Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-05-01

He had but one child daughter: and
Floss Whately was the belle of the
county. She was brave, beautiful, and
spirited. and more than once when her
father had been away, had she assumed
the responsibility of directing the trains.
and she had always acquitted herself
with credit.
Old Whately was very proud of her, as
he had right to be, and kept all the
young fellows at distance, until it was
said that he intended keeping his daugh-
ter single till the Car of ali the Russias
come on to marry her.
This night in November old Nhateiv
and Floss were out ON the piazza of their
country home, peeping Through the
gloom and fog for the signal lights of
the GOlOSha train, which was nearly
due.
Its deyilish strange it doesn't come
in sightw said Whately, laying down his
.iight-glassin disgustlF'It's hard on to
ten nOwT They Onght to show their
light 'rOund; Spruce Pond by this timer
"YOu telegraphed them, father? You
let them know the pay-train was on the
r0ad?" asked, Floss. ao1I ..o~
$40 be sure.l And, good heavens! there
is the headlight on the pay-train now!
Seel not ten miles away, and running
ike the duce, as it always does.
He. pointed with trembling fingers
down to the valley forge, where, far
away mere Speck in the gloom, could
be seen bright light, scarcely moving,
but those anxious watchers knew that it
was approaching at lightning speed.
/ ( Father and daughter looked at each
other. The truth was evident. For some
reason the train from GOlOsha was 10
minutes behind time, and it could not
reach the siding at behring's Cut until
the pay train had passed beyond the
signal track. And then? Why there
would be another "hOrrOr" for the morn
ing newspapers under the head of SAP
palling railway disasterp' and few more
homes would be made to MOURN q, Til
! Father and daughter looked at each
other in dismay.
"Selim can do it," said Floss quickly.
mo. girl. 1t is too far, and too risky"
replied the old superintendent. Il
Eyes, father; and if / can reach Leeds
in five minutes before the train-yes,
two minutes before the train-all will be
we'll. Do not stop me. father as he laid
his hand on her arm.
dangerous! No, FlOssv'
81 shall go, father! Selim knows only
me, and you could not ride him. have
ridden on darker nights. And he is the
Only horse i'm the stable. Don't you re-
member? The others were sent to town
Yesterday IL Il > II Z - ~
Before old Whately could stop her, she
had ordered the hos tier to saddle Selim,
and She had already buttOned on her rid
ing habit with rapid, nervous fingers.
{ The horse came paving to the door,
Floss sprang into the saddle, leaned
down and kissed her fathers forehead.
pray heaven to spare me-" she cried
hOarsely, and touching her horse with
her whip, he bounded down the sharp
declivity. Az ~ ~
1t was raining steadily now, and the
gloom was intense; but Selim was used
to the road, and the rider was courageous.
She urged him on at the top of his speed
up hill and down through Pine Valley,
over Pulpit HILL, and then she struck
upon the smooth road, which stretched
straight as an arrow. ~ q
: She could see the headlight on the
pay train far down in the valley dis
tinctly now, and to her excited fancy it
seemed but a stones throw away. She
even tn ought for moment that she
heard tine grind of the wheels on the
track. but it was only the signing OF the
wind in the pines.
On, still she went. Selim seemed to
fly. One might have fancied that he
knew his mistress was on an errand of
life or death.
The lights of the station were in view
nay, she even saw the statiOn-master'S
white lantern as he rolled 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!
She dashed across the track, flung the
reins to an amazed bystander, and strik-
ing the white lantern from the hand of
the astOniShed official, she seized the
OminOus red lantern from its hook, and
springing upon the track, waved it in the
very teeth of the coming train.
Two sharp short whistles told her
that her signal was seen, and a
moment later the train came to stop,
and officers rushed forward to confer
with the train from G0lOsha, which had
not yet been telegraphed from the next
station.
The man waited Is minutes before
Kirke's train slid on the siding, and ii
was then known that but for the decision
of one young girl, the two trains must
have cOllided four miles beyond behring's
Cut.
When told the whole story, Kirke look
ed at his watch. The man from the
station looked at his. Kirke was 1C
minutes behind time.
You want to know how it happened!
Certainly, you guess Halliday did it.
man was found the next day who con-
fessed to having seen Jack tamperine
with the time-piece in the engine-hOust
that night, but he had not thought of it
| he said. 80 - = - - ~
"JackT' o, he left town, and was after
ward heard of in Australia. His game
was not a success. .t....-4l. .ti- r..
And Kirke married Floss Whately, else
this story would not have been told, be
cause what would a story be worth tina
did not end in wedding?"
IS ANegroe,s Eloqnence.
At Waxahachie, during the last tern
of the Ellis county district court, a. col
Ored man was indicted for entering int