Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-02-21

'ii5 AAnS ~ away y
a doesp
!. He pointed with tremblin,
Il finger down to the valley gorge
:, where, far away, a mere specl
: in the gloom, could be seen
:. light scarcely moving, it seem
led, but those anxious watcher
| knew that it was approachin:
: at lightning speed.
Father and daughter looked
+, at each other.
The truth was evident. Fol
some reason the train from Go.
losha was ten minutes behin6
time, and it would not reach
the siding at Dering's Cut until
the pay traiE had passed beyond
on to the single track! And
then? Why, to read under the
head appalling Railway Dis
J asterl" and a few more homes
wonld be made desoIate, and a
few more hearts made to mourn.
} Father and daughter looked
at each other with dismay.
"1s there time?" asked the
old man, tremblingly.
"Selim can do it," said Floss,
Iquickly. eff lean reach Leeds
five minutes before the train
yes, two minutes-all will be
well. Do not stop me, father!"
as he laid his hand on her arm.
"But you must not go! 1t is
dark and dismally lonely! No,
Floss!"
81 shall go, father! Selim
knows only me, and you could
not ride him. l have ridden
darker nights. And he is the
only horse in the stable! Don't
you remember? The others
were sent to town yesterday"
Before old Whatcly could
stop her she had ordered the
hostler to saddle Selim, and she
was already buttoning on her
riding habit with rapid, nervous
fingers.
The horse came paving toI
the door. Floss sprang to the
saddle, leaned down and kissed
her fathers forehead.
"Pray Heaven to speed mel"
she cried, hoarsely, and touch
ing the horse with her whip, he !
bounded down the sharp dccliv-
ity.
1t was raining steadily now,
and the gloom was intense, but
Selim was used to the road, and |
he was sure-footed, and his RI
der was courageous. She urg-
ed him on at the top Of his
speed, up hill and down, through
Pine Valley and over Pulpit
Hill, and then she struck the
smooth road which stretched a.
way to Leeds, two miles, and
straight as an arrow.
She could see the headlight
on the pay train far down the
valley, distinctly now, and to
her excited fancy it seemed but
a stones throw away. She g.
ven thought fora moment that
she heard the grind of the
wheels on the iron track, but
no! it was only the soughing of
the wind in the pines. K
On, and still on she went.
Selim seemed to fly. One might :
have fancied that he knew his {
mistress was on a mission Of '
life and death. The lights of /
the station were in view-nay, t
she even saw the station-mas- I
ter's white lantern as he stroll !
ed up and down the platform, /
the white lantern which was to :
signal the approaching train '
to tell them to go on, for all {
was we'll. On to their doom! c
She dashed across the railway
track, flung the reins TO an a.
nazed bystander, striking the
white lantern from, the aston
shed official, and seizing the T
ominous red lantern from its 2
nook, and springing upon the I
rack, waved it in the very T
,eeth of the coming train. !,
Two short, shrill whistles =
old her that her signal was .
seen, and a moment later the !
rain came to stop, and the Of
icers rushed out to see what it
LII meant. /
Floss told them in few brief .
words, and one of the men at :,
he station went forward to con- a
er with the train from Golosha, ' '
which had not yet been tele- :
yraphed from the next station "
Beyond. :, +
The man waited fifteen mil- :
ties before Kirke's train slid on y
he siding, and it was then :
Known that but for the decision
If one young girl, the two trains .
must have collided four miles !
beyond Dering's Cut. !,
When told the story Kirke q
ooked at his watch. The man 4
rom the station looked at his. ]
Ksrke's agds ten minutes be- v
lind time. II,
4 A