The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-03-15

"'Are you sure IL won't bear any
morer she asked. anxiously.
Il shook my head.
"'rm afraid not, said.
"'But it is possible that it mayT she
asked again.
Eyes, possible, but not probable
answered.
"She asked the questions in a calm,
even voice, and think l answered in
much the same tone. for, now that The
danger had feared was really upon us,
l seemed to have lost all fear, and
watched the line of smoke nearing us
so fast with sort of vague wonder as
to what the engineer of the other train
would do when he saw us coming. too
late to save his train. | was reused
from this sort of stupor into which
seemed in danger of falling. by seeing
the g RI again reach for the oil-can.
shook my head.
"It won't do 1 said. 1T may be
death
But she said. it is death if |
don't
81 nodded, and. without a
word, she poured the remainder
of the oil upon the wood, and threw
it into the fire. We were
close to the station now, and | could see
people running across the p 'atform, and
hear the women scream as they saw our
danger; for right in front of us was The
extra, so near that it seemed as if moth
ing but a miracle could save us. L
looked at Miss Lord. With that last ef-
fort her strength seemed to leave her,
and she sank upon the seat, covering
her face with her hands, waiting for the
death that seemed so near.
There was moment of awful sus-
pense, and then we were safe upon the
side track, Just as the ira train went
laundering by, so near that scarcely an
inch separated the engine from the
on, and the long line of cars came to
standstil just beyond the station, and
then slowly ran back to where the
crowd of alarmed and curious men
stood watching us. At the shrill sound
of the escaping steam, Miss Lord raised
her head, and booked anxiously around,
then, seeming to realize that we were
safe, she tried to say something, but
the words died away in murmnr, and
the next moment she fell on the floor
of the cab like dead woman. But be-
fore | coud call any one to help her, for
| was pretty well SHAKEN myself. one
of the directors, who was on the train,
came along in a fearful passion. He
wanted to know what meant bv run
ming the risk that had done.
Haua,,ft h,.a inS anh don
you care any more for human life than
a donkey?' he clustered.
81 handed him the telegram / had
received at A, and which, fortu-
nately for myself, l had put into my
pocket, and then pointed to the flo IT
of the cab, where Jim lay in drunken
sleep, and Miss Lord in a dead fain',
and told the story as well as | could.
| tell you there was pretty lively times
there for a few minutes. The passen-
gers found out that something was the
matter. and they came pouring out of
the cars and crowded round the en-
CINE, and had to tell my story over
and over to them. Well, some of the
men carried Jim off to the station, and
dumped him down on the floor, and
Miss Lord was taken into one of the
drawing-room cars. and fused over as
though she was one of the greatest
ladies in the land; and, before she came
to herself enough to sit up, tn re was a
purse made up for her, of more dollars
thin she ever had in her life, and that
wa n t all, for Mr.. Runals-the director
that was aboard the train-found that
she knew so T ething of telegraphy, and
put her in the office at C---fOr awhile.
and in a few months gave her steady
job. So you see it wa mt a bad ride for
her, after all"
but what became of herp' / asked.
"Is she still in the oifcePi
''Oh, bless you, no, sir. She did what
most all the women do, sooner or later
get married"
"Well," said I, ''such awoman de-
served good husband; hope she got
one."
well, Idon't know; pretty midaling,
l guess and then he nodded, with a
laugh: "She seems to be satisfied, so
suppose there's no occasion for any one
else to find fault
Just then there was whistle, and
the down train came into view, and,
putting his pipe in his pocket, the en-.
gineer ma1e ready for his homeward
trip, saying, with a sly smile, as he
sprang on the engine and said good-by;
eff ever you come to Concord shall
be glad to see you. and you can ask my
wi what she thinks of the husband
Miss Ford go" -Ballou's Monthly.