The Cairo bulletin., 1910-10-19
A YOUNG
HEROINE
By F. A. mitchell.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association
By F. A. mitchell.

| have doctor You are the only per-
son to so for him, your mother being
| half sick herself. IT is wild night. I
know, for little mail to 20 out and
walk two miles to the Doctors; only
the fear Of my dying anu leaving your
mother and yourself In our present des-
titute condition for want If a DOCTORS
skill makes me willing to let you CO.
There ID no reason why shouldn't
go, father" said Jenny, getting down
a little ragged coat from peg
Eyes. there is said the father. with
the peeyishness Of sick man Youth
have to cross the railroad bridge, and
I'm afraid the wind will blew you of.
Take the lantern, and be sure to take
a box of matches In case you need 10
relight it. There Is no train down for
more than an hour, but the up passen-
| ger express is due In thirty-flve min
utes 1t will take yon Ave minutes to
reach the bridge and five more to cross
1t. That will give you plenty OF time
But don't, attempt to cross In case you
are delayed" sta
i Jenny lighted the lantern from
wisp Of burning paper and, taking
box of matches from shelf. sailed
forth into the darkness. II was but a
hundred yards TO the track and she
knew every step Of the way so we'll
that she could have gone over it with
out the lantern. Once on the track, 1t
was but short walk to the bridge.
She dreaded to cross 1t for the cause
her father had mentioned-that the
bowling wind might blow her off and
down hundred feet into the torrent.
Besides. she knew what her father
had known but had not spoken-that
an engine or train not laid down ON
the schedule might cross the bridge
while she was ON 1t.
But there was no stouter hearted
maid in that region than Jenny
Hughes, though she had never given
evidence of It, She boldly set foot on
to the bridge, stepping from tie to tie,
never faltering till she reached point
over the torrent. Then, obliged to
brace herself against the wind hear
ing the roaring waters below. though
she could not see them. she faltered
But not for long, The possible loss OF
her father, whom she dearly loved.
gave her courage. and she pushed on.
She had crossed the center Of the
bridge and was entering upon a part
under which was a stone support when
she saw that one side OF the track
was considerably lower than the 9th
er. She knew that the abutment was
giving way. and any train crossing
the bridge would go dowE to its ruin
and the death of those on It, To cross
this part. distance Of some fifty
feet, was frnught with an additional
danger. The soping of the ties to one
side alone would force her TO crawl
over them. and the bridge might go
down at any moment But she thought
with horror of the train Of which her
father had spoken and the people on
it, who would be hurled down into
the abyss If she could not warn them.
and, forgetting the danger, crawled
on to the slanting ties.
She was obliged to go very slowly,
but by dint Of clutching a rail with
one hand while she held the lantern
with the other she passed the injured
part and in few minutes more reach
ed the land on the other side of the
stream. She knew that she had been
at least twice as long as her father
had calculated she would be and not
more than twenty minutes. probably
fifteen. would elapse before the ar
rival of the up train. The thought OF
what she must do to warn the engi-
Ineer made her incautious. Intending
to take position as far as possible
from the bridge, she hurried on. Sud
denly she tumbled into a cattle guard.
She was stunned and, worse than
that, the light in her lantern was ex-
tinguished. But she pulled herself ~
gether, hunted for Its two parts that
had become separated. till she found
them and taking her box Of matches
from her pocket Lit one of them.
Though the wind blew 1t out at once
she had time to see that there were
not half dozen matches In the box.
She scratched another match and it,
too, was extinguished by the wind. An
other and another attempt was made
tin all her matches save one were
gone For moment she gave way to
despair, then concentrated her little
brain on the great problem of saving
scores Of lives. Tearing the skirt Of
her cotton dress to shreds, she made
miniature tent of her coat, scratched
her last match under it. touched the
fame to one Of the shreds, placed 9TH
ers over IT, and in a moment her lam
tern was relighted.
This done, she crawled out from the
cattle guard and ran along the track,
but now more cautiously. Within a
few minutes she heard the rumbling of
the train and began to swing the Ian
tern. The brakes were whistled down
and the train came to stop.
When those on the train went for
ward ana saw the condition of the
bridge chill cold as death ran through
them. and when they saw the wee
ragged child who had saved them their
lex.A l.