Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-03-13

offered inviting hooks for The nc.
co. lodntion of strolling lovers, PAST tho
great unbonding scntincls Of the lonely
Pine wood, which echoed with tie scream
of tho warming whistle at every croesroad.
"ohovo hcr in, Jack, " said the engineer
to him. "Ne'ro behind timo and hlyu ena
to reach Dinsmoro before that special from
Clayton
"What specially l hadn't heard of a spe-
cial, 50 said Jack.
General Harding chartered special at
Clayton. His vito is dying at II place
down the road, and he wants to get to her
tonight. My orders are to side track at
Dinsmore and ler her pass. They say
she's travelling at tho DEVILS own rate"
Jack listened in siicnce, then turned to
shovel in the coal until his strong arms
achcd, whilo he thought of his own vito at
Lewiston waiting patiently for his safe re-
turn.
On they rushed through the darkness,
the pounding of the wheels and the grind
ing Of the brakes as thcy svung around
curves drowning all other sounds Mover
did eight train make better time than
old 40 that night. They travelled along
for an hour or so at this ratio of speed, the
engine drawing great heavy breaths like
somo Titan i'm battle, the immense drivers
laundering along the tracks like the tramp
of heavy artillery. The engineer eyed the
watch and stem gauge before him uneasi
ly, and finally he turned TO Jack.
Jack, old man, it's do or die. We've
got just Is minutes to make it in, and
Dnsmorc's nigh on % miles away vet.
The sTcaial won't wait, for she's got tho
ri!ht OF way and'll think the track y
nj. -, ~ . L., Il
pul rd it "f"n bit more, watching his
ga ly. Old I6 was truo rs steel.
but iat... t want to force her too far il
he could D. il.
jack l.. = turned away, his face
VIII to as d, and his lips SET like stor
trap. Ho touk up tho shovel Hul throw
on the fuel until the furnace hlnZud with "a
lurid heat. They were masking - srCcd
now that was never before made by freight,
and he engine trcmbled with tho terrible
strain put upon her. On they went in the
mad race against time Only few more
miles and all would he we'll Behind them
the heavily loaded box cars bumped and
thundered and the hoarse cry of brake
man, barely distnguishahle above the din,
came to the two in the cab
Then the engineer sounded the danger
signal long and loud. He hoped that oven
if he could not reach tho siding in time
the station master would hear his warn
ing signal and flag the special down.
Then came an awful moment when over
the bend that separated them from the
haven of safety caIno il long, clear blast.
The men looked at one another in absolute
despair.
MY God, .Iaclr' burst from tho on
gineer' lips. "Wo must reach that siding
Pile her on all she will hold. It's only IA
few rods now
He pulled wide the throttle and the en-
ginc leapcd forward like living thing.
She seemed to know that human lives de
pended upon her feat of strength and an
swerod to tho call like thing of reason.
Nothing hut tho Titan she was could
have pulled that terrible load at the fright
full rate of speed she WAS making She
swayed and rocked from side to side and
hardly seemed to touch the rails in her
great leaps forward. In n few seconds she
rolled over tho switch and into the siding,
pulling and snortng like goaded ami
NAL. As the last car entered the switch
the special dashed 10y like II flash of light
ming.
y moment later, like an awful clap of
thunder, camo Il long, deep roar that shook
the surrounding country like the stroke
of doom.
Old As had run her race bravcly and
well. She bad saved the special and part
of her own train, but had sacrificed her
self in the doing.
When tina wreck of the explosion was
cleared away, the brave engineer and the
stuker, blackcncd and horribly mangled,
were found beneath the debris
"Grcatcr love hath no man than this,
that IA man lay down his life for his
friends
Far away in Lewiston little woman.
helpless and crippled, waits for the hus
band who was side tracked by fate, while
the angel Of death passed by. - Daisy How
ard PaXon i'll Atlanta Constitution.