The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-11-08

sighed. But perhaps It's just as well.
might come back brazen-faced, like
Sally Merritt after she'd been to Chi
cago. She recalled the words OF her
school teacher year before, when she
had unfolded a simple minded plan to
go to a great city and earn her living
Give up that idea and get married.
child" the woman had said. Tt would
be awful for you to learn the world,
to know its deceits and hardnesses and
its everlasting selfishness. How much
better II you knew only one of its
humber sons who will give you his
love and keep the light alive always in
your eyes; one whose soul has not
been frozen by the worlds atmos,
phere."
Lie had not entirely understood, but
she had gone home with less OF rest
fessness. to mend the clothes and wash
tle dishes, and to pray to her very
human God.
The intense heat of the next day
succeeded in coaxing reluctant rain
clouds from the West. Towards even.
ing they drew nearer, very black, and
the little town Of Kiowa was rejoi.
cling. With rain some of the crops
might yet be saved. A neighbor had
dropped in to ask Lie if she thought
it was really goin' to rain" 1t was
almost time for her fathers train te
be passing the switch station and the
girl chafed under her callers garrul.
BUSINESS.
Mag Brown has gone clear daft, ou
on her farm" the woman persisted
conversationally- thinks the wind Il.
sayin' things. l was out there yestidJ
and she was a fright, with her hail
all stuck full of sand, and all the door.
and windows wide open. You could
"a writ your name on the carpet-why
mercy me, 1T is a rainin' now!"
"And I'd better hurry up to Jim.
before it gets any worse said Elizs
CURLY, leaving her visitor talking t.
herself.
| The rain was pouring in torrents nov
and binding flashes of light were fol.
lowed by ominous thunder. Once, al.
most blinded and quite deaf with 9
wild echoing peal, Eliza half turned
back, murmuring audibly, 1T has
struck somewheres." But stumbling
on, she reached the foot of the
tower as the wind lulled in sud
den, curious calm. A great quie
spread over the drenched earth and az
Eliza climbed the stairs she heard the
rumbling of an approaching train
Sounds like it was coming from botf
ways" the girl reflected.
| She bounded up the last steps call
ing the switchman gaily by name, ant
then she stood very still. The maj
had fallen forward across the tele
graph instrument, as though asleep
one hand was outstretched toward tn,
nearest lever; his body was quite rigid
Eliza understood; it was an electrical
shock But why was his arm out
stretched as though in the act o
throwing the switch? No signal hat
been given, for the white light, mean
ing clear track, cleaned luridly be
low. The sound of a train from th,
west answered her. The Oklahom,
Special bearing hundreds of discour
aged "squatters" and spectators from
the Territory, was making straight TO-
| the headlight of freight. 1t was too
late to signal now. She must ditch on,
| of the great fire-spitting monsters ant
i no time must be lost Jim had taught
| her as much as he himself knew re
garding the use of the switch levers
! A rush Of thought swept through tn,
4 girls brain, laying before her menta
vision great moral question. TIL,
freight bearing her father and tn,
small crew stood arrayed against tn.
teeming passenger with it's hundred.
Of human lives.
..Oh, God" she cried out to her hui
man God, "give me strength to ditcl
the freight and save the most lives
Then closing her eyes with a foolisl
instinct that she might thus shut on
the sound of the colliding trains, sh
grasped the lever with two stron,
brown hands. Standing thus she wa
staring out over the tracks with unsee
1 ing eyes when the switchman opene,
i his to consciousness.
Mingled cries of dumb, despairin,
brutes and wounded men were bein,
borne up from below together with tn
sickening smell of burning wood. TIL
girls prayer for strength to sacrific
her father had been answered.
The signal, quick, the signal" wa
him; she was still clutching the iron
Eliza turned her sombre eyes upol
him! she was still clutching the iron
The whole heart of things is dead
Jim" she whispered.
Hand in hand they descended to thu
scene of the wreck. Some. townsmel
had already carried Old Sol in dyin,
/ condition to his home.
HE was clean mad when we foun,
him." one of the men explained to Jim
"and was draggin' his poor broker
body to pool of water the rain ha,
made. And all the time he kept say
in It's the sea. Lie. it's the sea-,
4 Long Lived Birds.
1t used to be believed that raven
II 4