Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-05-18

~OAO WIN hNiAASN WAAoROACS wal
hand shake and perhaps a kiss, and
the yonng man swung forward grasp
ed the ladder on the last car, climb
ed quickly to the top and sat down.
She stood gazing after him as he was
drawn away from her, and smiled
and waved farewell to him with her
handkerchief.
"Here, Lydia, you must help me-"
1t was her brother who stood be-
side her with a bunch of keys in his
hand.
"The passenger train follows this
at once and l must go to the station.
Will you please close the switch af-
ter them?"
She took the keys mechanically,
and then turned to gaze after her
lover seated on the last car of the re-
treating train. 1t had passed out of
the switch, and was crossing the
great viaduct and moving more and
more swiftly away.
TO close and lock the switch was
neither difficult nor dangerous, and
she quietly walked on toward the
end ofthc siding till she came to the
switch-post. Here she leaned against
the wooden frame for little space,
shading her eyes from the sun with
her hand and watching the train. 1t
had run around the valley and was
turning into the great curve that
crept upward in long grade over
the hill top.
1t was now mile away, and she
could no longer distinguish any one
on the cars. She turned slowly
away, seized the iron bar of the
switch and easily threw it over into
place so as to leave the main line
open for the next train. She looked
back down the road and saw that
the passenger train had entered the
line from the branch and was Just
up at the station to discharge passen-
gers. 1t may seem surprising that
a passenger train should be allowed
to follow freight train SO closely.
Bad engineering as this manage
ment was, it was not so serious as it
seemed, for this passenger train did
not follow the freight except for
three miles, when it reached the end
of its trip and was turned off upon a
siding.
She turned once more to Look af-
ter the retreating freight train. 1t
was in full view, climbing the grade
on the great curve.
Suddenly she put up both hands
to shade her eyes and leaned forward
on the switch frame. What ha
happened? Two tiny puffs of steam
rose from the engine. 1t was the
signal to stop.
All! the train has parted! Faint
and far away came the short,
sharp danger whistle. A single car
had broken loose from the train, and
had been left behind. 1t was stand
ing alone on the track.
No. 1t was moving Backward
1t was moving faster and faster
There was man upon it-her lover.
Involuntarily she spread out her
arms and let them fall to her side
three or four times in succession
the signal to put on the brakes.
''How foolish! He cannot see me,
and" She leaned against the
switch frame, and shook with fear
and agony.
The brake was broken.
Swift and swifter rolled the disa-
ablcd car. 1t was coming down the
track gaining speed at every rod.
She sprang to the middle of the
track and tried to shout to the engin-
eer at the station. She made the
motions to back down out Of danger.
Her tongue Glove to the roof Of her
mouth, and her cry became an mar
tlculate groan.
Onward came the car. She could
see her lover upon it frantlcally wav
ing his arm from right to left
What did it mean? Her brain seem
ed to be on fire. She could do moth
ing but gaze on the advancing Car in
dumb horror.
All. The passengers! Could she
not save them?
With a violent wrench she opened
the switch again and stood holding
the bar in both hands. Better So
better one life lost than u dozen.-
Her feet seemed boltcd to the ground.
She must stay and see him killed, and
by her own hand.
All! why had she not thought of
1t before?
The cross-over switch! Could she
reach it in time she might save him.
She snatched the key from the switch
and ran with frantic speed up the
line. She never knew how she open
ed that switch.
With means and cries she threw
herself across the line and began to
run down the other side. Could she
reach the switch before the carp
Its roaring rang in her ears. Pant
ing, with almost bursting bosom, she
reached the switch, opened it, and
stood clinging to it as the car came
laundering over the viaduct.
She looked up at her lover upon
the car. He had seen and under
stood the change in the Switches
His car,helpless though it was, would
cross over to the down-track and roll
harmlessly along the level line till
its force was spent. lie was saved,
and by her ready wit and SKILL
The passengers in the train were also
saved.
She had saved him. Love had
been her inspiration.
Great heavens! What's that?-
The express! The down express
was coming!
All was in vain. He was lost
She saw him throw up his arms in
dispair The very plan she had de-
vised to save him would be his dis
truction. Better far to have thrown
him off the siding as she had intend
ed Now he would meet more
dreadful death, and the obstruction
would include scores of lives instead
of dozen.
All this flashed through her mind
like as lightning. She felt her knees