Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-09-07


der the head of Appalling Railway
Disaster!" and few more home:
would be made to mourn.
Father and daughter looked al
each other in dismay.
"Selim can do it," said Floss
quickly. IF / can reach Leeds five
minutes before the train-yes, two
minutes-all will be well. Do not
stop me, fatherl" as he laid his hand
on her arm.
"But you must not go! 1t is dark
and dismally lonelyl No, Flossl"
"Shall / go, father? Selim knows
only me, and you could not ride him.
have ridden darker nights. And he
is the only horse in the stable. Don't
you remember the others were sent
to town yesterday"
Before old Whately could stop her
she had ordered the hostler to sad
die Selim, and she was already but
toning on her ridirS habit with rapid,
nervous fingers.
The horse came paving to the
door, Floss sprang to the saddle,
leaned down and kissed her father s
forehead.
"Pray heaven to spare mel" she
cried hoarsely, and touching her
horse with her whip, he bounced
swiftly down the sharp declivity.
1t was raining steadily now and the
gloom was intense, but Selim was
used to the road, and the rider was
courageous. She urged him to the
top Of his speed, up hill and down
through the Pine Valley, over Pulpit
hill, and then struck the smooth
road which stretched away to
Leeds, some two miles, and straight
as an arrow
She could see the headlight on the
pay-train, far down in the valley,
distinctly now, and to her excited
fancy it seemed but stones throw
away. She even thought for a mo-
ment that she heard the grind of the
wheels on the track, but it was only
the signing OF the wind i'm the pines.
On, and on she went. Selim SEEM
ed to fly. One might have fancied
that he knew his mistress was on an
errand of life or death. The lights
Of the station were in view--nay, she
even saw the station masters white
lantern as he rolled up and down the
platform-the white lantern which was
to signal the approaching train-to
tell them to &c on; for all was WELL
On to their dooml
She dashed across the track, flung
the line to an amazed bystander, and
striking the white lantern from the
hand Of the astonished official, she
seized the ominous red lantern from
its hook, and springing upon the
track. waved it in the very teeth OF
the coming train.
Two short, sharp whistles told her
that her signal was seen, and mo-
ment later the train came to a stop,
and officers rushed forward to confer
with the train from Golosha, which
had not yet been telegraphed from
the next station beyond.
The men waited fifteen minutes be-
fore Kirke's train slid on the siding,
and it was then known that but for
the decision Of one young girl, the two
trains must have collided four miles
beyond Deering's Cut. Z
When told the whole story Kirke
looked at his watch.
The man from the station looked
Kirke was ten minutes behind
time.
You want to know how it happen
ed? Certainly you could have
guessed Jack Halliday did it. A man
was found the next day who con-
fessed to having seen Jack tamper-
ing with the time-piece in the engine
house that night, but he had not
thought of it he said.
Jack? Oh, he left town, and was
heard OF in Australia. His game was
not a success.
And Kirke married Floss Whately
else this story would not have been
told because what would a story be
worth that did not end in a wedding?