The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-02-23
A HEROIC GIRL.
she DlsosaEo Her MOTHER
Hut For once 10 ws. net Dssosedisacs. sa
---- Bsroa m.

SHE DlsoaHEO .eR MOTHER
| hut For once 10 va. net Dssassdssaes. bat
--- Bsroa IN.
.Well, Sue said Mrs Craig, did
YOU get any MALI
.les, mother, letter from Amt
| Maria, and WAS just diving TO learn
what she saws Aunt Maria always
has some plan on hand for me-
Mrs. Craig tore open the missiye.
@She only wants you TO lie ready to
90 To Niagara falls with her when she
arrives here on her way to New York
that's all" And Mrs Craig fol-
ded the letter and tried to appear
uucorcerned.
TO Niagara falls. It's the grand
est thing that ever happened
"0f course you'll let me go! sah.i
Sue, releasing her hold and staring
at her mother as if there might he,
after all, possibility of dis:,ppoint-
ment.
ayes, Sue said Mrs. Craig, pat
ting her daughter fondly on the back,
"you shall go, but just Oh one con-
dition, and that Is that YOU will
never brighten us again as you did
Yesterday by going through the rail-
road tunnel or crossing the trestle at
the end OF it by yourse If.'
.1'll promise. And I'll keep my
promise, too, mother. That won't
be hard"
"Very we'll. You know the dam
ger. If you should be caught in
there when train is coming, | don't
know what wonld become of yon.
Father and l are going over to Mrs.
Illusions to stay all afternoon. and
we want you to do the tagging if
any may be required. There are
only the two expresses before Z
O'Clock, and We will be home by that
time" .-.. -........
Mr.. and Mrs. Craig went on their
visit, and Sue was left by herself in
charge of the tunnel watchhouse.
She could see right straight through
the long black hole and catch a
glimpse of the distant mountain
peaks beyond and she sat in the little
door and gazed in that direction a
full hour after her parents had gone,
for thither lay Niagra falls, 900 miles
away. So intent were her thoughts
on the promised journey that she
forgot everything else and failed to
take note of anything around her.
Once, for the moment, she was
dimly conscious of strange sound,
as of distant crashing timber, but
she gave it no immediate heed, if in
deed she heard it at all. But after a
few seconds more she seemed to wake
up and become conscious that some
thing had happened. ~.a.s.t .
She sprang quickly from her chair
and ran across the track. Beyond
the farther mouth of the tunnel,
which was cut through small hill
the railroad branched into two lines,
the one turning south into a valley
and the other Immediately crossing 9
long trestle, visible from the watch.
house and then skirting the opposite
mountain side toward the east. The
junction was known as the Fol-
Tunnel Y, the southern line was
called the Valley Fork, and the east.
ern the Trestle Fork. f
For full minute after she had
crossed the track she did not utter
another sound. She stood as ont
transfxed. Then all at once sht
sprang forward and looked again
eyes, the trestle has slid" she gasped
turning white as sheet sand the
trains are both due here in the mex
) 10 minutes-the southern express
, first and then the eastern-and botl
coming this way through the tunnel!'
, Her knees trembled, and she shool
like a leaf. -n -.~. -e', .
r 81 know! The southern expires!
comes first! Pll stop it just as sool
as it gets through to this side of th'
tunnel. and it can run back then ant
warn the eastern express of the dan
). ger! But suppose the first trail
should be late! They are never NOR
t than five minutes apart"
q She wrung her hands again an,
a again, striving in vain to solve tn
q awful problem. She returned to tn
t watchhouse and looked at the clock
] ''There is no more time to waste
: There is but one way-I must try t
get through the tunnel before tn
a first train comes. If it evertakes m
2 while am in there-but / can pc
v into one of the manholes. Somethin
/ must be donep' g
is She heard a faint whistle far ava
l. down the Valley Fork, whic
strengthened her resolution to ac
re She rushed into the house, got on
h the danger flag and the next momen
y had disappeared into the mouth q
70 the dark damp hole. The sudde
sc chilliness seemed to cool her heate
d brain, and she grew more compose
r, and stronger. She few along owe
re the ties as fast as her nimble fee
Is would carry her, but her swifte.
t. movement appeared hardly equal t
n a snaiPs pace now. On, on she spe
y into the darkness, with the hight frol
the farther end streaming into b,
ne eyes At first all was still, save tt
is echo OF. her own footsteps, but whe
n she had crossed half the distance ST
* heard a low, ominous rumblin,
W whose meaning she knew only to
1T well. 1t was the sound of the souti
ern express laboring up the Vale
re Fork not a mile away. She still ha
" good stretch to pass before sh
ct could reach the mouth. Could al
ar Oat thor. hxafo~o