The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-08-13
THE NAN WHO VAS BRAVE.
CHAPTER I.

( AO'AAA' bONA IlAS steps bHOy rails dIIlN IA
upon it, breathless and impatient, re-
gardless of the swaying mass that had
/ possession of it. eager only TO make sure
j OF seat in the incoming train.
j 1t was the Saturday before an August
bank holiday, ana the railway platform
was not pleasant sight. Here was a
/ pale-taced clerk with a jaded-Iooking
/ wife and q string Of little ones, all hold
/ ing each others hands, trying yainly to
! elicit some information from the bewil-
/ dered porter; there a half-drunk laborer
! lurching about regardless of whom he
might fall against; then again others,
bona-fide cockneys and their sweethearts,
shrill in their voice, Haunting in their
dress, loud III their laughter, enjoying
everything, the crowd, the noise, even
the pushing. And farther a few men and
women, higher in the social scale, who
never ought to have chosen to travel on
such day or in such company. These
Jared the worst, for they were ruthleSsly
! handled by the seething crowd; it seemed
indeed as if everybody took delight in
I knocking up against them.
Among these were a delicate-lOOking
old lady and her daughter, the former al
most frantic with fear, the latter trying to
protect her mother from the rough hand
/ ling of the crowd; both looked helpless
and were evidently untitled to take their
/ own part against the jostiing mass.
The crowd was tired OF waiting. All the
trains had been much behind time, and
all had been oyercrowded. Therefore
! when some one cried out, The train has
! been signaled," regular stampede en-
! sued, the people from behind pressed for
! ward; those who were vigorous and did
not mind using their arms pushed them
! back again, so did not lose their footing.
| But the weaker were carried on TO the
edge Of the platform and had to fight for
standing room and dear life.
Suddenly there was heard a shrek so
great so terror-stricken, that it rose far
above the din of the noisy crowd. Every
one turned to his neighbor to see whence
the appalling cry had arisen. The next
moment several people were simultane-
ously aware OF The slight figure ola young
! girl lying across the rails, and OF the hor-
rible snoring OF the engine OF the adj
F! Yancing rrain within a lew yards OF her.
J The sudden hush that fell upon the peo-
! pie was almost as. terrible as the sight
itself. 1t was broken by the shrieks of
| one or two women, but most of the spec
tators, men and women, seemed turned
into stone.
The agonized cries Of the poor mother
! rent the air. The engine was ever COM
ing nearer, and there seemed nothing for
! the unfortunate girl but horrible death,
when, of a sudden, man leaped oil the
! edge OF the platform where he was stand
ing, clutched the girl desperately, and
, dragged her almost blindly from in front
/ OF the engine. He had scarcely lifted her
from the line. when the laundering loco
motive passed over where she had been
lying.
1t had all taken so short time that
most OF the spectators were in ignorance
whether the two had been saved or no.
The young man, however, almost uncon-
scious OF what he was doing, rushed,
with the girl IN his arms, over several
sets Of lines to the opposite platform.
Then a deafening cheer arose, so loud,
so ringing, that the whole station re-
sounded with it. The crowd, who had
been eager TO get into the train, now
seemed TO forget ali about it, and rushed
up the stairs, down to the other platform,
to shake hands with and cheer the hero OF
the hour.
And yet he was no Hercules, this brave
preserver, only slight, pale young man,
with a nervous, agitated manner; no
braWny giant, who had but to lift up an
arm TO do deed Of valOr, but a frail, del
icately made youth, whose brow was
! studded over with great beads OF perspi-
ration, and who was still trembling, it
seemed from the effort it had cost him to
drag the girl across the rails.
But although his physique was so slight,
he bore himself modestly enough, repeat
ing to the good-hearted, enthusiastic
| crowd, Indeed II was nothing; you
would all have done the same" This
disclaimer OF heroism only enhanced his
value in the eyes OF the holiday making
multitude, who would gladly have raised
him aloft in their arms and carried him
| in triumph.
Next to the hero, the sympathy of the
. ,tra with rT,I
with her mother, who was being sup
ported TO the platform where her daugh-
ter lay by q brawny tar, over six feet
high, who was considerably the worse for
his rotations.
But a great and valiant deed levels all
ranks, and the old lady clung to the sail
or's arm rs II he had been OF the most ex-
allied class, imploring him to take her to
her daughter.
1t was the mothers cry of ''Winnie"
that first aroused the poor girl from the
obstinate swoon into which she had
fallen. The long lashes quivered on her
pale cheek, little SIGH forced its Wav
! through the sweet hali-opened lips.
/ Her awakening was terribly painful.
Evidently she had fallen into state OF
Inconsistencies with the certainty Of a
horrible death upon her, for her first ar
tIculate words were, 'Oh! it is down
upon me.''
LAtl IllOtiiBI SOOtIGA GtI lis Desb SEle
could, while her preserver looked COM
passionately and sympathetically at the
| beautiful pale face and at the slight fig
ure which he still supported with one
arm.
A'Give her more air; she viii soon re-
cover" said one or two voices, and Ar
thur Hill gently laid the girl down on a
stretcher, hastily constructed out OF some
advertisement boards. He would have
left her, but the girls mother detained
him.
II cannot let you go,' she cried, look
ing from him TO her still almost uncon-
| sciOuS daughter. "Oh! let me thank you!
She is all 1 haver'
Tears choked her utterance. ''She can
not thank you now, herself" she con-
| tlnued, but tomorrow surely you will
come to US tomorrow. See, this is where
we Iive," and she thrust label into his
hand that had evidently been attached to
some article OF baggage, which she had
| lost In her agitation. Winnie would go
her preserver."
''Yes, 1 will come" said Arthur Hill.
| He gave one glance at the girl as she lay
there, propped up by the kind-hearted
! old danes. A little color was beginning
| to invade the death-white cheeks; the
| gray eyes were opening slowly. She was
very winsome, thought the young man.
! 1t had been given to him to save a very
beautiful woman.
He would gladly have skunk out of the
station, but this was not to be. First the
station-master, then the officials, then a
man who had flown upon the wings of
the wind, as newspaper reporters always
fly, came and interviewed him, and the
people sent cheer upon cheer after him.
| and rushed forward to grasp him by the
| hand and to congratulate him on his Valor
as he passed them by. 'You deserve a
| V. c. as much as any soldier" SIT was
! IL