The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-05-21

0Ap h1o 5OOppCo " 61u ROuc -
way. Two freight trains had numbered by.
The afternoon was well advanced, when
''thunder-caps'' began to pile up from be-
hind the hills, n Lefty imagined that she
shifted moisture and freshness in the air.
"ItT be a ripper when we do get it, re-
marked the station-master, looking in at
Letty's window. 'There's a tremendous
black streak round at the west"
From that quarter there was rising a
dark screen with ragged edges, pushed up
bright sky. The spruces on the high hill
sides caught the voice of the messenger
winds sent in advance of the tempest, and
whispered it to the valleys below. Awhlff
of the breeze reached the station just as the
edge of the storm-cloud gashed the disk of
the sun. 1t was followed by another,
whirling little eddies of dust from the re-
pose in which they had been left beside the
track by the last passing train. Then the
wind began to blow more steadily, and Let
ty shut Town her window with prudent
precaution, calling to Sammy as she did so.
Sammy did not respond; but at the mo-
ment of closing the window the sound of a
carriage rapidly driven and drawing up
hastily at the station fell upon her ear. No
train was due at this hour, and it must be
some one seeking shelter under the carriage
shed from the approaching storm.
Suddenly the door of her little Office was
swung violently open, and on the threshold
stood the young lady whose arrival she
had watched from behind her curtain little
more than two weeks before. She was
pale now and agitated.
"Where is the mantle station-master
the one in charge here?" asked Miss Van
Amden, h~urriedly, breaking in before
Lefty had time to formulate the naughty
lips.
"He has gone home for a few minutes,
but will return before the express arrives.
Do you wish a ticket?"
"No! no! mol" cried Florence, with as
near an approach to wringing her hands
as women of this day know. 81 want to
ave lives! There is a great landslide on
the track. I saw it as 1 came around Blu
Hill, and drove on as fast as l could to get
help. What must we do? Quick! quick!"
sad the excited girl grasped Letty's arm
and almost shook her.
Letty's experience in the business of
running a railroad by telegraph stood her
in good stead at this crisis, and her sense
of superiority to the situation was evident
in the calmly frigid air which she opposed
to her companions eager anxiety. She
even INDUCED in a sort of self-complacent
contempt for the frightened helplessness
of Miss Van Amden, while conscious of her
own power to stay all disaster with a
single movement of her land.
sfThere is no hurry" she replied, with
like voice were capable of expressing.
ssThe express is not due at Marlborough for
fifteen minutes yet, and l shall telegraph
to hold it there until the track is cleared.
There is no other train on this section
except the up accommodation, which stops
here. If you expect any friends on either,
you needn't be alarmed"
She seated herself at the table, and
touched the telegraph key with that grace
full motion which displays a shapely hand
more effectively than any other employ
ment except violin-playing. She scalled"
the station at Marlborough. But as her
fingers ratified off the familiar dots and
dashes her practiced ear detected the. fact
that no message followed along the wire
in consequence. She examined the switch,
and quickly frightened a screw. Again no
life came at her manipulation. The spirit
of the telegraph had fled.
Quickly rising, Lefty went to the closet
in which the local battery was kept, and if
the empty cells had not been enough to ex-
plain the situation, the appearance of
Sammy at the door, with an approbative
expression on his face and two neatly
cleansed copper cups in his hand, would
lave left no doubt as to the cause of the
impotence of her instrument. Jealous to
atone for his shortcomings of the day be-
fore, the useful boy had taken this occasion
to perform for his sister the somewhat
dirty service of securing out the battery.
80, Sammy, what have o done?"
cried Lefty, now as pale as Miss Van
Amden.
OAOdhOo 0t up ~ wy >
s'that's ALL"
80 dear! oh dearl you meddlesome,
wicked child. I put the last drop of acid
in this morning, and now you have poured
it all away"
sect some more" suggested Sammy.
"Don't talk to me, (" retorted Lefty. "They
were to send me some by the express this
afternoon, and until I get it the wires are
useless"
"Wait till it comes, then" was Sammy's
HYou don't know what you are talking
about. Run just as fast as you can to Mr..
Jones', and tell him there's an accident Of
the road, and he must hurry here. Run
along" and she pushed him out at the
door.
The station master came in haste,
heralded by a clap of thunder and accom-
| panied by the loud pattering of the first
rain-drops.
"What is it, Miss Brooks?" he asked, as
he burst into the room.
sThis lady has just come around the Blue
Hill, and says there is a and slide across
the track. The wires won't work, and the
down express is due at half past"
"Where is the slider"
"Just beyond the covered bridge, an
| swered Miss Van Amden.
"Four miles off, and in a bad place." The
/ station-master looked at his watch. The
express is due at Marlborough in five min
utes, and here in twenty-five. We can't
get there with a signal in time. Try the
wires again, Miss Brooks.o
Lefty tried again, with the same result,
the telegraph was mute.
"Ill take your team, and do my BEST
said the station-master to Miss Val
Amden, snatching up a red signalling and
rushing from the room.
The sound of the increasing storm hit
the noise of his departure as he whipped
the astonished Dorothy into a speed o
which that peaceful animal had neve
dreamed. 1t was a hopeless race agains
time, as one at least of the two girls knew
who were crouched on the narrow settee il
the waiting room.
"You didn't AVE any friends on the ex
press, did you?" at last asked Lefty.
81 came to meet Mr.. Porter" answere'
her companion.
"Mr. Porter?-Tom Porter? Is he o.
that train?" almost shriekef Lefty. TIL
girl hardly knew how she ought to feel il
view of the evident anguish of the on
whom she had now and then regarded i
some fashion as a successful rival. Flor
ence's eyes were filled with tears, and
was with very complicated emotions tina
Lefty continued: "Well, L don't min
telling you that Billy Johnson, who run
the express, is a friend of mine, too, an
that he will see that slide in time if an
man can"
Within two minutes a great darkness
had come over the land. The room was
: a lurid twilight, except when fierce fashe
of lightning illumined the two scared face
| and blinded the girls eyes for the momen
Between two appalling claps of thundel
, Florence asked, nesting up to Lefty:
SIS there hope that he will get there i
time?'
Lefty hesitated to give hope, and as sh
| paused in her answer sho heard the thre
dots that formed the "cajl" signal for til
? Smyrna station sharply clicked out on til
l sounder OF her instrument, 49," IS" IS,
was repeated in the telegraphic Language
; with rapidity, the signals then running o
, into a meaningless medley as if the ghot
. of some crazy operator was manipulatin
the key. Lefty started to her feet. tt
. chattering ceased; then went on agai
: more wildly than before. The element
themselves were operating herinstrumen
: Enthusiastically choosing for their first ez
pertinent the signal of her own station
8 whose peculiar sound had at once attracte
: her attention.
9 "Thank God" CALCULATED Lefty.
r Here was indeed relief literally frol
!, above. The power of which Sammy ha
a | irnnrontlu Iapriuad tho iras u,o ,-x