but as she paused in the deep
shadows of the rocks and peered timidly
out toward the now dull and muflled
sounds, with which the voices were no
longer mingled, broad, quick CLEAN, as
from lantern suddenly shaded or ex-
tinguished, shot across the track not many
yards below, and then all was darkness
| and silence.
But that one moment of illumination
had revealed extraordinary things to the
keen, extraordinary vision of Katie Crown
inshield.
There were men, three or four, she
could not say just how many, but rough,
fierce, wild, and anxious-looking, and be-
fore them, on the railway track, from
which the rails had been pried away just
there, was confused heap of granite bowl
ders and fragments. Katie understood it
as clearly as if those men had taken her
into their confidence, and had told her in
words.
1t was plot to wreck the train!
Nomatter why-whether for revenge, or
plumber, or in the utter malignity of lost
souls-Katie never paused to so much as
ask herself question, but turned and fled
back through the cut as for life and death,
for both were with her, side by side, and
hurrying step for step. She had no
thought or dread that the wreckers had
seen her, or would follow. Neither was il
at all likely; but Katie's brain was too full
of her purpose to admit thought of self,
and she held out her lantern fearlessly
enough now, that she might be doubly
sure of her footing on the ties and gravel.
! And now she was out in the open air.
beyond the upper entrance, and she could
see the peaceful light still shining from
Aunt Betsy's window. But there was nc
time to 60 there for help.
The train must be so very near!
Katie did for moment think of kindline
{ bright fire on the track, but that would
take too long, and the great ruin and hor
ror would come before even a small fago
would be well ablaze.
: "There's nothing but my own little Ian
term" almost sobbed poor Katie. May
be he will know it when he sees it, but h'
must be warned before he reaches the cut.
e The lantern shone like frosty little sta
determined to be seen as Katie sprang for
? ward up the track. She had not far to go
for the train was ahead of time that nigh
> instead of being behind, as would hav
G been more desirable under the circumstan
ces. Never had anything appeared 4
. Katie Crowninshield more suddenly thai
e did the great, glaring eyes of the locomo
e tive headlight that now glOwed upon he
out of the overshadowing night, and he
II lantern seemed to have instantaneous
it vanished.
k at is so small,' she cried, in agony
e "and he will never see it."
Y Nevertheless, on a low mound of cart
h and stones. close by the side of the tracl
Katie took her post of charity and danger
{, and swung her little lantern frantically
+ and fro, while she now tried to make he
d sweet girls voice heard through the roa
D, and clainor of the rushing train.
re On came the railway giant, tugging wit
him his precious freight OF human lit
X and it flashed upon Katie Crowninshield
mind what an awful capacity for sufferin
d that train might have on board. On, wit
Dr. the great glare>$nd notwithstanding to
of rent of sound, and, almost before Kat
ne knew it, the object of her hope and fe;
Is had dashed ruthlessly past her, and w
ID quickly swallowed up from her sight
De the rocky jaws of the deep cut. With
of cry of grief and disappointment on b
IT, lips, and strange thrill of pain at h
a heart, the poor girl sank upon the gronl
Mt and buried her face in her hands, viii
II, the little lantern dropped neglectedly B
ue side her.
lis Only for one brief instant, however, d
| II 4 tl.a Ia
il. for i'm another she had picked up h
ia starry friend, sprang to her feet, and da
lat ed away down the railroad track iowa
ad the cut. She was light of foot as any faw
he and there were sad wings TO her speed, b
nd it seemed to her as if she would never G
id. through the cut. She paused momel
he when the lower end was reached, to gal
tut er breath and to brush the mist from b
re eyes before she looked upon the aw
his scene she knew must be prepared for he
And then-why, there was the train,
EN- rear car rising close in front of her, wh
sit the others land there were but few OF tn
me that night stood all erect upon tn
wheels beyond-not all upon the track,
Ich be sure, but all apparently safe-all,
in cept one great, dark mass, whose polisi
re metal glittered in the varying lights d
,ut flashed upon it, and whose hoarse thr
eet screamed angrily with the escaping stea
ray for the locomotive had come to grief pI
lch ty decidedly among the granite bowld
that were heaped on the track by the fiel
md who had planned the wreck. The pass
to gers were swarming out Of the cars,
ing none of them seemed to be hurt at all,
dy. did Katie hear sound that told OF pain
had she swiftly threaded her way among
ne, past them. She had caught glimps
the a group away beyond even the shatte
ms, locomotive, however, which forbade
lingering for an instant. Right down
dis ward her own garden-gate four men "
ap- carrying heavy burden, and others "
oh. following, and Katie heard them say
cry she darted by:
but ..Who is itT'
inst "Why, it's the conductor. He
nee thrown from the platform of the forN
Ter: carr
aid. s'Is he killed.?
atie "They say so. Nobody else was h
ting He was splendid fellow" /,
XIV A tall, handsome, bearded man, in q
ern- blue clothing, but his face was gha
rely pale when they laid him on GRANDPA
M