Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-09

tering hard sums, and SO we called her
Fred's protege. #
When she first went to school, Fred
gave her the name of Orphania, and the
children called her Orphie, but she re-
tanned her habit of asking questions about
everything, and SO, partly for fun and
partly because the name suited her, we
continued to call her Quiz, and thus
things went on until she was twelve years
of age and Fred was twenty.
One day Fred went to the city on busi-
ness for papa and we did not expect him
home until the s o'clock express train
came in the evening. Toward night there
came up furious storm; it Numbered
and hghtened, the wind blew and ratified
! the window easements, while at times the
rain fell IN torrents. As we were all seat
ed around the evening lamp with our
work and studies, mamma shivered and
wondered If Fred had an overcoat with
him, and if papa, who had not come up
from the office, would think to take one
over to the station.
A few minutes afterward Quiz arose
and slipped quietly out of the room, but
we thought nothing OF it, for she was In
the habit of slipping away without say
ing anything, and we concluded that she
had either gone to the kitchen to Biddy
or else had gone to her own room.
She had done neither, however. Step
ping down quietly into the hall, she had
first put on her thick waterproof and
rubbers, then lighted Fred's' lantern, TAX
ing his overcoat from the nail. and went
softly out of the front door into the driv-
ing storm.
The wind almost blew her over, and
the rain beat in her face, but she only
tossed her head defantly, a nd whispered
1.-THE elements cannot beat me; l know
them; they obeyed my voice once" Just
then the wind caught up her cape and
blew it over her head in such a manner
that she could not see where to step, and
she stumbled against the fence and al
most fell.
The saucy wind twisted and pulled at
her clothing, the rain beat in her face,
and the thunder roared on every hand.
But Quiz didn't care. She struggled
bravely on until she reached an old dis
used shed near the bridge which she
would have to cross on her way to the
depot. Here she paused for moment,
partially sheltered from the storm, to re-
gain her breath before attempting the
highly exposed bridge.
The village streets were deserted, for
no one would venture out III such a
storm unless urgent business called
him, yet Quiz heard voices quite near
her.
She was frightened at first, but listen
ed moment, and finding that they came
from the shed against which she was
leaning, she was about to hurry on when
a sentence attracted her attention, and
she stood still and listened.
"But Jim, the hull train will go to
smash"
"Don't keer! guess it'll teach 'em not
to discharge fellow fur nothin'. You
see, Johnson, the engineer, and Hinkley,
the conductor, are the ones that reported
me. The bridge is turned now, anyhow;
Corey and Kemph, the bridge tenders,
are dead drunk, and there's nothing for
you and but to skulk, and see 'em all
60 to Satan"
The bridge turnedl Quiz's heart gave
great jump. and then sank like lead;
her head grew dizzy. and she was obliged
to lean hard against the wall to keep
from falling.
Then she stepped cautiously around
the corner of the shed; and with beating
heart looked down the river. A flash Of
tightening showed her the railroad bridge
turned and the dark river rolled between
it and the bank where the express train
would soon appear. In imagination
she saw the locomotive plunge down the
bank, followed one by one cars loaded
with passengers unaware of approaching
death.
She heard the shrieks of poor victims
as they were buried in the crash, and the
groans of the dying as they struggled in
the waves or lay gasping near the ruins.
Then she covered her face with her hands
to shut out the vision and thought, could
she save them9 But howe What should
she do2 Go back home2 There were none
Tut helpless women there. Hurry on to
tell papag It would then be too late.
must save them myself she whispered,
and shutting her lips tight, gasping her
lantern firmly, she dashed down across
the street in the direction of the railroad
track.
Then she remembered that Fred, one
day in explaining momentum, had told
her that the engine could not stop on the
down grade on this side of the river, but
that it was necessary, in order to do so,
to 90 back from the river about mile
and half to where the descent first be-
gan, near the curve.
To save time she decided to go across
lots. The storm increased but Quiz
never paused a moment; over fences,
through briers, across bitches, into mud
and mire ankle deep, she staggered
along holding closely to the lantern up
on which her hopes depended.
| Once she fell and hurt her side, scram-
bled up and hurried on, never needing
the pain. At last she neared the track
and saw the headlight of the locomotive
rounding the curve.
She tossed off her cloak, which i'm
peded her progress, and with redoubled
energy pushed on. Nearer and nearer
came the ocomotive-falnter and fainter