The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-12-21
! hal no inIoallOns ozoopt mao diver.

sion."
=. That's lucky" said l, coldly, for 1
didn't like his tone. 7sf %
All Of sudden we heard low mtr-
muring sound, caused by the humming
Of the wires OF the Telegraph overhead,
and tho gentle vibration Of the wood
work about us. 4fl
"It's the express" cried Dick, his
face turning quite liyid, and haven't
locked up the points Come and help
me, Ned. The goods dropped a truck
at tlic siding, and 1 never locked the
points"
He hurried out upon tho platform and
away 10 tho switch TINT turned the points
on and on. 1 followed him closely, not
expecting, however, TINT my services
would be required, rs the affair was only
one Of an instant.
Dick run 10 the switch, md stood by
tho limo watching him and looking out
for the express. The line, ms I have
said, ran through wood; and Just be-
yond the station the ground rose n little,
so that there wasa cutting twenty or thirty
feet deep. AT the top Of the bank was
the distance signal, which now showed
white Light to the up line. Beyond that
the trnck ran straight away over broad
level country. It was flno piece Of
engineering that n road as straight us q
dart, spanned here and there by bridges,
converging gradually till it vanished to
nothing on the horizon. Five miles or
more away you could discern the lamps
Of IN advancing train on clear night.
/ could see the lights now, merged into
one yellow point that twinkled like
star in mist and the hum of the ap-
preaching train was distinctly to be
heard, and yet she was two miles away.
Two miles away! Tint meant two
niinutes-that was her headlong speed /;
for every throb Of ones heart that mighty
moving mass had leaped d flying stride
some sixty feet. And behind this rush
ing coil of iron, fire, and hot scalding
yapor, luxurious men and soft-limbed
women sat and dozed away the moments
reading, perhaps, or busy at some
triaing task, or talking drowsily, the
lamps shining softly down upon their
heads; and here in this quiet country
nook, the moon looking placidly down
and the stars twinkling through the riffs
in tho white fleecy clouds, lrrked death
in whit.
al can't close the points, Ned I" cried
my friend, in hoarse excited whisper
" come and help me-"
Had thought for moment I should
have rushed to the handle Of the dis.
tance signal and turned it to "danger .
but / was confused by the imminence Of
the pcril.
"There's something between the
points, . he said, "that prevents their
closing"
INN along the truck where the two
sets Of nils conyerged-thc main, line and
the siding. The siding was now open, SO
that the advancing train would be turned
from the line, hurled against the earthen
bank and massive timber structure OF the
end. Stay II had found the source Of
the mischief%between the end Of one of
tho moving points and the iron hangc
that acted us stop when it was fully |
closed was round white stone. Kicked
the stone away with my foot; the points
were spring ones, and closed sharply with |
q clang, pinning my foot between the
flange md the iron rpil.
"Diclt," cried, "open the points !;
I'm caughtw
I saw his face in the moonlight; it was
like the face Of corpse, but his eyes
cleaned with ferocity and malign tri-
umph. Deliberately he fastened the
cliain and paddock to the switch and
locked it up then le made o few quick
strides across the line and threw his arms
round my struggling frame.
"You'El be. married, will you,n he
Missed into my ears, "to your pet, your
darling, your Elleni"
In that moment 1 remembered her face,
and that I was then speaking some such
words. Then, and nowl All
my newborn happiness seemed to return
upon mo in food of sudden, unspealSa-
bic bitterness. Yonder came the train,
tho earth quaking at its passage, rushing
upon US with horrible, staring eyes
shrielting, roaring, frothing
out great gusts of white, hot steam, the
glare Of its furnaces sweeping like light
ming flashes across the dark, steep cut
ting. Pinned to the ground by my foot,
the strong grasp Of mailman about my
arms, I made one desperate, intellectual
struggle, gave o1e despairing cry-I re-
nothing more. Other hands
must tell you the rest.