Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-11-20

and propose some hlccOughal toast
which was received with noisy ap-
plause by the riotous assemblage.
Hero did not wait to hear more.
Dropping the woodbines once more,
she hurried away with white, set
face.
"God help me! God be merciful
to mel" she murmurcd. "For the
idol whom l worshiped has fallen to
the ground!"
just at that moment the far off
whistle Of train smote through the
silence of the night-a sudden, ghast-
ly possibility took possession Of Hero's
heart.
sThe midnight exprcss!" she NUT
tered to herself. "And he dead drunk
at that bar-room!"
Hurrying down steep ravine,
needless Of scratching briers and
cruelty piercing thorns that rent her
dress and drew blood from her tender
skin, she sprang like wild deer down
the declivity, scarcely even pausing
for breath until she had reached the
iron track in the valley below, where
a side-rail marked the intersecting
course of a little freight road that led
away toward the north. At six every
morning and evening the freight
trains passed over the road-bed, and
it was among Harry Rivers most i'm
portant duties to turn the switch that
connected this branch road with the
main track, after the freight train
had gone by.
Had he remembered to do so to-
night, or was the long and heavily
laden express from the west even now
sweeping to it's certain doom of death
and destruction.
Hero knelt to feel of the track.
Her deadly doubt had too much foun-
dation in fact--the switch had not
been altered since the freight train
came up at six o'clock.
A chill dew beaded over her fore
head, sinking sensation struck to
her heart. What was she to do?
Were she gifted with the flying foot
steps Of Alercury's self she could not
get to the Miners Arms in time to
avert the impending catastrophe.
And even supposing that she could,
was Harry Rivers in 4 condition to
comprehend what was said to him?
And with a bitter groan rising up
from the depths of her heart, she
realized all the horrors which have
their beginning and end in the wine
cup.
Suddenly CLEAN of hope shot
athwart her brain. She knew where
the switch key was kept, she remem-
bered having once seen Harry slip it
under projecting ledge Of rock upon
a sort of natural shelf, secure from
dew, rain or tempest, just beyond
where she stood. What if she her.
self should attempt to save the lives
of the doomed passengers, every in
stance coming nearer to their fate?
The idea and to act upon it were telc-
graphed almost simultaneously from
brain to hand. Snatching the key
from its resting place, she stopped in
the faint starlight now beginning to
blimmer through the breaking clouds,
and strove with every force of her
weak woman's strength to move the
iron rails.
God be thanked! they stirrcd-they
grated in their sockets-and, even at
the moment in which the tiery-red
eye Of the approaching express train
blazed in the foggy distance, Hero
dragged the switch into its proper
place.
Yet even then she could scarcely
believe that it was right, as with the
keg dangling by her side, she leaned
painting against the rocks until, with
a shrek like that of some fire-throated
demon of Avernus, the train swept
by, a dizzy succession of lighted win
dows, and darkness and silence again
settled down over her.
Hero Lewis neither tainted orwept.
She was not of the material that
shriekers and fainters are made of.
She knew that she had saved all the
lives upon that express train; she
knew that she had averted a great
crime from Harry Rivers soul, and
that was enough for her.
AS she climbed the hillside few
minutes later, she met Harry Rivers
staggering down the road. She
stopped him peremptorily.
''Harry, where are you going?"
'sDon't get i'll my way, my lass, for
heavens sake" he cried, in a thick
uncertain voice. "It's the midnight
express. II amt quite sure about
that switchn'
''The midnight express train passed
by fifteen or twenty minutes ago.
said Hero, firmly; 81 heard the whis-
tle!"
care you sure?"
"Quite sure"
"Then God have mercy on my
SOUL" cried Rivers, fairly sobered
at last by the shock.
"You need have no fears," said
Hero, coldly. 81 wasthere; turned
the switchw
"You?"
eyes, I. l had seen you do it. ]
knew where the key was kept"
"Ieror' cried Rivers, with strong
sob in his throat, "you are my guar
dian angel. Hero, you are woman
among "A thousand. Kiss me, my
darling"
"Never again, Harry Rivers" she
answered, shrinking from him. ''This
night has opened my eyes. Hereafter
we are the mcrest strangers to one
another"
She left him, scarcely believing tho
evidences of his own senses.
The next day his formal dismissal
from the service of the railroad com
pany came, and he accepted it with
out protest. He knew how dark
record would have lain against his
name, had Hero chosen to speak, anc
he dared not hazard remonstrance
As for Hero herself, she never saw
him again.
''My GIRL" said Uncle Royal, "yor
are worthy of your name. And, be
lieve me, you never could have re
spccted Harry Rivers rs wife should