Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-09-17

moon, freed from nearly weeks ina
prisonment behind the storm clouds.
sailed boldly and ioyously into a bit Of
open sky and then dark space.
seemingly fathomless gap. As she drew
near the wreck, she met the superintend-
eut
Have you seen Mr.. Fletcher" she
asked anxiousy.
Why, yes. He was around here only
short time ago gathering the details
of the wreck for that paper OF his /
gave him the story as best / could He
took some things down on piece of
paper and Went off Haven't seen him
since" As he noticed the girls gesture
of despair, he added why, what's the
trouble? Anything wrong?'
Then the girl told him her story and
ended by saying: And | have promised
to get the story to them as soon as pos
sible. Could you tell me what you told
my that is, what you told Mr..
| Fletcher"
| Then the superintendent told her how
the old bridge mad been washed away by
| the heavy spring rains how the EN-
gineer, speeding to make up time, in the
darkness of the stormy night. had not
seen the gulf of blackness until too late
| to avert the catastrophe; how the train
/ had crashed down over the bank and now
| lay half submerged in the swollen river;
| how among the seventy five passengers
! only a few had escaped unhut; how
/ some had been lost in the river and
how the wounded had been cared for, by
the physicians hastily summoned from
Barton.
| As the girl started back for the office.
| it seemed almost impossible to keep her
footing. The wind fairly blew the moon
around in the sky and now and again
the hurrying clouds covered its face.
making the night so dark that often
times she had to wait for the clouds to
drift past ERE she could see the way.
She had not gone far when she heard a
| faint call from down the bank She
stopped listenedan again the wind
bore the sound of human voice to her
lear
Without hesitation she began to climb
down the icy bank. and, slipping and
| sliding, she at last reached the river
side. As she stopped to listen again for
the voice, she saw a dark shape lying
several feet away from her and as she
started toward it she was startled to
hear some one call 1854 ring 8" the
telephone call of the Barton Gazette.
1t must be--yes, it washer father AS
she knelt beside him she saw that he was
/ half-dead with cold He had evidently
slipped at the top of the bank and
/ fallen the full length. He was now ly-
ling with one leg doubled under him, de-
liriously called for "764, ring 80
/ Jumping up, the girl climbed almost
lcrawled on her hands and knees-up the
bank and hurried to the wreck, where
she found several men to whom she told
her story. They FASTENED with her back
to the place where she had found him.
Take him to Rockville to Mrs Whea-
tons" the girl said as they bore MIN up
the bank, deliriously calling '764, ring
e." ''IIe is my father. Tell Mrs Whea-
ton that he is Mr., Fletcher of the Ga
zette and she viii understand
Then the girl hurried back to the
office, and, calling up 1854, ring 3, asked
for the city editor
/ i have the story for you," she said,
Erand | can tell you why Mr., Fletcher
did not call you up" Then she told him
of the accident to her father and how
she had found him, even in his delirium.
trying to call the newspaper office and
angry at central because he thought she
would not give him the number.
"The story has to be in in half an
hour exactly" the city editor said; "can
you dictate it to me just as it should go
into print or can you only give me the
bare facts and leave me to get it into
shape?"
Il think | can dictate it to YOU, sir,
so that you will not be ashamed to have
lit appear in the paper" the girl an
swered.
"All right, fire ahead. / will take the
chance anyway, Now do your best"
And for exactly half an hour the girl
dictated the whole story to the city
editor. As she finished he exclaimed :
Splendid, splendid; that's fine! If you
ever want job come to me-
Time dragged heavily on the girls
hands until 6 in the morning when she
was free to leave the office. AS she
started for her boarding place she bought
a morning paper. where she saw, in big
black headlines, the story of the wreck
Upon entering the house she met the
doctor coming out and recognized him
as one of her former friends in Barton.
How is my father, Dr. Pierce ?" she
asked anXioGsly.
He's coming on all right" the old
doctor answered. "He is not delirious
any longer. Only weak and worrying d
good deal over his paper because tbs
story did not get in. / guess the sight
of you viii do him good"
The girl tiptoed into the room where
her father lay with closed eyes, bat
with fingers moving restlessly up ant
down the spread.
..Eof her " she called
Mr.. Fletcher's eyes opened quickly ant
as nc caught sight of his daughter
: standing by his bedside he half rose anc
, stretching out his arms cried: Helen
my daughter, can | really believe my
: ieyes?"
1T is really l, father, come to asl
; your forgiveness. Can you forgive me
/ daddy"
Forgive you?" the old man asked a
: ne stroked ner head, forgive you, VIII,
: it IS YOU who should forgive me for be
ing SO harsh as to drive you from home
And now, daddy dear. have some