Evening times-Republican., 1903-12-24

'All engines look alike to you, | guess
/ told him, NO; there's one out there
in the sawnill that looks little differ
ent from the Others Let him sweat it
out If | did answer him he'd only tell
me to do what I'm going to anyway
Then he'd ct all the credit for it,
'Wh-wh-wlat are we going to do,
Ned?" stammcred the frightened girl.
"Do:" returned he scornfully. why.
| stop them, OF course. We want the red
lantern first. Where is it?"
"Oh, it's not here, Ned. Father lent
it to the church people to be used in
decorating the hall for their fair tomor-
row night. You know, this is not Il
night Office and we never use it."
That's nice. Never mind. Well take
the white one and wrap the red flag
around it, do just as Well"
"But there is no red flag" walled the
unhappy girl The local ran over it
! yesterday Father ordered another at
J once. but it hasn't come yet
/ We'll. that beats the devil" exclaim-
1 ed Ned in disgust-"a railroad Office
without danger signal. To think Of
! Old 81 lecturing me for neglect of duty :.
don't know what we will do now
unless" he continued hopefully, "you
have ON red petticoat."
But | haven't, Ned!' cried the girl
in utter despair. Mine is white
Then / guess we're stuck. But, no!
| You wear chest protectorY
"Yes
Good. Is it red one:"
Eyes"
Good. Good. Yank it off, quick!
Go on, now. Don't be foolish. l won't
look at you This last as the girl,
after an involuntary motion toward
her throat, had hesitated while her
face became sufTused with bushes.
This is matter of life and death,
Nell. Be sensible"
In another moment he had it from
her trembling hands, and after he had
carefully fastened it between the
frame and the white globe of the Ian
tern he noted critically the bright red
tince it gave to the lanterns light.
Then. placing it in her hands, he said:
There's yours. Now, what shall l
use? oh. yes-the switch light, to oe
sure. 1t is red on two sides and will
do If hold it right. Nell, you must go
up the track and stop the express. I'll
look after the limited. She's the dam
gerous one. l think Johnnie Clark Is
running her tonight, and he only touch
es the high places when he's late. Get
Just as far up the track as you can.
and when the headlight comes into
sight swing your lantern straight across
the track till De answers it. Look out
for the cattle guard at the crossing and
don't stumble. Now go!'
A low, steady rumbling borne from a
distance on tue still, frosty air remind
ed him that there yet remained impor-
tant work to do.
He Mastered to the high switch tar
get and clambered up its dozen iron
rounds, so cold 1t was painful to re-
lease his hands from them, wrenched
the warning signal from its socket and
slid to the ground. Then, after one
feeting glance to see If Nellie's signal
was still visible, he sped quickly but
red side of the heavy lantern directly
before him.
With startling shrillness came the
whistle from the fast approaching lin
tied. Its engineer, believing that he
had absolute right of track, was using
every ounce of steam in mad endeav-
or to make up time.
The whistle blast just sounded was
the customary one for the highway
crossing ut tke foot of the one mile hill.
This hill the limited must ascend and
round before Somerville would come
into view.
Ned knew 1t would take the train at
least three minutes to ascend the hill
and round the curve, and to avert the
collision he must get the signal to them
before they pitched over the summit of
the hill and struck the heavy down
grade into Somerville.
He had only little more than two
minutes time in which to cover 200
yards on an up grade. and he was hand
icapped by the weight Of the heavy
lantern Two short, sharp whistle
blasts from behind told him that Mel
lies signal had been seen and that the
express would be stopped far enough
below the station to make all safe II he
could only communicate the danger to
the limited in time.
The steady, even exhaust from the
engine of the latter train was becoming
horribly distinct.
Great beads of perspiration stood out
upon his forehead as he redoubled his
efforts. His heart almost failed him
when he saw the rays from the en-
gine's headlight veer to the north as 1t
reached the tangent of the curve. but
he struggled bravely on and in half a
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