Connecticut western news., 1889-06-05

of the order to hold them for No. g. This would be sufficient, and they would wait until No. g arrived. If No. 9 should arrive first, the execution of the order would be yet more simple. No. g would take siding, and as soon as they were clear Lily would be at liberty to take down the rcd signal lantern, and allow No. 21 to pass without stopping. No. 9 having arrived, the object of the order was already fulfilled. If both trains should happen to arrive at the same time, the red signal would stop No. 21, and as No. 22 had instructions to approach carefully they would do so, expecting to find No. 21 occupying the main track.
 Lily perfectly understood the import ance of the order she had just received, and during the long hour which wore slowly away she kept careful watch of the signal light which, however, con- tinued to burn as brightly as ever. At last she heard rumbling noise away in the west which gradually became louder and louder and more distinct. By this time she knew that No. 9 was coming and would probably get in on the siding before No. 21 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 ears.
 She began to feel anxious, as they were evidently coming at a high rate of speed, and not approaching as carefully as their order had instructed them; she also had not heard the whistle which is always sounded by trains when ap- preaching station, and this omission increased her fears that something was wrong. ...
 But she was given no time for fur ther reflection, as the train now dashed around curve not hundred yards dis tant, 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 at- tention was paid to her signal, the train coming madly on, with sucha 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 rattling crash and an awful rush of air the hissing, throbbing monster sped swiftly past her, while the clang, clank of the car wheels passing over loose splice near by was so rapid that it resembled the rapid hammering on the anvil in blacksmith shop. For moment Lily was unnerved and bewildered, but suddenly arousing her. self to action she rushed into the office, and seizing piece of tirebrick that did duty for stove leg, she turned and hurled it through the window of tho caboose that was just passing. An in- stant later the red lights in the rear end of the train had disappeared around a curve in the cut, and the rattle of the run away train quickly lessened in the dis tance.
 Lily's heart throbbed painfully an she was seized with sudden fit of shiver- ing, which most persons of delicate or ganizations are subject to when under great excitement. As soon as she had somewhat recovered she went into the cfficc, and calling the train dispatcher, who answered at once, she said:
 "No S2 passed at full speed and No. 2Lnot yet arrived!"
 "My God!" telegraphed back the dis patcher as swiftly as his frightened fin gers could form the letters, ''the crew must be asleep. They will strike in that cut and pile up fifty feet high! Heav- ems! This is horrible!'
 Lily then went on to explain that she had attempted to awaken them by throwing brick through caboose win dow and on hearing this the dispatcher opened his key without waiting for he1 to finish and said excitelly:
 ''Run to the east end of the siding and, if you see them backing them up throw the switch and let them in on the siding. No. 21 is not due here fv' minutes, and there is chance for then yet"
 "I have no switch key,' said Lily.
 ''Break the lock with hammer,
 rock, or anything," was the quick reply
 "Run, fy!"
 Lily seized an old ax that was lyin, handy, and, with a vague idea that sh might also need the red light, she tool it into her other hand and flew up tn
 track with the speed of the wind, at tn
 imminent risk of falling and breakin her neck ill the inky darkness. Once she stumbled and fell, and tn lantern was dashed from her hand an went rolling along the ground far be yond her reach by the sudden impetu U
 which her fall had given it, but withor
 pausing to regain it she sprang to he
 feet and bounded on.
 The switch at the end of the sidin was fully half mile from the office