Rock Island Argus., 1914-09-05

I
"a lnndslide."
The pair listened, but could bs.,
nothing further except the gusts :,
wind and the waves beating aga,ns.
the tower.
'Tf that's a landslide it's probabaz
over the railroad at the cut beyond ne
inlet. I've often wondered that il did
not give way even In dry weather.
"The train" said Madge. that come.
down about o o'clock will strike IL !,
it's this side the cut the engineer won,
see it,
"That would wreck trainload Of
people"
George dare not leave the Lighthouse
and Madge concluded that she must 20
to the scene of the trouble and do
what might be necessary IN the case
She put on her wraps while George
| lighted lantern and handed 1t to her
as she went out, picking up box Of
matches at the same time and thrust
ing them into her hand.
Madge made her way to the railroad
J track, then, turning eastward, soon
| struck the bridge across the inlet Il
was really nothing better than trestle
work, though very short, being not
more than 100 feet in length. To cross
it on a dark night in a bowling wind
required bravery. Lest the wind
should, blow her off the bridge she got
down on her hands and knees and
crawled over to the other end.
George from the tower could see
the dim light OF the lantern moving
slowly and knew by its quicker mo-
ton when it had passed the bridge.
Then suddenly the light went out At
the same time he saw the stronger
light of locomotive some eight miles
away.
Madge had fallen into a cattle guard.
and her lantern had gone out with the
jar. She was only slightly bruised
and climbed out. She was near the
hither end of the cut and pushed on
until she stood on earth and stones
that covered the track. The obstacle
was not wide, but quite enough TO
wreck a train She ran on a little far
ther till she could see through the cut
Then she set about to relight her Ian
tern.
Opening the box George had given
her, she found within it only three
matches. She lighted one, but before
she could put it TO the wick of the
lamp the wind blew it out. She lighted
another with the same result Then
she was horror stricken on feeling in
the box to find that but one match was
left.
A trainload of people dependent on
one match, At the same moment
Madge heard the whistle Of the COM
ing train.
1t did not take her long to realize
that the lives of these persons depend
ed not on the match. but on her cool
ness and ingenuity in transmitting its
fame to her lantern. Kneeling on
tie she tore cotton strips from her
finest underclothing. Then she COW
cred the lantern with the skirt of her
dress, putting the end of the strips TO
the wick. Then, riskiug the flame COM
municating with her dress, she lighted
Sic match and touched it TO one of the
strips. The strip caught the fame. but
the wind. which could not be entirely
excluded. blew out the match. Other
strips caught, and the lantern was
lighted.
George Tuttle, watching the place
where his wife should be, saw the
flashes of the first two matches that
had been lighted. Then suddenly be
saw q broader light. The front of his
wife's dress had caught fire. Madge
grabbed it in her two hands, and it ap-
peared to be Quenched. George heav-
ed a sigh Of relief, when he saw a light
swinging TO and fro. Then there was
the sound of putting on brakes and
the coming headlight stopped few
rods from the lantern.
1t required an hour to remove the
obstruction on the track, ut the end OF
which time MadSe was carried CD the
train TO the point where the track
passed nec- her home. There she WA
put off and in n few minutes was
caught in the arms of her husband
AS soon as she was released she hand
ed him q handkerchief which she heid
by the four corners, full of money col
lected from the passengers whose lives
she had saved.
The next day an officer Of the rail
road called at the lighthouse to see
the woman who had saved many lives
and many thousands of dollars TOT t"e
He had a check with hip
for $4,000 into which he inserted her
name. Nor was this all. The ran
road company took her husband lh'o
its service and promoted him rs IaS'
as he learned his duties.
George Tuttle when he hears OF lohs
and elaborate preparations
for marriage sneers at them DO you
suppose" he says. 81 could have so'
better wife by all that fuss? And. as
FOR the divorces. there are more OF
them in proportion among the r'ch
who make most ado about their MAJ
ria Ges. tssan any other class.
Mrs. Tuttle doesn't talk about su'
She thinks any way IS so"u
Say If the parties concerned are
worthy persons.