New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-13

Sbc was not light of foot as in her glrihoou,
whereas, she was once nect as uecr on" raai;,nS
motion was very Joy to her, she now rea ilm
that she was growing to be stout ana miounn
AGED woman She moved heavily ana clum Ely
and laborcd for breath and her rect were nNe
ciods beneath her There was milo OF rough aho
rocky ground 10 be covered before she rcachea eno
station and the trainoh, but to possess ohco moro
the AGILITY Of her girlhoodl
'"I witch would be 0rstY Would the train, flying
across the upper levels OF tho Coast Range rcach
the next station before the brave woman hao seho
nstod herself the question she could not mayo
fold She scarcely dared hope that she might DC
in time Her heart seemed ready TO burst WIN
grief for the terrible misery threatening 80 many
bsnpv homes Alas! for the orphaned chilaren VINO
might CRY aloud to heaven that night! Alas Tor
fathers and mothers whom the morrow mishG DC
hold bowed down with sorrow! hiaS' luz nus
She was crossing the bed OF one Of the many
abandoned channels OF the impctuous mountain
stream rock pathwaSy e,e ss eysn then shallow
stream was ripping past token OF the torrents
surplus force She faltcred, smittcn by, a new and
awful Thought What II Tom-Tom. who was not
m come for two days more Tom who had started
ont in an altogether different dirrctlon-should
have cut short his excursion, or, with his party,
driven home by the continued rains s9nlcn a'S
wandered TO one OF the upper s@i'ions "Au oo"i"
the train therel
Where was her Wanted physical strength now
What was she, after ALL but weak wretcned
woman, with trembling limbs, every muscle
clorgcd by this great horror that had taken pos
session Of her. fierce pain gripping at hor heart
something rising in her throat which suhTcotrd
her. her eyes blinded with ba6ylsh tears nm"sn
God her brain kept clear and true to It's purpose
and urged on the Tagging body On, on, owe. nt-
tlc hillocks across level stretches OF sand. down
now ravincs she ran. Once she cut her ioot crusIs
upon n sharp stone and remembered Tor the nrso
time that she had on the light worsted silpPcN
she had worn in the house, and had careleSsy neg
lectcd TO exchange for wnlking-boots when sho
started down TO the creek with her children. one
even bethought herself that her loose housc-dress
was scarcely the style OF apparel In when shs
should like to present herself at the station could
she have her choice and in the same breath SEM
M n PRAYER Of thankfulness for its light weight
which scarcely encountered her movements
With all the rest OF her senses dulcd. her heas-
ing appeared to have become preternaturaiIy
sharp. She seemed to hear the CHATTER Of tho APP
preaching train twelve miles away. Inc throo'
throb, throb Of the engine kept pace with hcr oc2,
ing heart. She heard the hollow echoes ron NV
ncighboring hills as the train crcpt over empank-
ments its deafcning clamor as 1t rushed hcIps3
trestleworl1. its dull rumble rs it rolled over soiIu
ground She seemed to see the engineer Us
he laid his hand on the cscapevave, reany 10 give
tho iron monster voice as it nearcd the little noun
tain town, then the wild shrek OF inc escspins
steam the clangor Of the bell the pun, pun a.
the train sackened speed, the CHATTER OF INC oraAeo'
the janple Of the couplings.
Would she never reach the littl. red station
house now plainly in sight at the end OF the
post-ofice, where people idly gozed at her, MhaS
mattcrl II only there were horse ana pugsy ia
SIGHT 70 be]p her on her way! II only one OF the
loungrs would understand ana tnRe up ro ode
to fulfill But she might not tu-n ASIDE .
On the depot platform more lounEers' jim jim
among them rolling Quid Of tobacco IN MS cherk
and talking earnestly about the state OF inc
weather and the prospects OF the growing crops.
They all looked upon her rs mad woman, rs she
ran past them. jim muttcred an eXplctlve undcs
his breath moved by the strong INDIGNATION that
must always possess n self-rsspectns servant
when master or mistress docs something deroga-
tory to the dignity of his family
The station-master was In his once taking ing
with gentleman who had come down from tho
mountains and was waiting to take the tralh 10
the city. lie was clad in hunting-suit and was
talking with some excitement
at hos raincd all the week. he was saying:
YOU think 1t rains here in the valley, but, great
guns, you should be up In the mountains in rain
storm. Sheets and sheets Of it-blizzards OF sleet
and hail and the wind blowing like hurricane.
We broke camp yesterday. / took . nee-n INV
down here. The rest crossed the hili5 TO thc Stn,
ton above. They'll be down on the four-o CLOCK.
Voice and speaker were familiar 10 the woman
who stood in the doorway. both hands pressed to
her painting breast The words came only 700 us
! tinctly to her quickcncd senses. Ihen her pre-.
monitions were true and Iom-Iom was on o h
fated train. Again her body reeled, but her
steady brain saved her .
Stop the trainl The bridge Is gomez she
cried.
With the prompt movement OF a man trained 10
obey orders, the agent leaped to his instrument;
the other man. slower to comprehend, came LOT
! ward the look Of Amusement on his face as he
| viewed the singular apparition in the doorway
| giving place 30 amused indulgence. as ne recog-
nizcd the speaker What an eccentric, impetuoins
| girl Kate Mitchell always was, ana what lie she
| must lead Tom Middleton! -
This is quite an unexpected pleasure MIS-
| Middleton" he said smiling
She waved him back with a single imperious
gesture. There was a brief silence. The operator
listened intcntly. with his head resting on his
hand Kate Middleton remained standing IN the
! doorway her hands claspcd low, her face 6anched
with dread and oil her soul absorbed In listening.
Jack Spencer, slowly comprehendins the meanins
of the scene, waited, his interest growing "iOh
! every moments delay -
At last it came. the monotonous click, click,
conveying its portcntOus message III language
unknown to two of the three listeners. The OPP
! crater arose from his chair 49,
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 swayng sycamore, and The limb I'M.
was cracking, breaking, going down She felt
| the water on her face and opened net eyes 70
find JacE Spencer supporting her heao' ana 'nc
station agent pouring icecold water over her.
cbec ShG5 DC = Nd r Mrs Middleton, with your
permission. TIL see you home qr.
She borrowed hat and cloak from the Sta
tion-agent's wife. Jim brought up the horses,
Jack Spencer handed her into the wagon, With
grave courtesy, and they drove of: Some OF tne
! lounccrs dimly understanding what she had done,
looked OIL curousy. That was all NO FUSS no
formal tributes, speech-makng even from me
TWO who understood. There no deputatlon
Of strong men to tender her public trihttc, IN
voices shaken by sobs Contrary to all tradl-
ton. and unlike any hero or heroine who ever
saved a train from wreck. she was OH 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'
although Jack Spencer was attentive ana taIka-
| five, and tried. as hard man could. TO show
his appreciation Of her brave deed. Perhaps she
| was embarrassed in the consciousness Of her odd
ottirc md the curious looks cast upon her MS she
rode through the village Perhaps she was Sc
cretly ashamed Of her mad race and of the excep-
tional unwomanly physical proves that had
! made il possble notwithstanding the fact that IT
had had saved many lives She did not even invite
jack to come in when she reached her own door
| and only relaxed a little when Jack said very
earnestly: x,.,,,o,
| training for again, NlrS