The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1897-03-04

life. She knew we'll enough that J
was down the section somewhere
perhaps out on the bridge. But she
didn't give up-not Lettie. There
wasn't man around the place to help
only in the train, and the train was
at the bottom of the cut buried in the
snow. She thought if only she could
get word to Jim Crosby he'd help her,
for she knew him we'll. SO she ran
and got n coil of rope and tied one
end of it to that stubby oak there
you can see it at the edge of the hill
and then she took hold of it and
slid into the cut. That took grit
there aren't many men who would
have risked it-lct alone girls. OF
course the snow got into her eyes and
nose, and the rocky ledges cut and
bruised her, but she never stopped
until she was Mt the bottom. Jimmy
Crosby said lie saw something found
ering in the snow outside of the cab,
and then somebody called;
"Jim, oh jim"
at was Lettie. They dragged her
into the cab and as soon as she could
talk she told jim that l was lost in the
blizzard
"'We'll save him, said Jim, and
the fireman agreed to help, and SO did
dozen other men who had come
down from the train. And Jim, bein'
good climber, went up the rope
hand over hand and helped dozen
or more men to follow him. By this
time it had stopped showing, and the
sun shone bright in the west. They
wallowed down through the drifts to
the bridge, Lettie following. They
tried to leave her at home, but she
wouldn't say. If fathers in danger,
she said, I'm goin' to help find him.
81 heard 'em when they reached the
bare knoll this side of the bridge. /
had hooked one leg around sleeper
and | still hung there over the chasm.
/ don't believe / could have let go. ]
guess that / was frozen there. l tried
to shout and let them know where to
find me, but l couldn't get my mouth
open. 1t was clean suffering that. For
there was help within reach and 1
couldn't make sound.
''But Lettie knew the path usually
took and the first thing l knew she
was on her knees at the end of the
bridge crying:
"'Here he is oh, father, father.
CATER that | don't remember much.
Jim said they carried me to the hot use
and laid me on the bed, but | didn't
get back to my senses for two or three
days.
81 almost forgot to tell you that one
of the men who helped was Bradley,
the superintendent. When he saw
Lettie and heard of what she had done
he Just took off his hat, this way, and
held it before him.
"'You're the bravest girl I've ever
met, he said"
Dolby paused rs if he liked to re-
member this part of the story.
1.-The passengers, oh, they escaped
by Letties rope and were driven into
Cragie's. And that night when the
superintendent was talking about who
should be keeper of section 27, Lettle
spoke up, timid-like:
"'Mr. Bradley, let me watch it; l
can do it almost as we'll as father.
'The superintendent looked at her
for moment, and then he said:
"I believe You can, Lettie.'
"From that day to this l.. C. Dolby
has been keeper of 81. I've never re-
covered-my legs and my back-but
the doctor still gives me hope. And |
couldn't get along without Lettie--"
But the old mans voice broke.
Baxter, shaking hands with him silent
ly, went out towards Cragie's where
he sent a glowing report of the excel
lent condition of section 27, L. G.
Dolby, keeper. Chicago Record.
A Hun!iu,r Dor