Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-03-24

he sent packing lTOu hlS PiSS0nS0'
The girl, with her tear face up
turned to his, promised Keauley to wait
for him till he succeeded in accumulating
the $1,000 that the old senator named
as the amount of wealth Keanley must
possess before he could aspire to winning
her. Then, when orders had sent Kean-
lev to the west, he had gone with the
determination strong within him to very
soon gain the money and the girl.
But he speedily grew despondent'
The fates seemed against him. He struck
no bonanza OF highway to speedy wealth.
and finally half gave up the struggle
The money that would flow to little Ben
as the substantial reward of his genius
was to be invested by Kcanley, who, IN
this manner, would soon obtain the
coveted $40, 900. Then when prosper
ity smiled upon the senator's new"
found son-in-law, little Ben'S wealth
was to be returned to him. The two
plotters placed great faith in this plan,
chimerical as it was.
Then, came the great storms, and'
with them, one that the "oldest iphabi-
tant," popularly supposed to know every,
thing, declared was the largest ana
heaviest rainfall since '3l. The creeks
seemed to have wholly forgotten their
boundaries, and, later, the work begun
by the rain was completed by the cloud
hurst. over IN the next county, near the
head of blackberry Creek. 1t was nearly
10 o'clock when message went clicking
pv, and Keanley, who had been nursing
m aching tooth all day, remarked TO
Ben. who was playing the violin loudly,
tn shut out the sound of the rushing rain
"Dispatcher is telling them to look out
for an east bound special that leaves res
Hamilton al 10:40. That means 1l;%o
when it passes here" ., -.
Ben nodded and went on with his
tune. Presently the train dispatcher was
heard calling &C." That was Giddings,
the station just beyond, where the rail-
road bridge spauued blackberry Creek
"What is the condition Of brldge
381W the message ran.
The operator at GiddingS presently
clicked back the answer
"Bridge 3S1 is o. K. Water high out
not dangerous" l."
The cloud burst had not yet oc
: CURED.
Meanwhile Keanley's tooth grew more
painful, till its victim did little bu
walk the floor and anathematize the oil
Tending molar. =,
"Tf It don't ease up soon," he said
presently, "rll tramp over to the settle
ment and have it out, storm or n
storm"
Soon, the pain not abating, he donnet
his rubber coat and boots and started
e away in the darkness and storm.
With his violin for company little Bel
= scarcely felt lonely. He wondered pres
: emily if it were not time for Keanley''
return. Suddenly the sender began tt
click furiously: "H. d. H. -'n
Hamilton call.
Then came the message:
: "Bridge 3S1 is down. For God
u sake, hold the special"
y The cloud burst had done its worh
Ben glanced quickly at the clock. In
;. hands indicated a fraction of minu
less than 1928. The special was
d time. and. even as Ben turned, thel
d came the flash of the headlight throug
> the storm that drowned the noise OF II
Or engines approach. No time even to tai
the red Lantern from the cuddy al
~ light it.
Little Ben remembered afterward ho'
even in the intense excitement OF =
! moment, it had flashed through his mil
u. how useless the effort of the frighten'
~ operator at Giddings had been iu tel
y, graphing to Hamilton, when he mig
a. have known that the special had pass
~ there half an hour before.
The engine gave no call for brake
:. and Ben knew that no stop would
40 made there and that the train would ru
on to destruction at the wrecked brio
~ at blackberry Creek. TIE heading
~ seemed abreast of him as he tu
81 open the door, and, with a migf
snrinc on his crutches,, threw hims'
- out on the platform of the little dep'
There was no use or time to signal a
.. there seemed nothing to do but TO
'S' u the train rush on to wreck. Then' IL
u, q flash, the little cripple raised his rle
aI aI1 crutch, and, with the rapidity almost
I;nhtn;no hnrled it, lance-fashion,
NV the window of the engine cab, just as
flashed past him. Then he slipped a
H. I fell headlong on the wet plattoI
'H0 Passing just above the back OF the d
man, as he bent to open the turn
re- [e, door. the crutch struck the englne'
~. ~. shoulder with force that made MIN
IL out. His quick perception took In
situation, and he knew that sometn
vas serious had caused the train to be
An' nailed in that manner. Soon the IT
no' m came to a standstill. Then it backed
'er- to the little depot, and the engine
crotch in hand, descendea hurrie
gnu from TIE cab. He found the owner
'iiu the crutch crawling to his feet VIII
nen face much paler than usual. The ST
liSS m was soon told, and then it was re'olo
rev the parlor car, where the condue
~ ~ speedily carried little Ben. =,
1a al" In the cab, the engineer SAID 10
sut Snt grimy fireman: "Bill, it almost ma
ou' me ashamed of myself to have my
~. ~. saved by such weak, pale little TEL
oy an a cripple at that" Though
osi- nu'n0iou'' or ond the sum