The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-22
SAVED TRAIN And HUSBAND

landscape.
It had been dull tiresome week. SeY-
eral days before her husband had started
IF On p hunt in the mountains in company
With PARTY of friends. She was thinking
with envy of the merry hunting party, and
wondering haf bitterly why amnsements
that were conceded to be proper and health
full for men should not be healthiui ana
proper for women.
There was a rush of feet through the
house. the door of her room opened, and the
two children burst in.
mamma. the creek is mp! Take us down
TO see itP'
1t was refreshing to evade Bridget's vigil
liant ewes and steal out of the front door in
her loose house dress bare-headed and with
only her slippers on her feet.
They followed the garden path for little
distaGce and then entered narrow lane
leading to a place where they were accGs-
toned to ford the stream in the summer
time, but over which now swept seething
tempestuous flood
Even as they looked she saw wall OF
water suddenly rear up above and come
down toward them like miniature tidal
wave.
The dam built by the new water company
had given way
Tie stream rose several feet in second.
II cut into the solid banks on either Slde:
bushes and young trees, rooted up ahu
sucked in 10y the greedy current, went SPIN
ming by.
4 giant sycamore wayered, flung out its
bare and skeleton limbs a. il IN ghoStly
protest. and fell far out Into the stream,
inteVlocking Its branches with sturdy
evergreen OAK, which stood on the opposite
bank while Is trunk, loosely anchored by
long. snake-like roots, tossed heipIessiy u
mldStream.
Kate looked far M stream and saw
great piece Of timber sailing toward lheh.
Behind Il was another, and yet another
the stream was black with them.
Tie railroad bridge. And the afternoon
train now nearly due, soon to rush down
The steep gTade-to leap into that yaWning
chasm.
Her first impulse was to start M the
canyon, but she instantly checked herself
What folly, when miles of overflow lay be-
tween her and the doomed train!
Word must be sent down 20 the station,
ana from there the telegram TO the next
stopping place above the bridge
But how?
Size looked al the PROSTATE sycamore {;
down the stream leisurely. but nearer and
nearer stIll sailed the great logs.
Marion, so straight 10 the house and
stay there until mamma comes back.
Sheihad already pulled herself up by one
0f the roots, and was creeping Steathlly
Along the sWaying trunk.
once she slipped aud lost her hold, and
was nearly sucked into the eddyiug current,
bat she caught at a sharp prof elton and
swung herself UP again.
She commenced a peTilOus climb along
the limb. slippery and naked IN places,
wayeTing so that she grew dizzy aud shut
her eyes to keep from falling.
4 great mass Of timber struck heavily
across the failing sycamore, and Just as
Hg.
OAK she felt her support give way the old
tree tore loose from its m00rings and was
SWEPT down stream.
There was mile Of rough, rocky ground
TO be covered before she reached tie station
and the traIn-Ch, but to possess once more
toe agility Of her girlhood!
Which would be first?
How many times she asked herself that
question she could not have tod.
She as crossing tile bed OF one Of the
many abandoned channels Of the impetuous
mountain stream, when she faltered, smitten
by new and awful thought
What II Iom-I0m, her husband, who
was net TO come home Tor two DAYS more
should have cut short his excursion, or
driven home by the continued rains, some
how wandered to one Of the upper stations
and entered the train there?
Where was her yaunted physical strength
now?
Thank heaven! her brain kept clear and
true to It's purpose, urging on the tagging
body. On, on, over little bill ocks. across
level stretches Of sand. down new raYlnes,
she ran.
Once she cut her foot cruellv upon a sharp
stone and remembered. for the first time,
that she had on her slippers.
With all the rest Of her senses dulled, her
hearing appeared to have become prefer
naturally sharp. She seemed to discern the
clatter OF tie approaching train twelve
miles away. The thr0b, thTob. thrOb Of the
engine kept pace with her beating heart
Would she never reach the little red
station-house, now plainly in sight at the
end Of the smooth, graYeled road ? She was
passing the pOstOffce, where people idly
gazed at her. What matter?
The statlOn-master was in his Office talk
Ing with gentleman who had come down
from the mountains and was waiting Il
take the train for the city.
1t has rained all the week." he was say.
ing. ~ Gu think 1t rains here in the valley
but, great guns, you should be up in The
mountains ia ranstOrm. We broke camr
yesterday. L took straight line down here
The rest crossed the hills TO the station
above. They'll be down by the O'Clock
train
Then her premonitions were true, anC
Tom-Tom was in the fated train. Again
her body reeled, but her steady brain saveC
her.
stop the trainl The bridge is gone!' SD,
cried
Both men looked up, startled at the words
With the prompt movement of man trained
TO obey orders, the station master leaned r.
his instrument
There was brief silence. The operator
listened intently, with his head resting or
bis hand Kate Middleton remained stand
ing in the doorway, her hand clasped, he
face blanrhed with dread, and all her sou
absorbed IN listening.
Jack Spencer, slowly comprebendinp IN,
meaning OF the scene, waited, lis Interest
growing at every moments delay.
AT last 1t oame-tEe monotonous click
click. conveying its pOrtentous message in
language unknown to two of the tire,
chair.
Just in time. The train was starting on
OF the station, but they stopped her."
Kate Middleton clutched at the doorway
She was again on the swayng sycamore
and the limb was cracking, breaking. golne
down.
She felt the water on her face, and opened
her eyes, TO find herself seated In a chair
Jack Spencer supporting her head and In
station master pouring ice-cold water owe
her.
Shell be right in minute" said Jack
cbeerfully. Now. Mrs Middleton. wiz
your permission I'll see you home"
Late that night, VIXEN the children wer
asleep, Kate escaped from bed. and. don
ping shawl, lad herself down upon tn
lounge before the fire. She started up a
she heard step outside the door; anothe
III oment and Tom was before her, lookiu
very solemn, like newly materialze
ghost.
Toni she cried sharply, and then sh
seemed TO cover before him. yet not befor
him, but the horror Of the afternoon.
ION, Ter husband, might have been on
OF that CHASTITY throng of margled. crushed
dead and dying phantoms OF the vision sti
torturing her brain.
"Oh! you ought not; you should neyt
do such a thing" she said After ali. sh
had nerves, and they had been sorely tre
that day.
"What do you mean ." gravely demande
Tom. This was, indeed, peculiar gree
Ing.
Kate" said he, seating himself on ii