The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-11-02


night"
If I get that Job in Wichita, LIE.
can save enough money in year to go
to the coast
"Yes." she sighed YEARLY. Eyes,
Dad, you might"
She followed him to the door rs he
was leaving and impulsively threw her
arms about his neck "I'll 90 up to
the tower with Jim and watch for you
as you pull in tomorrow night" she
told him. BE standin' on the plat
form and I'll wave to you.
I'D like to see things myself" she
sighed. "But perhaps it's just as we'll.
l 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 simple minded plan to
go to great city and earn her living.
Give up that idea and get married,
child" the woman had said. 1T would
be awful for you to learn the world,
to know its deceits and harnesses and
its everlasting selfishness. How much
better if 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
lessness, to mend the clothes and wash
the 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 to
be passing the switch station and the
girl chafed under her callers garrul-
BUSINESS.
Mag Brown has gone clear daft, out
on her farm" the woman persisted
conversationally-" thinks the wind is
sayin' things. was out there yestidy
and she was fright, with her hair
all stuck full of sand, and all the doors
and windows wide open. You could
"a writ your name on the carpet-why,
mercy me, it is rainin' now!"
"And I'd better hurry up to Jim's
before it gets any worse said Eliza
curtly, leaving her visitor talking to
herself.
The rain was pouring in torrents now
and binding flashes of light were fol-
lowed by ominous thunder. Once, al
most blinded and quite deaf with a
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 a sud-
den, curious calm. A great quiet
spread over the drenched earth and as
Eliza climbed the stairs she heard the
rumbling of an approaching train.
Sounds like it was coming from both
ways" the girl reflected.
She bounded up the last steps call
ing the switchman gaily by name, and
then she stood very still. The man
had fallen forward across the tele-
graph instrument, as though asleep;
one hand was outstretched toward the
nearest lever; his body was quite rigid.
Eliza understood; it was an electrical
shock. But why was his arm out
CT otnho oh in nf
throwing the switch? No signal had
been given, for the white light, mean
ing a clear track, cleaned luridly be-
low The sound Of a train from the
west answered her. The Oklahoma
Special bearing hundreds of discour-
aged "squatters" and spectators from
the Territory, was making straight for
late to signal now. She must ditch one
of the great fire-spitting monsters and
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 the
girls brain, laying before her mental
vision a great moral question. The
freight bearing her father and the
small crew stood arrayed against the
teeming passenger with it's hundreds
of human lives.
"Oh. God" she cried out to her hu-
man God, give me strength to ditch
the freight and save the most lives. -
Then closing her eyes with foolish
instinct that she might thus shut OUT:
the sound of the colliding trains, she
grasped the lever with two strong
brown hands. Standing thus she was
staring out over the tracks with unsee-
ing eyes when the switchman opened
his to consciousness.
Mingled cries Of dumb despairing
brutes and wounded men were being
borne up from below together with the
sickening smell of burning wood. The
girls prayer for strength to sacrifice
her father had been answered.
"The signal. quick. the signal" was
him; she was still clutching the iron.
Eliza turned her sombre eyes upon
him! she was still clutching the iron.
1.-THE whole heart of things Is dead,
JIM" she whispered.