Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-05-11
TWO MINUTES TOO LATE.

TWO MINUTES roo LATE.
With his goodbye ringing in her
ears, Drucie Miller re-entered the
little telegraph office and dropped
into the chair before the clicking
instrument. CHANGING at the clock
above her head, she noticed that it
was almost time for her to close the
office for the night, and seek her
humble home at the foot of one of
the darkened streets of the village.
The rumbling of the train which
had Just left the station was growing
fainter and fainter, and the girl
listened to it as though it was the
voice of friend who was leaving
her for long time.
She did not expect any more mes
sages that night; the engine breath
ing heavily from its great iron lungs
on the track near her window would
not move until the night express had
passed up, and the engineer, know
ing this, had sought his sweetheart,
who lived in the village.
Tom Gray, the engineer of the
train just departing, was Drucie's
lover, and his intimate friends knew
when the wedding was to take
place. He had not known her long,
but that did not matter, since he
was true fellow, who loved her
with all his heart, and with all hers
she loved Tom.
The rumble Of the train at length
died away, and Drucie was about to
shut off the current and leave the
office, when a message began to fall
upon her ears.
She started, for the first word
drove the color from her cheeks,
and standing over the instrument
she heard this message:
"No. 10 switch at Colby till No. 6
passes. Six just starting!"
"Six Just starting! My God +!
They will meet !" cried the beauti-
full operator, starting from the table;
"what can / do to save him-them?"
And with her eyes staring ut the
clock she stood in the center of the
room, thinking of the two trains
approaching each other through the
mist that almost hid the moon.
The real situation, enough to
blanch young girls cheeks, was
appalling.
The order for the train which had
Just left Fletcher to switch at Colby,
could not be Obeyed now. The tel
egraph could not even stop it, for
there was no night Office at Colby.
1t was an unusual matter for No. 6
to leave Fort Wayne before the ar
rival of No. 10; but as the latter
train was some twelve minutes be-
hind time on that particular night,
No. 6, anxious to leave on time, to
save its connections. telegraphed to
Fletcher the message which had so
startled Drucie Miller. From
Fletcher to a point four miles below
Colby, the company had completed
a double track, which, when fin
ished to Fort Wayne, would Obviate
the trouble of switching and prevent
accidents.
When Drucie recovered her self
possession, she started from the
office with the message in her hand.
1t had arrived just two minutes too
late, and Tom Gray, unconscious of
its existence, was driving his engine
ahead and thinking of the girl he
had lately kissed adieu. He knew
that il was known in Fort Wayne
that he was unavOidably behind
time, and thought that according
to custom the express, waiting there,
would not move out until he ar
rived.
But let us return to Drucie Miller.
She saw the freight engine standing
on the new track already mentioned
and caught a glimpse of the young
fireman asleep on his box.
a determined resolution entered
her head, and the next moment she
was in the engine room with her
hand on the boys shoulder.
'That you, Miss DTucie"' said
the boy, rousing himself with a
yawn. claws a mercy ="
"Get out and uncouplethe freight!'
she cried. "Tom'S moved out, and
if he doesn't switch at Colby, every
body will be killed. We must
catch him :"
The boy, with a cry of horror, left
the engine, and minute later the
freight ears were standing idly on
the track, while the engine and its
tender were moving out gaining
momentum at each revolution OF
the wheel.
"What'll Dick say when he comes
back and finds his engine gone "'
said the boy, looking up into Dru-
cie'S face.
"What do we care what he says ?
What is Dicks inconvenience to the
precious lives on the two trains ?
Jim, how fast can your engine
traVel?'
"AbOut two miles a minute" the
boy answered, with smile. "She's
the swiftest bird on the road. But
/ don't think we can catch No. 10 !;
we might if we had Dick with us.
He knows how to handle the Belle. >
"And so do l. Wood up, Jim.
Fill the furnace chock full. We
must catch Tom this side Of the
tracks, terminus Or"
The girl paused and looked at the
pale boy.
cor what, Miss Drucie ?"
stOr blow up"
<sTbat's what's the matter % said
lin catching her spirit. "And
we'll catch him, too! Wood! wood !
There- the furnace is chock full.
SoIly1whiz! how we are going.
III Drucie smiled family at the boy
"a noticed the hand of the gauge.
S a1lu mine had received new mo-
, anT which momentarily in
nre,sed and all at once jim, who
had been trying to pierce the haze'
said: n,i,ute. I,u hat
zr;ss Drucie! If it was uayhght