The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-05-23


the road, and he must hurry here. Run
alongW and she pushed him out at the
door.
The station-master came in haste,
heralded by 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.
This lady has just come around the Blue
Hill, and says there is a land slide across
the track. The wires won't work, and the
down express is due at half past"
"Where is the slide?"
"Just beyond the covered bridge, an
swered Miss Van Amden.
"Four miles off, and in a bad place" The
station master looked at his wwtch 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"
Lefty tried again, with the same result;
the telegraph was mute.
I'm take your team, and do my BEST
said the station master to Miss Van
Amden, snatching up a red signal flag and
rushing from the room.
The sound of the increasing storm hid
the noise of his departure as he whipped
the astonished Dorothy into a speed OF
which that peaceful animal had never
dreamed. 1t was a hopeless race against
time, as one at least of the two girls knew
who were crouched on the narrow settee in
the waiting room
"You didn't have any friends on the ex-
press, did you?" at last asked Lefty.
81 came to meet Mr.. Porter" answered
her companion.
"Mr. Porter?-Tom Porter? Is he on
that train" almost shrieked Lefty. The
girl hardly knew how she ought to feel in
view of the evident anguish of the one
whom she had now and then regarded in
some fashion as a successful rival Flor
ence's eyes were filled with tears, and il
was with very complicated emotions that
Lefty continued: well, L don't mind
telling you that Billy Johnson, who runs
the express, is friend of mine, too, and
that he will see that slide in time if any
man can"
Within two minutes a great darkness
| had come over the land. The room was in
q lurld twilight, except when fierce flashes
OF lghtnln% lilum!ned the two scared faces
and blinded the girls eyes for the moment
Between two appalling claps of thunder
Florence asked, nesting up to Lefty:
rs tner9 nope that he Will get there II
time"
Lefty hesitated to give hope, and as she
paused IN her answer she heard the three
dots that formed the '.call' signal for the
smyrna station sharply clicked out ON the
| Souhder Oh her instrument, -, - -,
was repeated IN the Geographic Language
with rapldlty, the signals then running OF
| into meaningless medley as If the ghos
of some crazy operator was manipulating
the key. Lefty started to her feet. The
chattering ceased; then went on agar
more wildly than before. The element:
themselves were operating her instrument
Enthusiastically choosing for their first ex
pertinent the signal of her own station
| whose peculiar sound had at once attracted
her attention.
"Thank God" calculated Lefty.
Here was indeed relief literally from
above. The power of which Sammy haC
| lgnorantly deprived the wires was sup.
piled by the lightning flashing through the
stormy ar.
Lefty hastily Joined the circuit and called
| marlborough. The lightning did its work
and the answer came. By the clock a
Smyrna station, the train driven by Let
tvs lover and carrying the lover Of Flor
ence must at that moment have drawn III
by the platform at Marlborough.
Hold the express y were the words tha'
Letty's trembling fingers sent humminl
on the very wings of the storm. They
were repeated back by the operator a
FlaX5orough.
| Landslide near" thus the girl wa!
continuing the message on which 50 many
lives depended, when, just, as safety was
assured, the elements asserted their power
NAA'
~ moving fiery mass seemed to glide alonl
| the wire leading to Letty's instrument
nolselessiy fused the points OF the key I'M
der her very hand, and stretched her in [
imp heap on Vhe moor.
Florence van Amden, Who' Jhough dazet
! by the phenomenon and trembling, spran@
| 10 Ghe Slrl 5 slde' dragged her unconscious
body OUT as well as she might, TO th'
larger room, and opened on It, the doo
whlch Ie0 IN t9e cool, damp torrent OF ar
compromised II only as an accident Nh'
UNDERSTOOD ho6hinG OF tle terrlhie natur'
OF the power Whlch ietty had Tor hrle
moment compelled TO her service, ana mucl
less dld she reallze Jhat the little blond
lra?lle Telegraph operator mad SeJ,lGd her'
sell al Ihe instrument with a lul! Know
edge OF the RISK she ran IN tamperlnS WIFI
Uhe via elemental force.
30 quickly had IL all passed, ana Wlthou
explanation, thaG even then she ana no
Know UhaG her lover, ana probably many
AVes beslles MS, We're saved by the qulcl
VIII ana the unhesltaClnS herolSm OF Lettl
Brooks.
rms all came to her later. Lefty lay
II dead for long hours. Tom Porter wa
seated with Florence by his side when SIN
awoke at last to a bewildered conscious
ness. If that gay young gentleman ha,
at any time INDUCED in a complacent sus
picion that his destinations had touched
| the village girls heart, he was undeceiveC
by her first words.
"Where is he? where have they takei
him? o! Oh"
"Hush, my dear; he is safe" answered
the doctor, at venture, with professional