The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-29
THE WOMAN AT
 BURROWS CURVE
RY GRACE STEWART HINOTE.

BY GRACE ATEWAHE h1NOTE. |. (Copyright. 1905, Daily Story Pub. CD All day 1t had been mist and rain. and night set in wet and dark. The rain drops fell with a ceaseless drip, drip from the boarding cars .sidetracked al the lonely little station on the g A. track down in that bottom isn't safe to leave" the foreman said to his wife, as he buttoned his oilskins closely about him. You won't be scared. My
 Myrah shook her head. Across her cheek shot flame of red and her. eyes as he bent tenderly over to kiss her SGo to bed. little gal. and to sleep. I'll leave Uncle Jerry to stay with Aunt Aunt Dinny ana they can sleep in the
 He left the room and in a moment the whirr, whirr of the hand-car was heard on the rail- An hour later the chug-a... stopped at the end of the switch, and a moment later there was knock at the door of the car
 face, Myrah opened the door. A tall. handsome man, with blue eyes and crisp, curling hair. stood in the door shadow crossed his bronzed face as he saw her cower away with quivering lips and ashen cheek.
 . :. Myrah, what does this mean9 Why
 She stared at him nervously. and her dak eyes fell.
 ,r - Is can't go. Thso, col, I can't lsavs Joe s and he is so good to me-"
 Not any better than will be. little one" he interrupted, eagerly, then hc opened his arms with cry of intense
 .Myrah, Myrah. you must oomel You
 She sprang away. her face afame ny yaA hAw An~ Sxnu
 T can't" she reiterated. wildly. "Go away and leave mel.
 With auiok movement he caught ser and bss1T wSsp her in his as ar near, around her. and in a trice the door closed behind him and his almost senseless burden. swiftly it vanished in the darkness, leaving. behind the. tottering form of an aged negress, who ran wildly down the track in its wake, crying and
 Miss Myrah, poah honey! My poah darling! oh. me, what win Marse Joe say"
 The train bounded on down the track! Heavens! How it went! Around one curve and Soon at the next. Crash! The crushing *bf iron and the splintering of wood and then piercing shrieks and
 Theo wellman sprang up with white terrified face ssn What is It tSs he half-unconscious woman and had not seen the object when they struck it.
 Tt is hand car. Joe sterns, I brought his engine to a stand and then started 1t back with angry puffs to where the groans and cries of agony were heard.
 It was a cold winter evening and the boys were hugging. the fire In the engine room, each dreading his run that
 wonder what's up with No. A to- night. She's off her time almost three hours" Big Sandy remarked, with an
 Maybe he's run into the ghost at Burton's run and has gone on an in- vestigation tour. He vowed if he saw her again he would"
 me the story of that place: Why not tell 1t tonight? We have time yet be- fore we have to vamoose."
 Jenkins smoked a moment in medl- tative silence, then flicking the ash from his cigar. he began.
 Its going on now about a year since to me- Say Jack, want you to take Patsy and carry me out to Morris siding; Can you make 1t out there and
 T smiled. Could Patsy make 1t? Well. I should snicker! She was the fastest engine on the road then, and knew we could do 1t with all ease
 He stopped and stared into the fire with gloomy brow until an impatient cough reminded him of his listener.
 Well, in a brace of minutes we was flying through the rain-it was a dirty night and dark as pitch and In twenty where he told me to wait few minutes. The wind had risen to gale and one could hardly hear the exhaust of the engine at their elbow. While I was waiting I thought I did hear the grind of the wheels, as if a hand car was passing, but 1t was so inky black I could see nothing. In a short while Wellman returned. supporting the form of slender woman. The cloak had fallen away from her face, and as the they showed pale and tear-Stained. He lifted her in the cab and she covered down on the seat with q shiver.
 "Tet her out, Jenk,' Wellman said,
 'I let her out and we bounded down the track at a pounding gait had 1t on my mind to go slow around Bur toms curve, for In hot weather it's not the lever heard the crash of timber and the shrieks and screams of dozen voices. That sound will ring forever in my ears. We ran hundred feet or more more befors Pat PstsS could bring up; face of Joe Sterns gleaming deathlike on the ground as the headlight lit up the scene for a moment When we got back to the place we found several ne- groes groaning among the wreckage could find no trace of Joe In those few seconds he had completely van ished. We searched frantically, but he had disappeared without trace. another shock awaited us. The woman