The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-10-08

cast its funnel of light into the gloom.
Jim had big fire, and kept steam up
to high pressure, so that we fairly
flew past sleeping hamlets and still
farmhouses.
AT our first watering station l made
sure that all was working smoothly,
while Jim inspected the headlight. The
station master handed out the orders,
which showed that the line was clear
as far as our next stopping place. On
we went.
THE darkness grew more intense, if
possible, while the wind shrieked by.
The rain became more binding, till
nothing could be distinguished in the
gray mist which enveloped US.
suddenly through the mist and rain
1 saw looming right in front of us the
gigantic figure of woman wrapped
in long, black mantle, which seemed
to futter in the wind. She waved
great, spectral arms about in swift,
twisting movements. AS l stood look
ing in horror, the figure vanished with
a final wave of the arms.
II was too much astonished and stupe-
fled even to make a movement of my
hand toward the throttle. At that
moment Jim had been bending over the
fire. As he looked up he exclaimed:
'Halloa, Frank. What's up. You
look as though you had seen a ghost
Il did not answer. My mind was too
full of the strange figure 1 had per-
ceived
eve were Tow nearing Red Creek,
where there is bridge over a deep
stream. I felt more nervous than ever.
We dashed around the curve and
whizzed by Rock Creek station, which
is only a mile from the bridge. AS
we passed glanced at the steam gauge
for an instant. A cry from Jim caused
me to turn quickly toward him. He
sat rigid, his eyes large and staring.
His jaw dropped, the very picture of
terror. He pointed with a shaking
finger out into the darkness | turned
and looked, and then began myself to
shake. There on the metals was the
same hideous figure of a woman out
lined on the background of light from
ing in a witch dance, but all the time
motioning US back
Frank gasped Jim, but scarcely
above whisper, don't go over that
| bridge. Don't go, for heavens sake!
Don't go until you are sure it's safe
Il suppose I was pretty badly scared.
At any rate, put on the brake for all
| I worth I oni,11p'+ ID
the impulse to stop the train.
las we came to stop could hear the
roar of the water in Rock creek just
ahead. l stepped out of the cab and
met the conductor coming up.
"'Whats the matter? What's the
matter" he asked, impatiently.
Il felt decidedly foolish. There was
no gigantic woman to be seen now.
Nothing could be made out more than
a few feet away in the binding storm.
Well, said |, we've seen something
1 don't know what it is-seemed like it
was a great black ghost that was way
ing its arms and warning us not to go
| forward.
"The conductor looked at me curious
| ly. Are you crazy, Frank, he said. L
should think you were. But we're so
near the bridge We'll take look at it,
eve took our lanterns and went
| ahead, leaving Jim with the engine; he
looked frightened to death. But tell
you, we hadn't gone five rods before
we stopped in horror.
"There at our feet lay black chasm,
filled with the roar of the river, as
swollen with the spring rains, it dashed
| down toward the LAKE. The bridge was
washed away.
only a few splinters of wood and
| twisted iron chung to the abutment,
while now, far out over the blackness.
that awful black figure of woman
danced again on the thin air, relieved
against the shaft of light that the
headlight threw.
at was finging its arms about as it
| in wild glee. The conductor stared 1T
the chasm and then at me.
"'Was that the thing you saw when
you stopped the train?' he asked.
eyes
"'Well, it's something more than
luck that saved us tonight, Frank
"We went back slowly to the train.
feeling very queer and thankful, too. 1
can assure you. Several passengers
had come running forward by this time
Among them was young fellow from
Chicago about IS years old. who was
smarter than the whole of US, as it
| turned out.
when he was told of the woman in
black he turned and looked at the To-
connective headlight. Then he ran up
toward it. 1 looked up as he did so,
and saw peculiar spot on the glass.
There's your woman in black said
the boy.
"And there it was, sure enough-that
same moth miller that you see there in
the frame. He was clinging to the in
side of the glass. AS tapped on the
| glass the creature flew back and light
ed on the reflector.
"That's the whole story, sir The
moth, by fiuttering on the glass just in
front of the illuminator. had produced
a great black shadow like that of u
cloaked woman darting in front of US,
and when he tapped his wings in his
| vain ATTEMPT to sail out through the