The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-12-19

must be warned before he reaches the cut. -
The lantern shown like 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 beiug behind as would
have been more desirable under the cir
cumstances. Never had anything appeared
to Katie Crowninshield more suddenly
than did the great, glaring eyes of the To-
comotIVe headlight, that now glowed upon
her out of the Overshadowing night, and
her lantern seemed to have instantaneous
ly vanished.
''It is SO small,'' she cried, in agony,
'tand he viii rever see it,
Nevertheless, on a low mound of earth
and stones, close to the side Of the track,
Katie took her post of charity and danger,
and swung her little lantern franticallv to
and fro, while she tried to make her sweet
girls voice heard through the roar and
clamor of the rushing train.
On came the railway giant, tugging with
him his precious freight of human life. and
1t flashed upon Katie CrOwninshield's 5 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 object of her hope and fear had dashed
ruthlessly past her, and was quickly swaI-
lowed up from her sight in the rocky laws
OF the deep cut. With a cry of grief and
disappointment on her lips, and a strange
thrill of pain at her heart, the poor girl
sank upon the ground and buried her face
IN her hands, while the little lantern drop
ped neglectedly beside her.
Only for one brief instant however, did
Katie yield to the terror and the trouble
of it, for in another she had picked up her
starry friend, sprang to her feet, and dart
ed away down the railroad track toward
the cut. She was light OF foot as any fawn.
and there were sad wings to her speed, but
1t 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 apparently afe-aT, ex-
cept one great, dark mass, whose polished
me tai gilttcred 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 granite boulders that
were heaped on the track by the ficnds
who had planned the wreck. The passen-
gers were swarming out of the cars, and
none of them seemed to be hurt at all, nor
did Katie hear n sound that told of pain as
she swiftly threaded her way among and
past them. She had caught glimpse of
group away beyond even the shattered
locomotive, however, which forbade her
lingering for an instant. Right down to-
ward her own garden gate four men were
carrying a heavy burden, and others were
following, and Katie heard them say, as
she darted by 4:
''Who is it 20
''Why, its the conductor. He was
thrown from the platform of the forward
carr
'Is he killed ?''
"They say SO. Nobody else was hurt
He was splendid fellow
4 tall, handsome, bearded man, in dark
blue clothing, but his face was ghastly pale
when they laid him on Grandfather Crown
IL Lol
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, 1 should say. Halo, what's that
light on his face ?''
The light i'll the room, what with the
crowd and the country candles, had been
none of the brightest, but just at this mo-
mont a clear, golden gleam was poured
down on the face Of the injured man, and
slowly, as if the radiance itself had awak-
ened him, he opened his eyes and looked
dreamily about him.
The surgeon heard sigh that was half
4 sob close behind him, and looked up to
see shat the sudden light came from Katie's
lantern, but just then the questioning
ewes of the wounded conductor fell upon
her face, and he exclaimed family but earn
estly:
II knew it was you. There was hardly
room to stop the train in, but we'd have all
gone to pieces if it hadn' been for you and
your lignt. You've saved them ALL
And so Katie Crowninshield suddenly
found herself heroine, with swarm of
grateful people about her, very much to her
discomfort. They would have made her
present if she would have allowed them, but
the only really welcome words she heard