The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-12

he was drawn away from her, and smiled
and waved farewell to him with her hand
kerchief.
"Here, Lydia, you must help me-"
It was her brother who stood beside her
with bunch of keys in his hand.
'The passenger train follows this at once,
and must go to the STATEN. Will you
please close the switch after themT
She took the keys mechanically, and then
turned again to gaze after her lover seated
on the last car of the retresting train. 1t
had passed out of the switch and was cross
ing the great viaduct and moving more and
more swiftly away.
To close aud lock the switch was neither
difficult nor dangerous, and she quietly
walked on toward the end OF the 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 In
to the great curve that crept upward in
long grade over the hill beyond.
II was now a 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 1t over into
place 30 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 pulling
up at the station to discharge passengers.
1t may seem surprising that passenger
train should be allowed TO follow freight
train 30 closely.
Bad engineering as this arrangement
was, it was not 80 serious as 1t 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 siding.
She turned once more to look after 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 had happened1 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 eingle car had broken lose from the train
and had been left behind. 1t was standing
alone on the track
No. 1t was moving backward. 1t was be-
ginning to roll down the grade. 1t was
moving faster and faster. There was
man upon it her lover.
Involuntary she spread out her arms and
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 disabled 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 engineer of the train
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 inartIculate moan.
Onward came the car. She could see
her lover upon it frantically waving his
arms from right to left What did it mean2
Her brain seemed to be on fire. She could
do nothing but gaze on the advancing car
in dumb horror.
All ! The passengers Could she not save
| them2
With a violent wrench she opened the
switch again and stood holding the bar in
both hands. Better so,-better one life
lost than a dozen. Her feet seemed bolted
to the ground. She must stay and zee him
killed and by her own hand.
The rails began to murmur with tread of
the advancing car now rushing furiously on
ward to destruction.
All why had she not thought of it be-
forei
The cross-over switch Could she reach
it in time she might rave him. She snatch
ed the key from the switch and ran with
frantic speed up the line. She never knew
how she opened that switch.
With means and cries she threw herself
across the line and began to run down the
other side. Could she reach that switch be-
fore the carr Its roaring rang in her ear.
Painting, with almost bursting bosom she
| reached the switch, opened it and stood
clinglng to it as the car came laundering
over the viaduct.
She looked up at her lover upon the car.
He had seen and understood the change in
the switches. His car, helpless though it
was, would CROSS over to the down track
and roll hsrmlessiy along the level line till
| its force was spent. He 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 ex-
press The down express wrs coming.
All was in vain. He was lost. She saw
him throw up his arms in despair. The
very plan che had devised to save him would
| be his destruction. Better far to have
thrown him off upon the siding as she had
intended. Now he would meet more
dreadful death and the destruction would
include scores of lives instead of dozen.
| All this flashed through her mind like as
| lightning. She felt her knees give away
beneath her, and she chung to the switch
in despair. She shut her eyes 20 hide the
coming disaster.
| Hank! The whistle on the express.
They had seen the imminent collision. and
were doing their best to avert it.
She, too, must do something. With
bound she sprang to the next switch, tore
it open and stood painting and moaning be-
side it with the bar in her hand. She must
save the train even if she buried her lover
under the splintered wreck of the car.
| Onward came the car, laundering over
the viaduct and just ahead of the train. II
turned quickly at the switch, crossed over
and shot past her into the siding. He had
one look at her upturned face. 1t was full
of love and helpless misery. She was send
| ing him to certain destrdction-to save the
| express train.
The instant this car passed she closed the
switch, and spraug back again to the other
| switch and closed 1t Just in time to see the
express train sweep past in safety.
In an instant the helpless car ran into the
freight house with an awful splintering
crash. The express pulled up opposite the
station, and in a moment crowd of peo-
pie ran shouting and frantic up the line.
Some of them had seen the whole per-
Torrance and knew what 1t meant, but for
the majority of them 1t was tragic mys-
terry.
They found Lydia upon the ground by