The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-19


star determined to be seen as Katie
sprang forward up the track. She had
!; not far to go, for the train was ahead
or time to night, instead of being be-
y llAl as would have been more desir-
J able und6T the circumstances. Never
; had anything appeared to Kate Crown
inshield more suddenly than did the
great, glaring eyes Of tho locomotive
: out of the overshadOWing night, and
her lantern seemed to have instantan-
eously vanished.
cit is SO SMALL" she cried in agony,
"and he will never see it,"
Nevertheless, on a low mound of
earth and stones, close by the side Of
! track, Katie took her post of charity
and danger, and swung her little Ian.
tern frantically to and fro, while she
now tried to make her sweet girls voice
heard through the roar and clamOr of
the rushing train.
On came the railway giant, tuggillg
} with him his precious freight Of human
life, and it flashed upon Kate Crownin-
| shields mind what an awful capacity
for suffering that train might have on
board. On, with the great glare and
the all-absorbing torrent Of sound, and
almost before Katie knew it, the object
OF her hope and fear had dashed ruth
lessly past her, and was quickly swal-
lowed up from her sight in the rocky
: jaws of the deep cut. With cry Of
grief and disappointment OH her lips,
and strange thrill of pain at her heart
the poor girl sank upon the ground and
, buried her face in her hands, while the
little lantern dropped neglectedly be-
side her.
Only for one brief instant, however,
: did Katie yield to the terror and the
trouble Of it, for in another she had
picked up her starry friend, sprang to
her feet, and darted away down the
railroad track toward the cut She was
| light of foot as any fawn, and there
were sad wings to her speed, but it
; seemed to her as if she would never got
!, through the cut. She paused a moment
when she reached the lower one, to
gather breath and to brush the salt mist
, from her eyes before she looked upon
the awful scene she knew must be pre-
pared for her.
} And then-why, there was the train,
the rear Car rising close in front of her
} while the others land there were but
few Of them that mighty stood all erect
upon their wheels beyond-not all upon
the track, to be sure, but all apparently
safe-all, except one great, dark mass,
whose polished metal glittered in the
varying lights that flashed upon it, and
whose hOarse throat screamed angrily
with the escaping steam, for the loco
motive had come to grief pretty deci-
edly among the granite boulders that
were heaped Oh the track by the fiends
who had planned the wreck. The
yyn,> out 20 4l,o
cars, and none Of them seemed to be
hurt at all, nor did Katie hear a sound
that told of pain as she swiftly thread
cd her way among and past them. She
} had caught glimpse of a group away
} beyond even the shattered locomotive,
however, which forbade her lingering
: for an instant. Right down toward her
own gardcn-gate four men were carry
ing a heavy burden, and others were fol-
lowing, and Katie heard them say, as
she darted by:
Who is it ?''
"Why, it's the conductor. lie was
thrown from the platform of the for
ward car"
Is he killed p'
"They say SO. Nobody else was
hurt. lie was splendid fellow.
"A tall, handsome, bearded MN, in
dark-blue clo;hing, but his face was
ghastly pale when they laid him on
Grandfather Crowninshield's own bed,
and the surgeon, who had been among
the passengers, beIt gloomily above
him.
"Head all right" muttered the man
OF science. "Only cut or 80. All,
there's rib, two of 'em, and his arl3
below the elbow. Struck the ground
SO, that's clear, and the other bones are
likely to be all right. Must have been
leaning out to look ahead, l should
say. Hullo, what's that light on his
face ?''
| The light in the room, what with the
crowd and the country candles, had
been none of the brightest, but lust at
this moment clear, golden gleam was
poured down on the face Of the injured
man, and slowly, as if the radiance it.
self had awakened him, he opened his
eyes and looked dreamily about him.
The surgeon heard u sigh that was
half sob close behind him, and looked
up TO see that the sudden light came
J from Katie and her lantern, but Just
} then the questioning eyes Of the wound
, Ell conductor fell upon her face,
and he exclaimed, family but earnest
, ly:
, II knew it was you. There was
hardly room to stop tho train in, but
we'd have all gone to pieces if it hadn't
) been for you and your light. You've
!, saved them all, God bless you 10
And so Katie Crowninshield sudden
, ly found herself a heroine, with u
/ swarm Of grateful people about her,
very much to her discomfort They
would have made her a present if she
, would have allowed them, but the only
, really welcome words she halrd from
any one were those Of the surgeon.
, What, killed ? A loan like him ?
+ Nonsense He'll carry his arm in q
, sling for a month or 50, but he'll be up
again in fortnight"
OF course, no time was lost in repair
ing the track and in forwarding the
passengers, and few hours only saw
, the farmhouse as quiet and PEACEFUL
, looking as ever. Even the surgeon had
done his work and gone, The engine
lay battered and helpless among the
7 houlders where it had forced its Willful
, way. The conductor lay still OH grand
, father Crowninshield's bed, and the
, titful slumbers the surgeons opiate gave
/ ri. L. L