The morning times., 1896-02-02
A Woman's Wit.
n WANT to speak to you moment,

His words were almost drowned in the
noise of the train. hut IL was easy To SEE
from his manner that something was amiss.
We were together in charge Of "a train OF
twenty --our wagons, running from Elm
field CoIiery down TO the main line.
was the under guard, and, consequently,
subordinate to Frank Appegarth. His
daughter. lass OF about eighteen, and
companion of her own age. were trav-
cling with US. They had missed the
usual passenger train, and, notwitlistand-
ing the regulations TO the contrary, we
had both thought there would be little
harm in giving them a lift home, As
Frank phrascd it. And lucky for us ii
proved that we did so. Probably it saved
both our lives. and certainly il was the
means or procuring me the best wife III
the world.
The wind whistlcd past the deep sides of
The hitting through which we Were rushing.
and flakes OF snow were finding their wal
into thevan by ventilator and window and
crevices. moi few III number. Ny COM
panion wore a troubled, anxious look as
| rose 10 follow him.
DO YOU notice that?" he asked. when
we Were out of hearing distance of the
others. II had struck the before that the
van was swaying more than usual-and it
ordinary occasions-but only set it down
10 our driver making up little lost time.
We are travelling at great pace"
l answered.
At a dangerous pace was the reply,
as the van gave a lurch that almost threw
US off our feet. That's the first curve
on the level he added. Just Try If you
can make out the engine lights
tried my best. but IL was useless. The
night was intensely dark. and. 10 add 10
the difficulty. binding blasts of snow and
sleet drove full in my face asI leaned with
half my body outside. seeking tu catch
gliinmer OF light ahead. II
4 can make nothing out / said. A.
unhuttoned my jacket and shook 1t clear
OF snow.
Neither colld I, and fear we have
broken away. l only wish | knew how
many wagons are left with!us in front"
Here my countenance must have betrayed
the horror / felt, for he hi lily added:
Don't hook like that. han; the girls
are watching US. and I'm mistaken II
Mary does not already suspect that some
thing is wrong. 1t will hetjss enough to
alarm them when it comes to the worst,
and we are past help
What is TO DE done7'' / asked. not
so much expecting an answer as because
| felt / must say something.
We can do very little. II Harry
that was our driycr-'kDows what has
happened, he may back upon us and stop
us before we come 10 High Bank. though,
at the rate We are going. that Will he risky
enough. Otherwise he can DO nothing but
go on to the next station to warn them
there. Ten to one we don't keep on the
rails as we run down the bank. We must
try 70 make out If we have many wagons
left. II lie has hut few, Harry is sure TO
notice that something has gone wrong"
We returned 10 where the two girls we're
sitting. ! bad seen Mary Appegarth every
day almost that | had worked with her
father. now matter OF four or five years,
and without noticing her much. She was
only slip uf girl when first ! knew her.
and suppose with seeing her so frequently
that she had grown 10 the verge OF woman
hood without my being aware of II. 1t
might be, too, that the danger in which
we were placed, and which she realized
as if iDtuitivcly. added in moment years
to her life as great dangers are sometimes
said to do. ANY way. il was with an added
interest that now regarded her, as she sat
SEEKING TO calm the fears of the girl beside
her, who was giving way TO terror she
did not seek to conceal.
You and your friend,'' said Apple
garth to his daughter, who. amid other
preoccupations. was watching our every
Sfil
while jim and ] put things straight in
front of the train.
is there going to be an accident? l
am sure something has gone amiss.'
No; ] hope not, at least: nothing but
what we can put to rights
The road on which we were travelling
was a fairly level one, with easy gradients.
one part alone excepted. That part be
gan some ten miles from the colliery whence
we had started our journey, and could we
but arrest our speed before rea ching it,
all might be well yet. II consisted of two
declivities. known respectively as the High
Bank and the Low Bank. both very steep,
with a gradient of one in seventy-five, and
separa ted by some two miles of level line
A little way from the bottom of the last
was a meeting station. where trains COM
ing in opposite directions used to pass
each other by means of siding All
being well IL was into this siding our train
had to run. and there remain until the
last up passenger train had passed on
its way To Elmfield.
With q few more hopeful words TO his
daughter. Applegarth took his lamp in his
hand. and signing me 10 take mine and fol-
low him, clambered with great difficulty on
to the first truck. Our speed had continued
to increase. and IL seemed as If we were to
be both thrown off on to the line. We man.
aged to reach the brake handle and put
1t hard down-as hard as we both to-
gether were able TO do. We did the
same with the other ten trucks. when
the oscillation was too much for us,
and slowly and laboriously We made our
way back to the comparative safety of the
guards van.
Our speed had slackened a little with
the brakes put down: but again it be-
gan gradually to accelerate. and IL was with
a sickcning feeling at the heart that re-
signed myself To all the hopelessness and
helplessncss of our situation. Should we be-
gin 10 descend The bank a our present rate
OF speed. nothing, hunibiy speaking. could
avail to save us from u fearful death. Ap--
plegarth was sitting with his face buried
In his hands. Ina corner of the van crouched
the two girls. one of them trying to encour-
age the other. who was CRYING bitterly.
Suddenly the last dreadful alterna tive
presented itself to my mind. as it has
often done TO men in a like position. ton
frequently with the result of only Fastening
their fate. but now it seemed the only chance
left TO us.
..Shnll We hmm Ernnk7'' asked