The Washington times., 1902-02-02

and they were streaked with lighter rays
as the sun for his last duty of the day
drew from the earth the water for the
showers that we're to fall and refresh
that which 1t had parched and withered.
Gradually the streaks in the blue mass
faded out and faint flashes of lightning
took their place.
Then darkness came and the flashes
grew bolder as the thunder miles below
told of the storm in the valleys. She
watched the clouds for a while with her
head resting on the back of the seat and
then she fell into deep slumber.
Some one seemed to be tugging at her
skirt Miss Hodson lifted her body and
a dull. deep pain shot through her. She
rubbed her eyes and with more of an eff
fort than before raised herself. She put
her hand down. then lifted is quickly.
She had touched the earth. She peered
into the darkness and listened. Then
she heard a low moan. she listened more
intently and the moaning seemed to in
crease.
a torch flashed in the distance and she
saw what seemed TO be some great
storm-wrecked building Then the light
vanished and again she heard the moan
in Then there were cries, then a sob
near by her.
She reached out into the darkness and
drew back in horror as her hand touched
a face Then it all came to her-the
train had been wrecked and she had been
lying there all unconscious.
Presently she saw the faint glimmer of
a lantern. II grew larger; then another
light, this grew larger-they seemed to
be coming to her. Then the lights
flashed in her face and some one knelt by
her. She recognized the stage manager
and threw her arms about his neck.
Are you hurt, dear?" he asked.
Not much" she answered. but how
did it all happen? Are any Of the com
pany hurt?'
I'VE are wrecked" he said solemnly.
Three of the girls were cut little and
we are going to send them back to the
town; we're just in the suburbs. Miss
Hennegan had her arm broken
Even in such surroundings Miss Hob
son could not help thinking then of the
the principal she understuGied, and she
had gone through the season without
missing a performance and now right aft
er the close was incapacitated and the
chance of playing the part was gone.
Let me take you TO the Others the
stage manager said as he caught her
arm.
Miss Hodson was silent for a moment.
and then she said, No; you go and
will join you directly. III see what 1
can do for some OF the hurt.
The man walked away. and she. rising
with pain, started in the direction of the
torch which now burned family in the
distance. She stumbled, staggered half
fell, now and then stopping to assist some
one of the girls, for those in the COM
pany who had escaped had formed them
selves into a band of mercy, and were aid
ing the injured.
She passed a group of uniformed men,
who were leaning over a man who seemed
to have a leg broken, and she heard one
of them say that only one had been killed.
She recognized the conductor, and asked
who ii was. He told her il was the en-
gineer of AZ, and she thanked him. and
still went on in tie direction of the torch.
She drew nearer to it, when a man
stopped her and said;
Don't go too close miss"
She looked beyond him and saw The
great iron hulks torn and twisted as
on. sees children's toys after they have
PLAYED at train. Back of this was the
piled-up, jagged shadow of the upturned
coaches. with here and there a flash of
lantern as the ha nds went through the
ruins looking for the missing
Presently there would be a cry, and the
searchers would stop. The axes would
be heard breaking in the sides of the car,