The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-18
TWO MINUTES TOO LATE,

-.
tlced thatit was almost time for her to
close the office for the night and seek
} her humble home at the foot oil one of the
darkened streets Of the village. The
rumblng OF the train which had Just
lett the station was growing fainter and
FAINTER, and the girl listened to it as
Ihough 1T was the voice Of a friend who
was leaving her for long time.
Sue did not expect any more messages
that night; the engine breathing heaV-
lily from its great iron lungs on The track
near her window would not move until
the night express had passed up, and
the engineer, knowing this, had sought
his sweetheart, who lived in the village
Tom Gray, the engineer of the train
just departing, was Dfucie's lover, and
MS Intimate friends knew when the
wedding was to take place. He had ot
known her long, but that did not mat
Ter, since ne was true fellow, VINO
loved her with all his heart, and with
all hers she loved Tom.
Inc rumble OF the train at length die
away, and Drucie was about to shut off
the current and leave the Office, when a
message began to faIl upon her ears.
| she started, for the first word drove
the color from her cheeks, and standing
over the instrument she heard this mes
sage:
Number ten switch at Colby till mum.
ber Six passes. Six just startingv'
| six just starting! My Gou! They
will meetW cried the beautiful operator
starting from the table; "what can do
LO save him-tnemW
| And with her eyes staring at the clock
| she stood in the center OF the room,
thinking Of the two trains approaching
| eacn other through the mist tnat almost
hid the moon.
| The real situation, enough to blanch a
young girls cneeks, was appalling.
| The order Tor the train which mad Just
left Fletcher to switch at Colby, could
not be ubeyed now. The telegraph
even, could not stop it, for there Was n o
night office at Colby. 1t was an unusual
matter ior number six to leave Fort
Wayne before the arrival of number ten;
| but as the latter train was some twelve
minutes behind time on that particular
| night, SIX, anxious to leave ON time, to
save its connections, telegrapued to
| Fletcher the message which had so
startled Drucie Miller. From Fletcher
TO point four miles below Colby, the
| company had completed double track,
which, when finished to Fort Wayne,
would obVlate tne trouble Of switching
and prevent accidents.
|
| session, she started from the office with
the message in her hand. " had ar
rived just TWO minutes too late, and
Tom Gray, unconscious OF its existence,
was driving his engine ahead and think
| ing OF The glrl he had lately kissed adleu.
Ii knew That it was known in Fort
Wayne that he was unaVuidably behind
time, and thought that according TO GUS
tom the express, waiting there, would
not move out until ne arrived.
But let us return to Drucie Miller.
She saw the freight engine standing on
the new track already mentioned an d
caught a glimpse OF the young fireman
asleep on his box,
A determined resolution entered her
head, and the next moment she was in
the engine-roOm with her hand on the
boys shoulder.
THAT you, Miss Drucie2' said the
boy, rousing himself with yawn,
Laws mercy"
"Get out and uucouple tne freightw
she cried. "Tom's moved out, and il he
doesn't switch at Colby every body will
be killed. We must catch him!"
The boy with cry OF horror left the
engine, and q minute later the freight
cars were standing idly on the track
while the engine and its tender were
moving out gaining momentum at each
revolution OF the wheel.
"Whapl DICK say when he comes
back aud finds his engine gomez, said
the boy, looking up inLo Druoie's face.
"What do we care what he savsp
What is Dicks life TO the precious lives
on the two trains? Jim, how fast can
your engine travel"
about TWO miles m nutep the how
answered, with smile. "She's the
swiltest bird on the road. But don't
think we can each number ten: we
might ii we had Dick with us. He knows
now TO manage the Belle"
''And so DO IL. Wood up, jim! Fill
the furnace cnock full. We must catch
Tom this side OF the new tracks ter
minus Or"
The girl paused and looked atthe pale
boy.
Cor what, Miss Drucie?"
cor blow up!'
"Iha's WHAT'S the matter!" said Jim.
catching her spirit. "And We'll caIcn
him, tOV! Wood! woodI Therel the
furnace is chock lull. Golly-wnlz! how
we are goingl'
DrucIe smlled family at the bow and
noted the hand Of the gauge. The en-
gine had received new nome ntum when
momentarily Increased, and all at once.
) i'm, who had been trying to pierce the
haze, said:
''Two miles minute, Pll bet, Miss
Drucie! Ii it was daylight the tele-
graph poles would resemble tine-tootn
comb"
But the girl did not reply. She stood
before the lever, wis shing that she could
urge the engine TO greater speed. She
had calculated that the two trains would
meet in gulch that embraced a curve
about six miles below colby. IL was
terrible place for Il collision, and the loss
of life there would be great. The haze
or mist would prevent the engineers
from signaling each otner, and collis-
ion was inevitable.
The train, which seemed to have bro.
ken loose, rushed madiy on, with Jim
looking atDrucie, whom be was inclined
to believe mad. The cold mist slowly
turning to drizzle, was occasionally |
blown against his face by the wind; il |
served to cool his heated temples, and
to make him think calmly of his situa-
tien and the folks at home.
So fast were they moving, that they
seemed tOglide over the rails, scarcely |
touching them in the mad career, and
when Drucie told Jim TO listen for the |
sound of Toms train ahead, the boy
poked his head out OF the window ana |
leld his breath.
HIPears to me I hear a sounds, ba