Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-09-26
atlistellaMy.
Two Minutes Too Late.

lMO MlHulGS 1OO AuVCs
With his goodbye ringing i'll her ears,
fstia Miller re re-entered the little telegraph
2ee and dropped into the chair before
elickipg instrument. Glancing at the
1io6k above her head she noticed that it
almost time for her to close the office
aI he night and seek her humble home al
4as loot of one of the darkened streets ol
6 village. The rumbling of the train
4tich had Just left the station was grow.
m fainter and fainter, and the girl lis
6d to it rs though it was the voice of Il
and who was leaving her for a long
tlMa.
he did not expect any more messages
M night; the engine breathing heavily
oa its great iron lungs on the track neat
Iii window would not move until the night
exnfess had passed up, and the engineer
h0wing this, had sought his sweetheart
Wild lived in the village.
Tom Gray, the engineer of the trail
nsl Repairing was Drucia's lover, and his
Intimate friends knew when the wedding
W.ts TO take place. He had not known hel
long, but that did not matter, since he wa'
Il the fellow, who loved her with all his
heart, and with all hers she loved Tom.
The rumble of the train Mt length died
away and Drucia was about to shut of the
current ard leave the Office when mes
saae began to fall upon her ears.
She started, for the first word drove the
color from her cheeks, and standing ovel
tlle Instrument she heard this message:
4. Nunsbcr ten SWitch at Colby till mum.
beY Biz passes. Sjr just starting "
Six Just starting! My God! They
will meet!" cried the beautiful operator
starting from the table. What can | dc
to save hm-them? "
And with her eyes staring at the clock
she stood in the center of the room think
ing of the two trains approaching eacl
other through the mist that almost hid the
noon.
The real situation, enough to blanch the
nifl's cheeks, was appalling.
The order for the train which had just
leit Fletcher to switch at Colby could MOI
ba obeyed now. The telegraph even coulC
n0t stop it, for there was no night office al
Colby. 1t was an unusual matter for No
& To leave Fort Wayne before the arriva
0l No. 10; but as the latter train was som(
tgelve minutes behind time on that par
fioular night, No. 6, anxious to leave OF
Tine, to save its connections, telegrapbeC
IA Fletcher the message which had Sc
slartled Drucia Miller. From Fletcher tC
4 Doint four miles below Colby the com
nany had completed double track, which
WIEN finished to Fort Wayne would obvi
aie the trouble of switching and preven
ifonble.
When Druca recovered her self-posses
sion she started from the office with the
massage in her hand, 1t had arrived jus
two minutes too late, and Tom Gray, un
Cohscious of its existence, was driving hi!
engine ahead and thinking of the girl h
laielv kissed adieu. He knew that it wa'
known in Fort Wayne that he was una
poidably behind time, and supposed tha
aocording to custom the express, waiting
t|iere, would not move out until he ar
iived.
But let us return to Dlucia Miller.
She saw the freight engine standing OF
The new track already mentioned an(
panght a glimpse of the young fireman
naleep on his box.
Al determined resolution entered hel
head, and the next moment she was ir
Ihe engine room with her hand on thC
hpys shoulder.
"That you, Miss Drucia?' said tho
hby, rousing himself with yawn. Laws
mercy! -"
\ Get out and uncouple the freight!
lie cried. Toms moved out, and if he
A4 -, - r,,;Ioh at CoIbu avnrUhOfU will In
killed. We must catch him.
The boy with u cry of horror left th'
enginc, and minute later the freight car!
Were standing idly on the track while th'
engine and its tender were moving out
fAininr momentum at each revolution o
lhe wheel.
\ What'l Dick say when he comes bacl
md finds his engine gomez" said the boy
lboking up into Drucie's face.
= What do we care what he says? Wha
Is Dicks life to the precious lives on th'
lRo trains? Jim, how fast can your en-
Inc travel?"
\ About two miles minute!' the bo.
answered with n smile "She's the swift
I'D bird on the road. But don't think W.
thn catch No. 10; we might if we hat
Dick with us. He knows just how to man
re the Belle"
b And so do L. Wood up, Jim! Fill
he furnace chock full. We must catc
Iom this side of the new tracks terminus
ID -"
The girl paused and looked at the pal
10y.
: Or what, Miss DruciaP"
"Or blow up" "
That's what's the matter " said jim
Hatching her spirit. "And we'll cate
i'm, too! Wood! wood! There! the ful
NICE is chock full. Golly-whizz! hoy
We are going!"
Drucia smiled family at the boy an
Noted the hand of the gauge. The engln
Had received new momentum, which me
mentarly increased, and all at once Jin
Who had been trying 10 pierce the haz'
mid:
1.-Two miles II minute, III bet, Mis-
Druca! If it was daylight the telegrap
boles would resemble II hne-tooth comb. -
But the girl did not reply. She stoo
before the lever, wishing that she coul
tirge the engine to greater speed. Sh
Imagined that the two trains would met
Ia a gulch that embraced IL curve abol
six miles below Colby. 1t was II terrib
pace fdt collision, and the loss OF Ill
there would be great. The haze or mil
would prevent the engineers from sigma
inc each other, and II collision was II
evitablc.
The train which seemed to have broke
loose, rushed madly on, with Jim lookln
al Drlcia, whom lie WIS inclined to b.
lieve mad. The cold mist slowly turnln
10 Il drizzlo, was occasionally blow
against his face by the wind; it served
cool his heated temples and make hi
think calmly of his situation and OF II
folks at home.
So fast were they moving that the
seemed to glide over the rails, scarce
touching them in their mad career, IN
when Drucia told Jim to listen for u
Bound of Toms train ahead the boy poke
his head out of the window and held b
breath
"'Pears to me | heard sound,"
said, without turning his head. "MehI
/ m mislaken-so many things pear to n
Just now"
"Thank God!" calculated the gil
" Listen with all your might, jim. y
for the speed of il bullet! "
Her face was glowing with heat, al
while Jim listened she opened the furna
door and threw in the last stick OF wo'
they possessed.
The woods gone, jim. How far y
can we 90 ut this rate of speed?"