Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-09-16

nOcbifs
| Aunt Matty stood quiet and un'
moYed; she neither replied nor
took notice of her niece. She was
lost IN her own thoughts. For
moment HcttJ's indignation swept
away all other considerations; then
the thought OF The coming express
frightened Der.
must stop itp she moaned. Il
must stop H. Oh, Wilson. what will
happen if Pm not in timt.'
Forgetting everything else in
her fear, she ran back along the
track toward her home, leaving her
aunt standing near the broken
bridge. There was nothing very
very definite in her mind. She
simply knew that lhe train would
soon come frOm that direction, and
that she must intercept it. Posi-
bly, she had some vague notion OF
reaching Aunt Mattl's cottage and
securing "A torch IN time 10 signal
the tram before ii started mp the
grade. However that may be, she
| barely found herself within five
hundred wards of the house, with
the light shining in the window as
she had left It, when the shrlll
whistle OF the approaching express
startled the echoes Of the quiet
valley. For an instant IIettI'-
heart thunped widely aud her
h 4ad buzzed. What could she do!
She was not htr)ine; she was on
ly modest. ordinary giri with no
claims to courage, or any desire
to figure in an impending catastrO.
phe. The one all absorbing thought
that Empowered her was that VII
son was on the train which would
soon be hurled to destruction. This
gave her the courage that somo-
times enables nervous, high.strung
people TO perform deeds of great
daring 10 an emergency.
The shrek OF the whistle made
her feet fly more rapidly over the
track, and before the headlight Of
the engine bnrst into view down
The track, Hetty plunged into the
cottage. She seized the shawl
around her shoulders and lgniting
it by the fame OF the lamp, she
hurried ont lnto the cool air again.
Before she reached the track with
her flaming torch the ey 'ress hove
ia sight around the cnrne aud the
headlight flashed down = = shining
rails like streams OF liGl' Il fire.
Hetty plunged bodily forward to
meet it, waving her burning shaw
over her head. and shouting at the
top of her voice. The engine
shrieked ont series Of sharp
WHISTLES, and The speed seemed TO
slacken. Hetty jumped of the
track, and seeing that her mission
was accomplished, she dropped The
bnrnlug shawl 20 save her hand
from getting scOrched. The train
bore down upOu hFr AT a speed that
seemed ouly a little diminished,
and as the engine flashed by hel
she caught glimpse of the en-.
glueel's face and heard the words:
Not this time, old lady; some
other day.
In a moment the train had pass
ed her, aud the engine was putting
up the grade taward .he broken
bridge.
Helty stood petrided. 1t took
some moments for the truth 10
dawn upon her mind. The Ell
gineers had orders not 10 stop tor
auy of Aunt Matty's sIgUals, ana
in the dark she had been taken for
her amnt. she had not succeeded
ID her mission, and the train was
even now rushing toward door.
The girl started at the disappear
ing lights OF the rear car, and then,
as they went around the curve. she
flung herself upon the ground and
moaned alOnd.
'Oh, God, what can | do? SaYe
hlm!-save bimr she cried.
la her despair she expected an
answer to her appeal, but the words
came naturally from her parched
lips, She lay there III the dir, aud
clnders, moaning and pray ing,
and trying TO bring her 'ulnd 10
comprehend Ibe awful tragedy on
the bridge. Would they find his
bodNg Would it be torn and man
gledg or would he provdenilally
escapeg Such things had happened
before. But the river was deep aud
the plunge down from the bridge
was fully fifteen feet. No reason
able hope cOnid be entertained that
any of the people on the III fated
tram could he savedl Ouce, in her
dreaded and agony, she lost con
sciou,ness. When she recovered
again her face was ll ing Dat
agaiua toe cod. cruel stones and
cir ders, and she 'elt the sharp pam
In rb.. .t.a...- vb ra fbax nroo-a Il /