Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-11-28
face with her hands, conscious only of b or

face with her hands, conscious only of b (
own ingratitude. p .aFs
The silence gradually began to thrill
| with premonitions. The hushed worl
outside. with its unreasonable sunshin
and warmth, seemed waiting for cold an
storms. For what was she waiting? Dri
of caves, tick of clock, chirp Of canary
everything pressed an uninteiligible uttel
!, ance upon her. Aaa
4 The prolonged whistle of locomotlv
at the station startled herAonly call TO
! switch. *a'~t
| Suddenly doomed in the doorway, a tai
woman with folds of black wrapper trail
ing behind her, woman with deep, glis
| tening eyes. and that luminous intensit
of pale face frequently accompanying
over wrought nerves. Meb's neighbor-
woman who saw visions and dreame
dreams.
| WAS your husband well when he lef
home, Mrs. Wright" H yt
lH N1CU CulCW Oub OuO uduus AyOu VOL
me Mrs. Weir. don IT, ue Is
The woman turned and trailed bacl
through the kitchen.
Meb sat for few minutes. her fac
buried in her palms; then parted her hand
and looked QUITO see soaked snow stiff
fleming; water-filled foot prints and wheel
marks growing blue and chilly; the stree
full of returning shop hands. From ou
the moving figures one stood within tn
gate. Orion! liza . 5.s u
Orion was employed in very humble ca
pacity at the Office. He was sometimes
ridiculed for his religious zeal. In class
meeting only the previous evening, he hae
followed the ejaculation: 30, Lord, thoJ
knowest how apt we are to prosaer' witt
the fervent petition: Remember us not
according to our inkquities; but deliver us
from all our transactions!" yta
Nevertheless, the company had a habit
of falling back upon Orion when bad news
was to be communicated.
Meb had strength to open the outer hall
door; then sank back upon the lower stair.
ssDon't tell me, Orion, don't! Is he
dead? Is he dead2" { t
1.-THE Lord help you, Mrs. Wright; we
don't know how bad tits. The Bucepha-
lus is off the breakdown Deep Gully
thirteen cars down. They hadn't taken
him out when the last telegram came.''
Meb clutched her nails into her cold
palms. 4..lri ID 1
81 must 60. Has the wrecker started?'
Z s'Just gone; but Ellis'll find an engine to
take you up. Perhaps you'd better not go
though. 1t may be pretty bad.'' as
Mrs. Weir entered, put on Meb's hat and
shawl, drew on her overshoes, supported
her to the door, and took the key. sai d
Meb grasped Orton's arm, and was con-
scious in dazed sort Of way Of slipping
over ice and water to the depot.
The "Flyer' was just steaming through,
fredup to go out on the Riverview branch
for few empty cars. 1t was short work
to run her on to the turn table, and come
up headed for the Gully.
Superintendent Ellis handed Meb into
the cab. Engineer Babcock nodded
speechless, and turned to his engine, pulled
out the throttle, struck the bell-knell
like in the clear air-and the ''Flyer" shot
out. across the plain, the plain with its
withered brown mowings, patches of dark
ploughed land, and shallow pools reflect
ing the purple twilight.
The ''Flyer'' had been carrying ninety
pounds of steam. The stoker began SHOW
cling on the coal. Meb, from her perch
inside the cab, looked out and saw dream
lily a town or two set away in it's happi-
ness from the death-dealing track. Early
lamps glimmered. o, VIM, Vim, will
the early lamp nevermore glimmer fol
you! 1Ar
With many sharp curve, with many a
shrill screech, the Flyer struck in be-
tween the Understanding grade now
smoke and sparks flying past the cab win
dow-the little pointer of the steam gauge
around to one hundred and ten. They
were laundering across the bridge where
Lemoyne and Stark lost their lives; they
had entered the little DELL, peaceful as a
June Sabbath, where Arthur Bells young
life went out in dreadful holocaust. 81
''Do you know-did they say-was the
Bncephalus moving any petroleum."
Meb's white face quivered from forehead
to chin.
The engineer shook his head; he didn't
know. j
A whistle-a shrek rather-struck the
side of Mt. Ebal, 1everberated to Gerza-
rim, and was again thrown back across
the swollen mountain torrent at the right
of the track.
At Blees the river was full of great
blocks of ice, foaming, champing. jostling
each other. A mill reservoir above had
"broken up" The reservoir itself lay still
as death. black and lonely as the dark riv-
er. A yellow moon peered weirdly over
the top Of the steep mountain side. Steam
up to one hundred and thirty now, and
Kissing from the safety-vaive. Gray rock
faced sides of Bear mountain echoed the
rush and roar! Pine-plumed crests OF
GObble shook through their ranks.
On now to the Gully! Every racing
rock and tree in the approach left Meb's
heart beating faster and more suffocating
".
"The "Flyer." as she came to a stand
still, seemed to SILVER through every heavy
driving wheel, through every polished rod
and cylinder. diam III.
The stoker, first on the ground, reached
up to take out Meb.
The moon, not yard above the eastern
horison, let fall weird oblique light
Two or three engines stood on the track
venting steam. The great wrecker rose
wraith-ike, its ropes and timbers creakine
updor tho atrain- chOutc Of mana chain