The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-05-04

ance OF the order she had just re-
ceived. AMI 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 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 nc
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.
bing monster sped 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 hammering on the anvil in g
blacksmith shop.
For a moment Lily was unnerved and
bewildered, but suddenly arousing her.
self to action, she rushed into the of.
flee and Selling piece of friedrich that
did duty for 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 real
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 whal
under great excitement As soon az
she had somewhat recovered, she went
into the office and calling the train dis.
patcher, who answered at once, she
said:
mo. % 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, "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 brick through the caboose
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. 81 is not due here for five
minutes, and there is a chance for then
YETI ... -.. ....... -...
Il have no switch key" said Lily.
Break the lock with hammer, 8
rock. or any thing" was the quick re.
ply. Run, fy!'
Lily seized an old axe that was lying
handy, and, with 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.
You'd 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
siding was fully half mile from the
office, and about the same distance
from the beginning of the cut, If No.
% could back in on the siding in time,
they would be safe; but if they at
tempted to back down the main track
past the telegraph Office, they were
liable to be overtaken by No. 81 be-
fore going half the distance; as, accord
to the dispatcher's figures, No. 21
should now be very close.
AS Lily reached the switch, pair of
cleaning red lights suddenly appeared
around the curve in the cut; and she
knew that the train was already rapid
~ backing up, and that she had not q
moment to lose.
Feeling for the lock in the darkness
she then struck it several heavy blows
with the axe, which she still retained.
Luckily one of the blows taking effect,
the broken lock dropped to the ground
She then grasped the switch lever and
attempted to throw it over, but it re-
sisted her utmost efforts to move it.
The train was now only a short dis
lance away, and with the energy of de-