Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-19

OF the brakes, the jangle OF the couplings.
Would she never reach the little red station.
house, now plainly In sight at the end OF the
smooth graveled road? she was passing the post.
off1ce, where people idly gaZed at her. What mat.
Ter! II only there were horse and buggy in sight
10 help her on her way. II only OF the loun4ers
would understood and take up the mission which
her spent strength seemed Inadequate to fulfl
But she might not turn aside.
on the depot platform more loungers Jim among
them, rolling quid OF tobacco In his cheek and
talking earnestly about the state Of the weather
and the prospects OF the growing crops They All
looked upon her as mad woman, as she ran past
them Jim muttered an expletiye under his breath
moved by the strong Indignation that must always
possess selI-respectfnB servant, when master on
OF his family
The station-master was in his ONCE. talking
mountains, and was waiting to take the train 10
the city. He was clad In a hunting suit, and was
talking with some excitement.
cit has rained all the week he was SAYING:
''y0u think IT rains here In the valley but great
guns! you should be up in the mountains In rain
STORM. sheets and sheets OF tt-bliZZards OF sleet
and hall, and the wind blowing like a hurricane.
We broke camp yesterday. i took Decline down
here The rest crossed the hills to the station
above. They'll be down on the four-o'clock."
Voice and speaker were familiar TO the woman
VINO stood In the doorway, both hands pressed TO
her painting breast. The words came only too dis
tinctly TO her quickened senses Then her premo-
nitions were true, and Tom-Tom was on that
lated train Again her body reeled, but her steady
brain saved her.
stop the traini The bridge Is goneT she cried.
both men looked up, startled at the words. With
the prompt movement OF a man trlined TO obey
orders, the agent leaped to his instrument; the
other man, slower TO comprehend, came orward,
the look OF amaZement on his face, as he viewed
place 20 amused Indulgence as he recognized the
speaker What an eccentric, impetuous girl Kate
Mitchell always was, and what life she must lead
This Is quite an unexpected pleasure, Mrs. Mid
deton, he said smiling.
She waved him back with a single imperious
There al a 0nQrAf0r
listened intently, with his head resting on his
hand Kate Middleton remained standing In the
with dread, and her soul absorbed In listening.
JACK Spencer, slowly comprehendng the meaning
OF the scene. waited, his interest growing with
AT last 1t came, the monotonous click, click,
conveying its portentious message in language
tor arose from his chair.
Just in time. The train was pulling out Of the
station, but they stopped her."
Kate Middleton clutched at the doorway. For
the first time In her life her head gave way. She
was again on The swaying sycamore, and the limb
was cracking, breaking, going down. She felt the
Jack Spencer supporting her head, and the station
agent pouring ce-cold water over her.
shell be all right In minute, said Jack,
cheerfully. 'Now, Mrs. Middleton with your per-
mission, I'll see you home"
she borrowed a hat and cloak from the station
agents wife. jim brought up the horses Jack
spencer handed her into the wagon with grave
courtesy anu they drove on. Some OF the loungers
diIny understanding what she mad done, looked
on curi0usly. That was all. No fuss, no formal
tributes, no speech-making even from the two who
understood. There was no deputaIion OF strong
men TO tender her public tribute In voices shaken
by sobs Contrary to all tradition, and unlike any
hero or heroine VINO ever saved a train from wreck,
she was on the wrong side OF the bridge, and the
people most deeply concerned were nine miles
away.
She had little to say on the ride homeward al
though Jack spencer was attentive and talkative,
and tried as hard as a man could, TO show his APP
brave pprhauG as
embarrassed in the consciousness OF her odd at
tire, and the curious looks cast upon her as she
rode through the village. Perhaps she was Sc
cretly ashamed OF her mad race, and OF the ex-
ceptiOnal, unwOmanly physical proweSs that had
made IL possible Notwithstanding the fact that 1t
had saved many lives She did not even invite
Jack to come in when she reached her own door,
but descended from the wagon with great dig
nifty, and only relaxed little when Jack said,
very earnestly:
al shall never underrate the value OF physical
training for woman again, Mrs. Middleton. some
day shall beg to put my little daughter under
Which was great concession for Jack, whose
little daughter was the apple OF his eye. and
to making an accomplished woman, OF elegant
manners.
Neither honor nor praise awaited Kate in her
own home. Bridget scolded her and put her to
bed, and declared that she "wud surely catch her
death a-cod, an she desarved 1t WELL" and tried
TO save her from the consequences OF her miSdeedS
at the same time. OF the children, Harry stub
borniy resented her base desertiOn OF them on the
bank OF the raging stream. and Marian, with Ter
mothers spirit OF adventure strong upon her, ter
rified the household by avowing her Intention OF
going across the water on tree the first time she
could escape parental authority.
The mother had her reward, nevertheless. Late
that night, when the children were asleep and
Bridget had relaxed guard, Kate escaped from
bed, and DOMINIC wrapper and shawl, laid her.
sell down upon The lounge before the open tire
70 entoy scar ming the daily paper The rain 1aIi
steadily without, so steadily that the sound OF
a horses hoofs coming up the sodden driveway
was scarcely distinguishabie from the patter OF
the rain-drops Kate started up as she heard a
step outside OF the door; another moment, and
Tom was before her. looking very solemn, ike
newly materaliZed ghost.
''Tom!" she cried, sharply, and then she seemed
10 COVER before him; yet not before him, but the
horror OF the afternoon, which again descended
upon her and took possession OF her. Tom, her
husband, might have been one OF that grizzly
throng OF mangled, crushed, dead and dying pban-
toms OF the might-have-been, ever torturing her
mental vision. She pressed her haL! over her
eyes, as II they might bar out the sight.
.'Oh, you ought not; you never should do such a
After all she had nerves, and they had been
sOrely tried that day.
".What do you mean?" gravey demanded Tom.
This was indeed sorry greeting, after all he had
been through.
"You shouldn't have come home in this upex-
pected way; you should let people know when you
are coming
skate" said Tom, solemnly, seating himself on
the sofa and drawing her down beside him ..you
Will speak differently when you know how near
came 10 not coming home at all; have travelled
IL miles on horseback over a rough mountain road
10 get here tonight. We were lust starting out OF
Prescita when We were notified that the bridge 3
miles below there-G miles above here, Kate-had
been carried away"
"How did you ind out?" Kate was herself again.
There was little twinkle In her eye, but her lip
trembled.
"As TO that replied Tom, reports are some
what vague. But all accounts agree IL was a
woman And she did wonderful things. The
bridge-tender's wife, | believe Floated down
stream on a timber, somebody said Started all
dripping, for the station and got there In an up-
considerably short time. Not minute to spare
III IL hadn't been for her!-Oh, II was a wonderful
feat, eyeryD body says"
but how-yery- unladylikew said Kate, in a
shocked voice, STOPPING 10 pick up something from
the fiOor.
"Unladylike,' cried Tom, excitedly. 81 tell you,
Kate, that was something worth while. Very
oinerent nom your lawn tennis practice. When
such strain as II must nave been, by Jove! Why,
Nate, doubt II you could do so much as walk TO
town and back. But when a woman saves two or
three hundred lives at one stroke! NY good
ness, hate! What have you been doing to your
For Mrs. Middleton had unconsciously pushed
the wounded foot into sight and It's LOAD OF band
ages, piled up by Bridgets clumsy fingers and
nnlshed with red flannel swathing, was indeed
calculated 10 strike terror 10 the behOlder.
~ took little walk to-day" replied Kate
guilty. trying TO hide the foot again beneath the
hem OF her dress "But don't let US talk about
that, TOM I'm sorry seemed queer and cold
When you came In l wasn't feeling well, and
you-you looked so. IL made me shiver."
Like many people who are dauntless In the mes
ence Of real danger, Kate had ali her life been shy
OF praise III she could have kept the knowledge OF
her eScapade, as she mentally termed It, from her
husband, she would gladly have done IL. But,
stupid as he was in some ways, ootuse as he was,
49, nf n E.a NaNsg ~ IL. =