The Florence daily tribune., 1899-09-28
ON ANS platform. hls body bent as be

peered into the vast bin ut his side, was
the superintendent. She recognized his
hight gray coat and russet shoes. Sh,
gushed Oh. intending when she had
ome him 10 call and warn him of pos
iible danger. The rope with which b
had moved the lever to loosen the con-
tents of the last car hung at his side
and was still swinging from his touch.
He was evidently scenting the grain fol
a suspicion of moldkness.
Suddenly, before she was within hail
ing distance, though she was not fai
from position directly above the su
perintendent, she saw black fort
shoot out from behind heavy uprighi
timber directly behind him. TIL,
stranger sneakcd toward the door OF
the bin, into which part of his intended
victims body stia protruded.
The lame girls heart almost stood
still with fright. She sank to the mar
row platform, and crouching there in
the upper darkness, watched helplessly
the struggle going On below.
The stranger had leaped upon the
superintendent, and was attempting to
throw MIN into the bin; but Mr.. Girls
void fought bravely for his life. Once,
twice he was almost victor. but his
assailnnt had him at disadvantage
Already his head and shoulders were
hanging over the dark abyss into which
carload of yellow wheat had sunk and
made 10 impression on the great space.
Chunk. came sound above her head
Annie realized with a shudder that an
other car had been brought into posi-
ton over the trap-door, and was ready
to be dumped.
The stranger below had almost over
come the superintendent. and she saw
the scoundrel glance sidewise toward
the rope which icoved the lever.
Like flash there came upon her for
the first time u realization what a ter
rible deed was intended. The body of
the superintendent, hurled into the bin.
would be covered with the flood of grain,
and his fate would be unknown for days,
and perhaps for weeks and months.
1t was but n second now before the
end would come. Already the assailant
had pushed off the superintendent's
hands, and she saw body and limbs dis
appear through the narrow door. She
could not hear it fall on the soft mass
of grain beneath, but she knew it was
there.
The assassin tugged at the d.or He
had nothing to do now but to close and
fasten it and pull the lever; and then
thousands of bushels of wheat would
bury the unfortunate man as firmly
and fatally as though the ear above
should itself fall into the cavern.
Annie sprang to her feet and gazed
moment helplessly about her. Then
there met her glance the long lever
reaching out over the bin. II it only
could be heidi If the trap-door were
kept closed it would keep back the
grain, and the superintendent might be
saved.
The stranger below had nearly closed
the thick door. In n moment he would
pull the slender rope.
She looked at the lever \ weight ON
the end over the bin would prevent the
traps moving; there was but one way
to accomplish it-she must hold 1t her
self
On hands and knees she climbed to the
edge of the bin; then, reaching far out
on the pole which moved the door, she
took Il firm grasp. A little trcmble told
her that the door had been closed by
the stranger, and she fearlessly swung
off,
The slender pole bent and swayed
with her weight, and she shuddered lest
the lever should still work. If 1t did,
she would be swept down into the abyss
over which she hung holplessly, and
the ST cam of grain pouring upon her
would mean death to her as well as to
the superintendent.
Her small. thin arms and hands We're
weak. Already the muscles of her
wrists were aching with the strain.
Twitch! went the lever. The assassin
was jerking the rope. Again and again
she felt the jerk, but still the little pole
did not rise with her enough to loosen
the trap-door. Although the whole af-
fair had occupied but Il moment, it
seemed to have been hours. In an in
staut longer she must loosen her hold.
and then
The man was evidently growing inn
patient, and she felt a jerk of unusual
power. There followed cracking
sound; the lever broke, and she was
'alling through the darkness, the broken
piece of the lever still i'll her hands.
AS soon as she realized anything fur
ther she was sliding down an inclined
plane of wheat, and mans voice. that
of the superintendent, was saying some
thing to her
Far above they could see the gleam
of the electric light streaming over the
edge of the bin, with flour dust floating
in like notes in "a srtpbenrn
Il saw him throw you in sobbed the
child. IAN now they'll cover us both!"
mo, they won't" answered the super
intendent. THE trainmen viii have to
fix the lever first. and they'll look about
to see what's the matter"
Presently the door through which he
had fallen was opened, and lantern
was swung in, followed in moment by
trainman's head.
"Hellol" called the man. whats the
matter down there?'