The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-03

oe'iSey VA tiiut trdiii, WIFI ltS uvlnR, I'M
conscious freight, among them the man
whom she herself had sent to face this
hidden danger, to meet an almost certain
death.
But there was the work to DO done,
and she must do it somehow. Further,
she must do it unaided. The time was
too short to allow of her getting back to
the city and sending messenger across
the valley. And of course the telegraph
wires had broken when the bridge gave
way.
No, there was only ono way open to
her, and its chances were all against sue.
cess.
The sky had cleared little, and it was
just possible now to see the point Mt
which the bridge came to an end and the
black chasm that lay beyond it. Out of
the darkness projected the end of q long
pole, which had been horizontal, but
which now rested ct sharp angle,
wedged tightly among other beams that
crossed it far below out of sight.
Althea took firm hold Of this pole.
leaned all her weight on it to test its sta
bility, and then with terrible sinking
at her heart swung off into the darkness.
Almost Immediately her foot struck an
other beam, and to this she lowered her.
self cautiously.
1t was also firm enough to bear her
weight, and she found Il whole stack of
loose timberS resting against it, by which
she was able to drop lower still.
The ruin. which had fallen toward and
not away from her end of the gap, now
lay piled so close that the descent was
not really difficult
1t was the darkness and the uncertain
ty that she feared. Once or twice TIM
Der gave away beneath her weight and
fell dragging Il number of others down
with it.
And once the end of Il beam to which
she was hanging swung scesaw fashion,
and lowered her gently 10 or IL feet be-
fore it Ovelbalanced itself and swung
off from its central pivot, landing her
almost miraculously on firm footing.
And so downs and down scrambling,
swinging, falling, she kept on her way
until at last, after what seemed to her
an intcrlninable length of time, she saw
the glimnner of broken water below her,
and knew that she had almost reached
the stream.
She checked herself, and leaning for
ward pecred down into the darkness.
There WAS IA sheer drop, though of what
distance she had no means of Judging,
between her and the water, and she
could find no means of getting either 10
right or left. So, shutting her eyes
tightly and swinging TO the full length
OF her arms, she let herself go.
The signalman on the farther side of
The Bar Island valley LTidge had just fin
ishcd his supper and settled himself
comfortably by the stove to enjoy his
evening pipe when he was reused by the
sound OF footsteps stumbling up the lad
der that led to his box.
~ moment later he saw the figure of i,
girl framed i'll the doorway Her dress
was torn, drcnched with water and
thickly plastcrcd with mud Her long,
dark hair, tangled and dripping, hung
about her shoulders, and IL thin stream
of blood was trickling down her face
from n cut OH the forehead
For I'll instant the man sat and stared
at her, dazcd and silent. Then he recog-
nized Althca and lcaped to his feet.
The train she gaspcd. "The train.
i-tS IL lftSSc'. YET!
No; trains half an hour behind time,
but she's abont due now, l reckon
Thank God. I'm in time, then. Stop
them! Stop tho train for Gods sake.
The bridgc-the bridge is gone"
The man looked incredulonsly at her.
Then, beginning TO grasp the truth, he
snatchcd n red lantern from the wall
and without Il word rushed down the
ladder aid ont onto the track.
Ten minutes later the cabin was in
vadcd by an eager, curious crowd of pas
scnSers and officers. jeff, who had been
travelling i'll the car in the rear of the
train, was among the last to enter.
Coming ont of the darkness into the
lighted room he only saw the sigma!
man standing i'll the center of an excite
throns and trying vainly to answer all
their questions ut once. Snatchcs Of con
vers&tion reached jeff through the buzz
OF voices
Brave girl"
CAL owe our lives to her"
Splendid hcroism'
And, while he wondered what it all
meant, a hand was laid timidly on his
arm, and a tired. pleading voice wills
percd:
Take me out of this, jeff I can't
stand it any longer"
And jeff looked around and SAW he
and began to understand. Daniel II.
Conner
4 Bachelors Reason.