Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-05-26

me; just one glance from your ewes
that is enough"
She lays one soft little hand on his
powerful brown one.
Poor Lennw she says softly. 81 am
sorry" M
He turns away and draws one hand
across his eyes, then smiles at her Il
almost his usual light hearted fashion.
by the way" he says, ~ am afra;d
the bridge across the river lust below
here will not hold 800 tonight il Il Is as
loaded as usual. Well, I'm of: / NAV
be back this way in an hour to helm Won
keep away the cold"
and draws his fur cap over his ewes. a.
the door he looks back and hesitates.
Il feel strangely reluctant to leave
you here all alone" he says wistfully.
why, what could harm meY"
Nothing in all Trenton, that know
of-but-would you like me to STAY with
your
Glow good you arel'' she says. but
do you think would allow you to go
without your supper in order that YOU
may protect me from unseen .perilY
She laughs merrily. mo, Lem, am
as safe as it-as if-well, nothing can
happen to me, at all events. So 20 with
clear conscience"
And this time he goes and does not
look back.
She shivers little as she remembers
what he has said about the bridge.
What sudden chill of terror his words
had struck to her heart.
The bridge will not hold 802l she
says to herself. at is through passen-
ger and will not stop unless | signal it.
| must find out. It is not due for half an
hour yet. shall have time"
She throws long, dark cloak over
her shoulders and takes down red light
from the wall. With another glance at
the clock she rushes out in the stormy
black night. Down the track she speeds,
the lantern dancing through the dark
ness like will-o'-the-wisp. The bridge
is about q quarter Of a mile from the
station, but she knows every step of the
way. Suddenly deep. roaring sound
meets her ears.
''The river! The riverr' she gasps.
Lem said today it had risen fearfully.
That frail bridge will be swept away as
if it were stick in such a fierce tor
rent"
Now she is at the bridge-but where
is the bridge? The last Of it is swept
away in the black, seething waters as
she reaches the bank, and at that mo-
ment, another sound, heard family
above the roar of the river, sends new
terror to her heart. A distant thunder
ing sound, and she knows the train is
coming through the cut half a mile
away.
"Oh, God, for some strength" she
groans. "All those souls must not be
lOst!''
She struggles on through the fearful
wind that drives the thin, cutting snow
in her face like so many tiny lashes. On
comes the express NEARER, nearer. Grad
ually the roar Of the river changes into
the roar of the oncoming train. Once
she stumbles and falls, and her fingers,
stiff with cold, almost lose their grasp
on the precious red signal; but she is up
almost before she touches the ground.
"Only few more rods" she breathes,
land they are savedr'
Now she can see the lights from the
station, and almost simultaneously there
flashes around curve in the inky dark
ness the headlight of 800 coming down
the track at full speed
With q last desperate effort she gains
the station, and, standing in the center
Of the track, waves the red light fran
tically above her head. She tries to cry
out-her voice is drowned in the roar
Of the wind and the approaching train.
But the engineers head is out of the cab
window; he sees the slender, wind blown
figure on the track, her tragic white face
cleaning in the dazzling glare of the
headlight. He throws back his lever,
and gradually gradually long
train comes to standstill, the engine
painting and quivering like live thing
and sending out great volumes Of dense
smoke.
They are saved! The lantern falls
from her numb hand, and she sinks
down on the track, shivering and trem-
bling all over. There is a crowd about
her in an instant asking questions that
she is too exhausted to reply to, but
among all the strange faces she sees one
familiar one that sends the blood to her
white face and the light to her eyes.
She holds out her hand with q little
faint cry, and it is clasped in both Of
Jacks warm ones and held close to his
heart.
Then she turns to the conductor, whu
is standing impatiently beside her.
1.-THE bridge is gone" she says. The
words como with difficulty through her
white, cold lips. II went down to see
and reached here barely in time to save