The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-02

"SN
more hearts would be made to our
Father and daughter looked at each
other in dismay.
"Is there timer" asked the old man,
tremblingly.
"Selim can do it," said Floss, quickly.
eff 1 can reach s1eeds five minutes be-
fore the train-yes, two minutes all
will be well. Do not stop me, father"
as he laid a hand on her arm.
"But you must not 60! 1t is dark
aud dismalIy lonely! No, Floss!"
81 shall go, father! Selim knows only
me, and you could not ride him. | have
ridden darker nights. Andhe is the only
horse in the stable! Don't you remem-
Der, the others were sent to town yes
terday?"
Before old Whately could stop her,
she had ordered the hostler to saddle
Selim, and che was already %buttoning en-
her riding habit with rapid, nervous
fingers.
The horse came paving to the door.
Floss spfang into the saddle, leaned down
and kissed her fathers forehead.
"Pray heaven to speed mel" she
cried, hoarsely, and touching the horse
with her whip, he bounded down the
sharp declivity.
1t was raining steadily now, and the
gloom was intense, but Selim was used
to the road, and he was sure footed and
his rider courageous. She urged him
on at the top Of his speed, up hill and
down, through Pie valley and ovel
Pulpit hill, and then she struck upOr
the smooth road which stretched away
to Leeds, two miles, as straight as ar
arrow, =.
She could see the headlight or the pay
train far down the valley, distinctly now
and to her excited fancy it seemed but &
stones throw away. She even thought
for a moment that she heard the grind O.
the wheels on the track, but, no! it wa
only the soughing of the wind in thu
pines.
On, and still on she went. Selin
seemed to fly. One might have tanciec
that he knew his mistress was on al
errand of life and death. The light
of the station were in view-nay, sb'
even saw the station masters whit
lantern as he strolled up and down tn
platform-the white lantern which wa
to signal the approaching train-to tel
them to go on, for all was well. On tt
their doom!
She dashed across the railway tracl
flung the reins to an amazed bystandeI
and, striking the white lantern from
the hand of the astonished official, sh
seized the ominous red lantern from it
hook, and, springing upon the track
waved it in the very teeth of the cemini
train.
Two sharp, short whistles told he
that her signal was seen, and a momen
later the train came to a stop, and tn
officers rushed out to learn what it al
meant.
Floss told them in a few brief words
and one of the men at the station wen
forward to confer with the train from
Golosna, which had not yet been tele
graphed from the next station beyond.
The man waited fifteen minutes be
fore Kirke's train slid ON to the siding
and it was then known that but for tn
decision of one young girl, the tw
trains must have cOllided fonr miles be
yond Deering cuS.
When told the story Kirke, looked a
his watch.
The man from the station looked a
his.
Kirke's was ten minutes behind time
You want to know how it happened
Certainly you must have guessed. Hal
liday did it. A man was found the mex
day who confessed to having seen Jacl
tampering with the time pieces in tn
engine house that night, but he ha'
thought nothing of it, he said.
Jack? Oh, he left town, and was las
heard OF in Australia. His little gam
was not q success.
A few months later Kirke was Marie
to Floss Whately, for being ten minute
behind time.