The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-20


pressure, so that we fairly few past
sleeping hamlets and still farm houses.
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, II
possible, while the wind shrieked by. The
rain became more binding, till nothing
could be distinguished in the gray murk
which enveloped US.
Suddenly through the mist and rain l
saw looming up right in front of us the
gigantic form of woman wrapped in a
long, black mantle, which seemed to f1ut-
ter in the wind She waved great
spectral arms about in swift, twisting
movements. AS l stood looking In hor-
ror, the figure vanished with final wave
of the arms.
Il was too much astonished and stupe-
ned even to make 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?"
I did not answer. My mind was too
fuu of the strange figure / had perceived.
I'VE were now nearing Rock Creek,
where there Is a bridge over a deep stream.
felt more nervous than ever. We dash
ed around the curve and whizzed by Rock
Creek station, which is only a mile from
the bridge. As we passed 1 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 ter
ror. He pointed with a shaking finger out
into the darkness. l turned and looked,
and then l began myseef to shake. There
on the metals was the same hideous fig
ure of a woman outlined on the back
ground of light from the engine, now mo-
tionless, now whirling in a witch dance,
but all the time motioning us back
Frank gasped Jim, but scarcely
above whisper, don't go over the bridge.
Don't go for heavens sake! Don't go I'M
til you are sure it's safe.
Il suppose 1 was pretty badly scared. At
any rate, put on the brake for all l was
worth. 1 couldn't have resisted the inn
pulse to stop the train.
LAS we came to a stop could hear the
roar of the water in Rock Creek, just
ahead. I stepped out of the cab and met
the guard coming up.
What's the matter? What's the mat
ter" 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 I, we've seen something.
don't know what it is-seemed like it was
great ghost that was waving its arms
and warning US not to go forward.
THE guard looked at me curiously. Are
you crazy, Frank he said, I should think
you were. But we're so near the bridge
well take a look at it
I'VE took our lanterns and went ahead,
leaving Jim with the engine; he looked
frightened to death. But l tell you, we
| hod dc xryae AZ,
horror,
There at our feet lay a black chasm,
filled with the roar of the river, as swol-
len with the spring rains, 1t dashed down
toward the lake. The bridge was washed
| away.
Only few splinters of wood and twist
ed iron chung to the abutment, while now,
black figure of a woman danced again on
the thin air, relieved against the shaft
of light that the headlight threw.
1T was fiinging its arms about as if in
wild glee. The guard stared at the chasm
then at me.
Twas that the thing you saw when
you stopped the train?" he asked.
" Yes
"Well, it's something more than luck
that saved us tonight, Frank
I'VE went back slowly to the train, feel
ing very queer and thankful too, l can
assure you. Several passengers had come
running forward by this time. Among
them was a young fellow from Chicago,
about IS years old, who was smarter than
the whole Of US, as 1t turned out.
when he was told of the woman in
black he turned and looked at the loco
motive headlight Then he ran up toward
it. l looked up as he did so, and l saw a
peculiar spot on the glass.
There's your woman in black! said
the boy.
"Aud 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 lighted
on the reflector.
That's the whole story, sir. The moth,
by fiutterfng on the glass just IN front OF
the illumination, had produced a great
black SHADOW like that OF a cloaked wo-
man darting in front of US, and when he
tapped his wings in his vain attempt to
sail out through the glass, he gave his
mysterious shadow the appearance Of
waving the arms wildly.
Then when he flew back out of the d.
rect shine of the light, the figure disap-
peared, of course.
1--WE never knew just how he got in
there, but no doubt 1t happened when Jim
went to fix the light at the pumping sta
ton.
Anyhow, he saved our lives by scar
ing us with that woman in black.
80 you see why / keep the moth In
the frame 1T to remind me of the way
we were saved that night. Yes, you may
call it accidental, but cali 1t providen-