Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-03-28

weakness. 10 collapsed wet hep on
the floor.
I'm DONE GIRL" hs gasped. '"There
amt anothcs move In me, The lantern
broke. had 20 get home COX another.
The culvert, grill" he crieey "iva under
water-there'A danger. Help rns to get
back. For Gods sake, giri, help me to
get back"
He struggled to rise. HI1s limbs re-
fused to fill their office ana he fell in
a heap again. I'm DONE" be- muttered
with a shuddering sigh, ana was silent.
Kitty, torn between foar for her
father, and fear for Larry, for mo-
ment was distraught.
What shall do? What shall / do?"
she moaned, wringing her hands.
Then her reason returned. There were
more to be considered than Larry and
her father. She dragged the uncon-
scious man close to the fire, and cover
ed him warmly. "Stay there, father"
she crooned, as to a little child "Stay
there and be warm. I'll not be long
gone, ldIuCI. 0On WOIIy i ii run TO
the culvert"
While she was talking she made her
preparations. She slipped off her long
skirts and put on a short one. She COW
cred her shoulders with a warm, rough
jacket and protected her feet and
ankles with a pair Of rubber boots she
wore in wet weather. Her head she
left bare. "My hair can't blow off,"
she said to herself, "and anything else
would"
She found a lantern and lighting it,
sped out into the plight, running like
gered culvert.
please God, let me be in time" she
prayed with sobbiHg breath ITS 9th
ers beside Larry. God, it isn't him
alone I'd be saving" she lmplored, feel
ing vaguely that she must impress the
Deity that her motives were not all
selfish.
please, Cod" she entreated please,
God, let me get there In time"
She could feel che rails vibrating
under the weight of the distant train.
Breasting the storm with the wind
pitting it's force against her, she ran
on and on, stumbling and almost fall
ing, but always pressing onward until
but a short distance lay between her
and the flooded culvert. The water
was sweeping in a swift current across
the track. She stopped at the edge Of
or
ger signal with the lantern. The train
was near enough for her to hear It's
roar and rumble. The great headlight
shone like a large eye Of fire, ever
growing bigger and brighter.
She felt SO little and helpless out
there in the blackness. Would Larry
see her? Would he stop in time? The
eye of fire showed no sign OF hating.
Perhaps she was too little for him to
see. Perhaps she was not waving the
lantern at all. She looked at her arm
which she had kept in rotary motion
until it was growing numb. The lantern
was describing a. circle in the air, help
ing her to save Larry. She heard
crash like the piling together of iron
| wheels. She heard the loud hiss of es-
tapping steam, then she could hear moth
! ing more. Her lante1n was still de
scribing a circle in the air. She felt
as if she must go OH swinging it for
ever. She heard voices shouting She
| heard the thud Of running feet. Other
lanterns than hers began to spangle
| the night. They were on the other side
Of the flood, but some one was making
! his way cautiously toward her. She
| could hear the splash Of water as he
moved, and above all she could hear
the engine painting like some wild thing
| spent from flight.
Some one big and strong and protect
| ing was close beside her, taking the
lantern from her hand. 1t was Larry,
and it was Larrys arms that were
around her, holding her close.
Its big thing you've done, my
girl" he murmured huskily, tits a
mighty big thing"
Out there in the night, with the rain
beating upon them, with the wind riot
ing around them, with crowd of ex-
cited people eXclaiming at the averted
danger, Larry and Kitty, without re-
proach or explanation, came again to
love and understanding.
'Sure and I'm not caring for Rosie,
| now" Kitty whispered.- Toledo Blade
The ResOurcefuI Man.
Io .s,,o,