The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-04-01
Two Minutes too Late.

1
ment. Glancing at the clock above
her head, she noticed that it was al
most time for her to close the office
for the night, and seek her humble
home at the foot of one of the dark
ened streets of the village. The
rumbling of the train which had
Just left the station was growing
fainter and fainter, and the girl list
ened to it as though it was the
voice of a friend who was leaving
her for long time.
She did not expect any more
messages that night; the engine
breathing heavily from it's great
iron lungs on the track near hel
window would not move until the
night express had passed up, and
the engineer, knowing this, had
sought his sweetheart, who lived in
the village.
Tom Gray, the engineer of the
train just departing, was Drucie's
lover, and his intimate friends
knew when the wedding was to
take place. He had known her
long, but that did not matter, since
he was a true fellow, who loved her
with all his heart, and with all hers
she loved Tom.
The rumble of the train at length
died away, and Drucie was about to
shut off the current and leave the
office, when a message began to fall
upon her ears.
She started, for the first word
drove the color from her checks,
and standing over the instrument
she heard this message:
"No. 10 switch at Colby till No. 6
passes. Six just startlngp'
Six just starting! My God they
will meet!' cried the beautiful OPP
orator., starting from the table;
"what can do to save him
them?'
And with her eyes staring at the
clock she stood in the center of the
room, thinking of the two trains ap-
preaching each other through the
mist taat almost hid the moon.
The real situation, enough to
blanche young girls cheeks, was
appalling.
The order for the train which had
just left Fletcher to switch at Colby
could not be obeyed now. The tel
egraph could not even stop it, for
there was no night Office at Colby.
1t was an unusual matter for No. 6
to leave Port Wayne before the ar
rival of No. 10; but as the latter
train was some twelve minutes be
hind time on that particular night,
No. 6, anxious to leave on time, to
save its connections, telegraphed to
Fletcher the message which had so
startled Drucie Miller. From
Fletcher to a point four miles below
Colby, the company had completed
a double track, which, when finish
ed to Fort Wayne, would obviate
the trouble of switching and pre-
vent accidents.
When Drucie recovered her self
possession she started from the
office with the message in her hand.
1t had arrived just two minutes too
late, and Tom Gray, unconscious of
its existence,wa driving his engine
ahead and thinking of the girl he
had lately kissed adieu. He knew
that it was known in Fort Wayne
that he was unavoidably behind
time, and thought that according to
custom the express, waiting there,
would not move out until he ar
rived.
But let US return to Drucie Mil
ler. She saw the freight engine
standing on the track already men
toned and caught glimpse of the
young fireman asleep on his box.
A determined resolution entered
her head, and the next moment she
was in the engine room with her
hand on the boys shoulder.
"That you, Miss Drucie?" said
the boy, rousing himself with a
yawn. claws mercy"
.'Get out and uncouple the
freight" she cried. t"Tom's moved
out, and if he doesn't switch at Col
by, everybody will be killed. We
must catch himp'
The boy, with a cry of horror,
left the engine, and a minute later
the freight cars were standing IDLY
on the track, while the engine and
its tender were moving out gaining
at each revolution of
the wheel.
''What'll Dick say when he comes
back and finds his engine gomez
said the boy, looking up into Dru-
cie's face.
"What do we care for what he
says? What is Dicks inconven
ience to the precious lives on the
two trains? Jim,ho fast can your
engine trsvelP'
"About two miles a minute" the
boy answered, with smile. "She
is the swiftest bird on the road.
But / don't think we can catch No.
10; we might if we had Dick with
US. He knows how to handle the
Belle"
"And so do I. Wood up, Jim.
Fill the furnace chock full. We
must catch Tom this side of this
tracks, terminus Or"
The girl paused and looked at
the pale boy.
'Or what, Miss Druciep'
''Or blow upr'
That's what's the matter!'' said
Jim, catching her spirit. "And
we'll catch HIM, too! Wood wood
There, the furnace is chock full.
how we are going"
Drucie smiled family at the boy
and noticed the hand of the gauge.
The engine had received new mo-
nentum, which momentarily in
creased, and all at once Jim, who |
had been trying to pierce the haze,
said:
1.-Two miles q minute, I'll bet, |
Miss Druciel If it was daylight |
.he telegraph poles would resemble
l fine-tooth con
But the girl d.! not reply. She
had calculated the two trains would |
meet in a gulch below Colby. 1t
vas q terrible place for a collision.