Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-11-22

on the road T" asked Floss.
"To be sure. And, good heavens
there is the headlight on the pay train
now! Sec! /! not ten mile away, and
running like the devil, as it always
does!"
He pointed with trembling finger
down to the valley forge, where, far
away, q mere speck in the fgloom,
could be seen bright light, Scarcely
moving, it seemed, but these anxious
watchers knew it was approaching. al
lightning speed.
Father aud daughter looked at
each other.
The truth was evident For some
reason the train from Golosha was
ten minutes behind time, and 1t would
not reach the siding at behring's Cut
until the pay train had passed beyond
ON the single track. And then Why,
there would be another item for the
morning papers, to read under the
head of "Appalling railway disaster y
and q few more homes would be made
| to mourn.
Father and daughter looked at each
other in dismay.
"Sclim can do il, ".said Floss, quick
ly. "If can reach Leeds, five min-
utes before the train--yes, two min
utes-all will be well. Do not stop
me, fathcr!' as he. laid ,his hand on
her arm.
"But you must not go! 1t is dark
and dismally lonely! No, Floss"
"Shall go, father? Selim.. knows
only me, and you could not ride him.
1 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 Whatcly could stop her
she had ordered the hostler to saddle
Selim, and she was already buttoning
on her riding;habit with rapid, ner-
vous fingers.
The horse came paving to the door
Floss sprang into the saddle, leaned
down and kissed her fathers FORE
head.
"Pray heaven to spare me! y she
cried, hoarscly, and touching her
horse with her whip, he bounded
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 on at
the top of his speed, up hill and down
through Pine Valley, over Pulpit Hill
and then she struck upon the smooth
road which stretched away to Leeds,
some two miles, and straight rs mn ar
row.
She could see the headlight on the
pay train far down in the valley dis
tinctly now. and to her excited fancy
it seemed but a stones throw away
Sho even thought for a moment that
she heard the grinding Of the wheels
on the track, but it was only the sigh
ing of the wind in the pines.
On and still on she went Selim
seemed to fly. One might have fam
cied 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 paced up and
down the platform--the white Ian
tern which was to signal the ap-
preaching train-.to tell them to go
on, for all was we'll. On 10 their
doom!
She dashed across the track, flung
the bride 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.
The sharp, short whistles told her
that her signal was seen, and mo-
ment later the train came to stop,
and the officers rushed forward to
confer with the train from Golosha.
which had not yet been telcgraphed
frem the next station beyond.
The men waited fifteen minutes be-
fore Kirkc's train slid on the siding,
and il was then known that but for
the decision of one young girl the
two tiains must have collidcd four
miles beyond behring's Cut.
When told the whole story, Kirke
looked at his watch.
The man from the station looked
at his.
Kirke was ten minutes behind
time.
You want to know how it happen
ed? Certainly you could have guess
ed Halliday did it. A man was
found next day who cont essed to have
seen Jack tampering with the time
piece in the engine house that night,
but he had not thought of it, he said.
Jack? O, 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 story be
worth that did not end In wedding !?