Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1911-04-21
A YOUNG
HEROINE
BY F. A. Mitchell
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

Jenny" said John Hughes to his
daughter. Il -irl Of fourteen. Il must
have II doctor. You are the only per
son to 50 for him. your mother being
half sick herself. 1t is Il wild night.
know. for i little maid to 70 out and
walk two miles to the Doctors: only
the fear Of my dying and wing your
mother and yourself In our present des-
utute condition for want Of 4 doctors
skill makes me willing to let you 20"
''Thcre Is no reason why | shouldn't
so. father" said Jenny. getting down
a little ragged coat from peg.
"Yes. there is said the father. with
the pecvishneSs Of II sick man. You'll
have to cross the railroad bridge. and
I'm afraid the wind will blow you of.
Take the lantern. and be sure to take
box Of matches in cnse you need TO
relight It. There Is no train down for
more than an hour. but the up paSsen-
ger express is due in thirty-tive min
uteS. 1t will take you five minutes to
reach the bridge and five more IT, cross
1t. That will give you plenty OF time.
But don't attempt to cross in case you
are delayed
Jenny lighted the lantern from
wisp Of burning paper and. taking a
box Of matches from Il shelf. sailed
forth into the darkness. II was hut
hundred yards to the track. and she
knew every step Of the way 40 we'll
that she could have gone over It with.
out the lantern. Once on the track. It
was but short walk to the bridge.
She dreaded to cross It for the cause
her father had mentioned-that the
bowling wind might blow her OF and
down hundred feet into the torrent.
Besides. she knew what her father
had known but had not spoken-that
nm engine or u train not laid down on
the schedule might cross the bridge
while she was ON it,
But there was no stouter hearted
maid In that region thnn Jenny
Hughes. though she had never given
evidence Of it. She boldly set foot ON
to the bridge stepping from tie to tie,
alever fal.erinS till she reached Il point
OvVt t0IIVul. ucu. OUuEcu 10
brace herself against the wind. hear
ing the roaring waters below. though
she could not see them. she fnltevcd.
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 Il part
under which was Il stone support when
she saw that one side Of the track
was considerably lower than the 9th
er. She knew that the abutncnt was
giving way. and amy train crossing
the bridge would go down to its ruin
and the death Of those OH It, To cross
this part. Il distance of some fifty
feet. was frauyht with an additional
danger. The sloping Of the ties to one
side nlone would force her to era wi
over them. and the bridge might 20
down ut any moment But she thought
with horror of the train Of which her
father had spoken and the people OH
it. who would be hurled down into
the abyss il she could not warn Them
and. forgetting the danger. crawletl
on to the slantin. ties.
She WAS obliged to 90 very slowly,
but by dint of clutching 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 thu
stream. She knew that she had beer
at least twice as long us her father
had calculated she would be and moi
more than twenty minutes. probabl!
fifteen. would elapSe before the ar
rival OF the up train. The thought Of
what she must do to warn the engi
neer made her incautious. Intending
to take position as far as possibl,
from the bridge. she hurried on. Sud
denly she tumbled into a cattle guard
She was STAINED and. worse thar
that. the light in her lantern was OK
iinguished But she pulled herself ia
Grther. hunted for its two parts tina
had become separated. till she f0unt
them and taking her box of matche
from her pocket lit one of them
Though the wind blew 1t out at one
size had tine 10 see that there wer
tN.,lf hnSy