Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-05-11

would prevent the engineers from
signaling each other, and a collision
was inevitable.
The engine, which seemed to
have broken loose, rushed madly
on, with Jim looking at Drucie,
whom he was inclined to believe
mad. The cold mist, slowly turning
to a drizzle, was occasionally blown
against his face by the wind; it
served to cool his heated temples,
and to make him think more
calmly of his situation and the folks
at home.
So fast were they moving that
they seemed to glide over the rails,
scarcely touching them in their mad
career, and when Drucie told jim
to listen for the sound Of Toms train
ahead, the boy pOked his head out
of the window and held his breath.
"'Pears to nfe L heard a sound"
he said, without turning his head.
"Mebbe Pm mistaken-sO many
things pear to me just now"
"Thank Godv calculated the girl.
''Listen with all your might, Jim.
oh, for the speed of a bulletw
Her face was glowing with heat,
and while Jim listened she opened
the furnace door and threw in the
last sticks of wood they possessed.
"The woods gone, jim. How far
yet can we go at this rate of speed?''
About fifteen miles," the boy
answered-"twenty of 'em, if we
must do it,"
"Then Well catch him. Colby
must be nine miles away yet, and
the gulch is six miles further on
fifteen miles! Jim, can't you hear
him yet?"
mo; guess was mistaken awhile
back" the boy said, and Drucie's
cOuntenance fell.
"There's the sound again!" he
exclaimed a minute later. Listen
for yourself, girl"
Drucie went to the window and
put her head out.
"That's TomW she cried. Oh,
Heaven, let me save him and all
the other precious lives tonight"
With this prayer she turned to
the furnace again and smiled at the
red hot doors. The engine and its
empty tender seemed to fly over the
| track, and when Drucie looked at
Jim again, she found him staring at
the gauge.
WHATS the matter, Jim?" she
asked. He came forward with
hand extended toward the little in
strument.
GA little more fire and Wen blow
up!" he gasped.
"Tom would hear the explosion
and stop his train. That might
prevent the cOllisiOn" was Drucie's
reply.
1t was now evident that the sound
ahead was that of Tom Gray's train,
and the girl prepared to warn her
lover of the danger. The tracks
were quite close, and she told the
| fire boy to watch the machinery
while she attended to that part of
| the warning work which she had
allotted to herself.
The sound of the train on the
other track grew mOmemtarily more
distinct, and the daring girl fancied
that she heard No. 6 coming through
the valley below Colby.
eyes, it's Tom ~ she cried to en-
courage the boy at the lever, 81 see
his light, now"
Then She leaned out of the win
dow and shouted at the top of her
| voice:
"Switeh at Colby! Switch at
Colby. Colby, six! Colby, six"
Many times she repeated her cry,
| and all at once she dashed by the
/ heavy train.
Right into her lovers face, as he
| leaned from his engine, she shouted,
''Switch at Colbyr' and heard the
shrieks that told her that he would
obey.
"Saved! saved, Jim!" she cried
| with Joy, turning upon the breath
less boy, who already was checking
the Bellies speed.
"GOlly-whiz! Drucie, they ought
to give us a train!" he said laugh
ing. "Ifwe can ever stop the Belle,
wc'll go back; but the girls got her
spunk up and would run on for
| eVerp'
Drucie Miller returned to the
window with a heart filled with
thankfulness, for Tom had heard,
and already was running on to the
switch at Colby.
After awhile the Belle was got
under control and backed with less
ened fires.
"Listenw suddenly cried jim.
eyes, number six is coming; but
we don't fear her nOw," said Dru-
Gle, with a smile. "TOm and his
passengers are safe on the SWITCH"
"The next moment number six
dashed by, and Drucie laughed and
| actually clapped her hands.
The meeting between Tom Gray
and his love cannot be described.
'YOur headlight seemed
meteor" he said to her: land l
knew your voice. don't know
why. l guess you made time
| coming down."
"Time!" cried jim; 81 don't
think the wheels touched the rails
more'n half the time. If it had
| been day, the mile stones would
! have looked like a rake"
There was a laugh at the boys
exaggeratiOn, and then Tom took
! Drucie aside and kissed her.
1t was not the only kiss she got
that night, for all the women on
the train kissed the girl who had
saved their lives, and Tom Gray
said he wouldn't get jealous when
the mOustached passengers bent
over Drucie, blushing like a rose.
The story of Drucie's feat crept
into the papers, and, though my
story may be old to some Of my
readers, l have told it because l be-
Iieve it will bear REPETITION.
Dick Lambert fOrgave Drucie for
running away with his engine, and
Jim the fire boy, never grows weary
of telling about that run
Tom Gray is still on the road, but
Drncie does not listen to the click
click of the sOunder any more.
Every night at eight she holds a
little boy up to the window, and he
cries 'papan and clasps his little
hands as an engine dashes by.
! wherein Has Democracy Failed ?
Memphis Appeal.
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