Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-09-30
fairly flew on past sleeping hamlets and
Aim fo,n, Ia,,,ae


sure that all was working smoothly,
while Jim inspected the headlight. The
operator handed out the orders, which
showed that the road was clear as far
as our next stopping place. On we
went.
1.-THE darkness grew more intense, If
possible, while the wind shrieked by.
The rain became more binding, till
nothing could be distinguished in the
gray murk which enveloped us.
Suddenly, through the mist and
rain, saw, looming right before us,
the gigantic figure Of Woman
wrapped in long, black mantle,
which seemed to futter in the wind.
She waved great spectral arms about in
swift, twisting movements AS sat,
looking In horror, the figure vanished
with final wave Of her arms.
81 was too much astonished and
stupefied to make move of my hand
toward the throttle At that moment
Jim had been'bending over the fire. As
he looked up he exclaimed:
"'Hullo, Frank, what's up? You look
as if you had seen a ghostl'
~ did not answer. My mind was
too full of that strange figure had
seen.
"Wc were now nearing Rock creek,
where there is trestle over a deep
stream. felt more nervous than
ever.
1--WE dashed around the curve and
whizzed by Rock Creek station, which
Is only mile from the trestle As we
passed glanced at the steamgauge for
an instant.
"A cry from Jim caused me to. turn
quicly toward him. He sat rigid, his
eyes large and staring, his jaw dropped,
the very picture of terror.
"He pointed with a shaking finger
out into the darkness. / turned and
looked, and then began to shake my.
self.
"There, on the track, was that same
hideous figure of woman, outlined on
the background of light from the
engine, now motionless, now whirling
In witch dance, but all the time
motioninG tis back.
"'Frank, gasped Jim, but scarcely
above q whisper, don't go over that
trestlel Don't go, for heavens sakel
Don't go till you're sure it's safel'
II suppose | was, pretty badly
scared At any rate, put ON the air
brake for all was worth. l couldn't
have resisted the impulse to stop the
train.
"As we came to stop, l could hear
the roar of the water in Rock creek
right ahead. stepped out of the cab,
and met the conductor coming up.
"'Whats the matter? What's the mat
ter2' he asked, impatiently.
~ felt decidedly foolish. There was
no gigantic woman to be seen now.
Nothing could be made out more
than a few feet away in the binding
storm.
"Well, said I, we've seen some
thing, don't know what it is-seemed
like it was a great black ghost-that
was waving its arms and warning us
not to go forward.
1.-THE conductor looked at me curious
ly. Are you crazy, Frank2' he said
4 should think you were. But we're
so near the trestle We'll take look
at it.
"Wc took our lanterns and went ahead,
leaving Jim with the engine. He looked
scared all over. But ! tell you we had
not gone five rods before we stopped in
horror.
"There at our feet lay black chasm,
filled with the roar of the river, as
swollen with the spring rains 1t dashed
down toward the lake. The bridge
was washed away!
only few splinters of wood and
twisted iron chung to the abutment,
while now, far out over the blackness,
that awful black figure Of woman
danced again on the thin air, relieved
aginst the shaft of light that the head
light threw.
ut was hinging It's arms about as II
in wild glee.
1.-THE conductor stared at the chasm
and then at me.
"'Was that the thing you saw when
you stopped the train?' he asked.
Eyes
"'Well, It's something more than
luck that saved us tonight, Frank
"We went back slowly to the train,
feeling very queer, and thankful, too,
can assure you. Several of the pas
sengers had come running forward by
this time. Among them was a young
fellow from Chicago, about eighteen
years old, who was smarter than the
whole Of us, us it turned out,
when this boy saw the woman in
black, he turned and looked at the To-
connective headlight Then he ran
up toward it. looked at 1t as he did
so. saw peculiar spot on the glass.
"'There's your woman In blacb' said
the Chicago boy.
"And there it was, sure enough-that
same moth miller that you see there in
that frame. He was cliuging to the In
side of the glass. As tapped on the
| EldoN, Wiz hCW OdCh anu
lighted on the reflector.
That's the whole story, sir. The
moth, by fluttering on the glass just in
front of the electric illuminator, had
produced great black shadow, like
that of cloaked woman, on the dark
ness in front of us; and when he Topped
his wings in his vain attempt to sail
out through the glass, he gave his mys-
terious shadow the look of waving its
arms wildly.
Then when he few back out of the
direct shine of the light, the figure dis.
appeared, of course.
1--WE never knew just how he got in
there, but no doubt it happened when
Jim went to fix the light at the pump.
ing-station.
Anyhow, he saved our lives by scar
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