Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-01-19

Florence grasped lantern, and, amid
the hurricane of wind, the deluge Of
water, the incesssnt glare of the light,
ming, and the peal upon peal of thun-
der, left the cottage and started for the
wreck.
Her light very soon went out in the
wind, but she braYely felt her way
through the woods and falling timbers
to the very edge of the rushing waters
that covered the crushed and drowned
men.
She could hear no sound to tell her
that any one yet lived to relate the story
of that horrible leap to death. She knew
that the long night-express, with its
load of passengers, was nearly due, and
none to warn them of their danger; a
lantern would not burn in the increased
fury the gale.
The telegraph office at Somerset or
Mat,and was the only place where the
officers could be notified and the catas-
trophe averted. To Somerset was five
miles, over hills and through the woods,
and long before she could reach there
it would be too late-the express would
have gone down. Maitland was only a
mile, but between her and Maitland was
the river, ten or fifteen feet above it's
natural height, and to pass this she must
cross over Bridge No. L, fifty feet above
the roaring, rushing water.
She must cross this bridge 400 feet
long, with nothing but the ties and rails
for support, the wind blowing a glale,
and the foaming, seething muddy waters
Io10 Ut +,
would have shrunk from such task;
not one man in FIVE hundred would
have gone over at any price or under
any considerations.
But my brave, noble girl, with the
nerve of a giant, never hesitated, never
stopped to fear. Gathering up her
flowing skirts, and on hands and knees,
she crawled over the long bridge.
Slowly tie after tie was passed. 1t was
already time for our train to come
dashing over the bridge and hurl her
down to death amid the dark and
muddy water of the rushing river. The
blood from the lacerated knees had
stained her dress, but she does not
falter; her long hair is blown out from
her net by the fury of the wind, but
she must not stop.
At last she reached the shore, and
almost flew up the track to the office,
where our train was just ready to start.
Breathless and in broken accents she
told her sad, fearful tale, and then,
faint and weak from her excitement,
fell back into my eager, waiting arms.
Hafunconscious, [ carried her into
the dry, warm Office, and as [ put her
down, her great, earnest eyes opened
YEARLY, for moment, to meet mine
and read the love in them, and her
white lips smiled.
"You are saved p she murmured,
very low, ooh, George, l never could
have done it, but I knew it was your
train" and [ clasped the brave little
heroine close in my wet arms, never
more to let her go.
The sun of the next morning as it
came up clear and bright, glistened on
the raindrops and peering over into the
rocky chasm, where the wreck and the
dead men lay, seemed like the sun of
my new life, rising to look down in
pity upon the wreck and ruin of my
past.
Chow am now !" did you ask.
That little cottage on the hill yonder
is mine, and | am back in my old pro-
fession, working hard to keep my posi-
ton, but happy as Inever dreamed to
be, and owe it all to that brave little
wife of mine.-George r. Parrish.