Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-06-16


phore that was to simultaneously move
the switch and signal the engineer of
the coming express that the track was
clear. She pulled it over. but ii did
not slip into its accustomed notch. In
stead il flew back as if fired from Il
cataput. and struck her stunning
blow on the chest. 1t knocked her off
her feet, and for Il moment she lay
there; but the Importance of clearing
the track for the coming express pre-
vented her losing consciousness. That
the lever must be moved was the one
idea that was burning into her brain.
She knew if it was not in the proper
place an awful catastrophe would oc-
cur within few minutes
She dragged herself to her feet and
grasped the lever aagin. Sharp pains
shot through her body. Her brain
reeled, but she held on to the lever and
slowly moved ii over to the right
place. and heard the click as it reached
the ratchet that held it.
She glanced from the window. The
W
view. a stream of black smoke pouring
from the stack and fire grinding from
the driving wheels as the great motor
came on, swaying with It's long train
Of passengers behind. One look showed
that the track was clear, that the sig
nal was in its place. The long whistle
of the engineer showed her, too. that
he had seen the signal.
A mist swan before her eyes. She
turned again to the instrument at the
little table and. almost fainting from
pain. moved the switch that connected
her with Rlanfori.
Send help to Templeton. l am
hurt Wa" The message dribbled
off in an unlntelligible fass Of dots
and dashes, but fortunately it was un-
derstood by the operator at Blanford,
for as she was trying to make clear
what had happenedti she sank uncon-
scious on the floor of the lofty switch
ing tower.
There she was found, lying as If
dead half hour later. Tenderly she
was carried to an express wagon and
made as comfortable as possible on
blankets, and brought to her boarding
house.
The physicians who attended her
said she was severely hurt internally.
The lung tissue had been bruised but
there was no evidence Of internal hem
| orrhagc and they had strong hopes of
her recovery.
Mrs. Ashby was in her elegant H.
| brary reading the letters the post had
brought. On the table beside her were
morning paper
After reading her letters she took
up the paper. The bold type of a
lengthy articles heading caught her
attention: Colonial express saved by
wounded girl. Miss May Watson
struck by semaphore lever in switch
| ing tower at Templeton last night AL
most unconscious she puts it in place,
and collision with freight is averted.' e
Mrs. Ashby's face grew grave and
pale and the lines that time and care
had imprinted thereon became more
! distinct
The colonial express: Why, that
was the train that Howard had
| taken"'
Eagerly she read the article. She
saw the glowing account Of the brave
girls heroic deed. In her tremor and
excitement, the paper dropped from
her hands. A possible scene of the
awful disaster pictured itself in her
mind. She saw the flying express
crash with impetuous velocity Into the
long freight. derailing cars and piling
them an unrecOgnizable mass Of de-
bris. She heard the terrible clang of
iron against iron. the horrible kissing
Of escaping steam, and the dull grind
ing. crushing, splintering of wood. The
piteOus shrieks and grOans of the
wounded and dying rang In her ears.
and there among the bruised and man.
gled bodies was the boy she loved
with almost idolatrous devotion.
But instead the express had been
saved by a brave grill She n hireling
low-born. the daughter Of black
smith. had done this!
For nearly an hour Mrs. Ashby
walked up and down the room in agi-
tation. A multitude of thoughts rushed
through her excited brain. Presently
she summoned servant
''Tell Thomas to have the carriage
in readiness at one thirty" she said to
the maid who answered her summons.
L Howard Ashby was returning home
He had been absent four months.
When he left home he intended to be
gone only few weeks. hut his restless
spirit demanded continued change of
scenes. so his absence had been pro-
onged.
When autumn drew near he became
tired of rowing life. and FASTENED
homeward. Az he behed familiar
scenes from the car window as the
train sped through his native State. he
realized how dear the old home and it's
! associations were to him.
1t was a short drive from the sta
ton to the Ashby residence. When
| the carriage entered the spacious
l L.