The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-13


In an instant the helpless car ran into
the freight house with an awful splinter
ing crash. The express pulled up OPP
p0site the station, and in n moment a
crowd Of people ran shouting and frantic
up the line. Some of them had seen the
whole performance and knew what il
meant, but for the majority of them it
was tragic mystery.
They found Lydii upon the ground by
the switch, and With the KEYS still clutched
in her hand What had she done? What
had happened to her?
She could not answer Nature had
mereifully taken away her senses. They
took her up tendtrly and carried her 10
the station and laid her upon seat in
the waiting room. The passengers Of the
two trains crowded the room and offered
every aid for in some vague m1nner they
began to understand that she was the
creditor to the value of all their lives.
She had paid tor their safety with costly
sacrifice.
The freight train backed down to the
cross-ove switch, and the engineers of
the thee trains met and began 10 exam
Inc the positions of the switches. 4
number of men also came from the ex-
press train, and among them was one who
seemed in authority. He, too, exam
ined the line carefully, and the engineers
explained the matter to him and listened
to his remarks with becoming Difference
The little room in the station was
packed With people, idlers and others,
and they could with difficulty bring him
in.
"No,' said one of the ladies who were
too great a shock for her. She must not
see him yet"
"Make way there, gentlemen The
Superintendent of the road is here"
The owd moved slightly, and the
Superintendent advanced into the room.
He took off his hat and spoke quietly to
the people near, and then stopped over
the unconscious girl and softly kissed her
like a father.
''She saved all our lives, and fear she
thinks she paid dearly for them"
Suddenly she opened her eyes and sat
up bewildered.
Where is he? Is he much hurt? Oh
Perhaps he is"
Let me alone, tell you" cried big,
bold voice in the crowd; 81 must 90 to
her"
He escaped from those who would
detain him, and in u NOM ut was Leside
her.
Some of the people laughed in foolish
Joy, others cried. The more delicate and
sensible were silent, for the meeting was
not for words or description.
After a light pause the superintendent
said to the young man:
81 congratulate you, sir. You were on
the cara"
Eyes, sirs 1 was on the car and saved
myself at the last moment by jumping off.
| landed on pile Of fine coal and got a
rough tumble-and that was all. The
car is a heap of splinters."
Then the Superintendent called the
young man nearer to him add spoke to
him him privately, and presently they
both shook hands as if greatly pleased
over something. The young man sat
down beside the girl and whispered in her
ear,
'Tve got the place, Lydia. We're all
right now"
Then the bells rang, and the people
began to dispense toward their trains.
As they departed, small creature
probably stockholder-ohjected to the
proceedings, and remarked to the Su-
perintendent that cit was not best to
give fat offices to brakesmen for doing
nothing"
"Precsely," taid the Superintendent.
s'But the WON IN did something, and if
you wish to know the full measure of
her splendid deed, go put yourself in her
place"