The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-04-27

No. %. This would be sufficient. and
they would wait until No. % arrived.
If No % should arrive first, the eXecu-
ton of the order would be yet more
simple. No. - would take siding. and
as soon as they were clear Lily would
be at liberty to take down the red sig
nal lantern, and allow No. 81 to pass
without stopping. No % having ar
rived, the object of the order was al
ready fulfilled. If both trains should
happen to arrive at the same time, the
red signal light would stop No. 81, and
carefully" they would do so, expect
ing to find No. u occupying the main
track.
Lily perfectly understood the import
ance of the order she had just re-
ccived, and during the long hour,
which wore slowly away, she kept care
full watch of the signal light, which,
however, continued to burn as brightly
as ever. At last she heard a rumbling
noise away in the west, which grad
ually became louder and louder and
more distinct. By this time she knew
that No. % was coming, and would
probably get in on the siding before
No. 81 should arrive.
The rumbling became louder and
louder each moment; the earth began
to tremble, and the peculiar vibration
in the air which gives warning of a
rapidly approaching train hummed
loudly in her ear
She began to feel anxious as they
were evidently coming at high rate
of speed and not approaching as care
fully as their order had instructed
them, she also had not yet heard the
whistle which is always sounded by
trains when approaching a station, and
this omission increased her fears that
something was wrong
But she was given no time for fur
thec reflection, as the train now sud-
denly dashed around curve not a
hundred yards distant, running at full
speed.
Lily flew out and stood between the
rails swinging her hand lamp wildly
across the track and shouting at the
top of her clear young voice. But no
attention was paid to her signal, the
train coming madly on. with such a
rattle and clash that it drowned the
sound of her voice.
The roaring, rushing train was now
upon her and she barely had time to
spring from the track and escape with
her life. With a rafting crash and an
awful rush of air the Kissing, throb-
bling monster spcd swiftly past her,
while the clank, clank, clank of the
car-wheels passing over loose splice
near by was SO rapid that it resembled
the rapid ha,nmering on the anvil in "a
blacksmith shop.
For moment Lily was unperved and
bewildered, but suddenly arousing her.
self to action, she rushed into the Of
flee and Selling piece of friedrich that
did duty for a stove-leg, she turned and
hurled it through the window of the ca
boose which was just passing. An in
slant later the red lights on the rear
end of the train had disappeared
around curve in the cut, and the
rattle of the runaway train quickly
lessened in the distance.
Lily's heart throbbed painfully and
she was seized with a sudden fit of
shivering which most persons of deli
cate organizations are subject to when
under great excitement. AS soon as
she had somewhat recovered, she went
into the Office and calling the train dis
patcher, who answered at once, she
said:
No. % passed at full speed and No
81 not yet arrived"
'My God" telegraphed back the dis
patcher as swiftly as his frightened
fingers could form the letters, 1.-The
crew must be asleep. They will strike
in that cut and pile up fifty feet high!
Heavens, this is horrible!"
Lily then went on to explain that she
had attempted to awaken them by
throwing Il brick through the cabooso
window. and on hearing this the dis
patcher opened his key without waiting
for her to finish and said excitedly:
Run to the east end OF the siding,
and if you see them backing up throw
the switch and let them in on the sid
ing. No. p is not due here for five
minutes, and there is chance for them
yet
81 have no switch key" said Lily.
Break the lock with hammer. a
rock, or any thing" was the quick re-
ply. Run, fly"
Lily seized an old axe that was lying
handy, and, with a vague idea that she
might also need the red light, she took
it in her other hand and flew up the
track with the speed of the wind, at the
imminent risk Of falling and breaking
her neck in the inky darkness.
Once she stumbled and fell, and the
lantern was dashed from her hand and
went rolling along the ground far be-
yond her reach by the sudden impetus
which her fall had given it; but with
out pausing to regain it she sprang to
her feet and bounded on.
The switch at the east end of the