Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-11-27
"Oh. that's too soon"

III. lndl lOo eOO4.
swell. let me know when you're COM
ing. Never mind that either. I'll be
here. can't go away"
A few days later when the wind was
again of shore George saw a boat
coming full of old and young persons.
1t was pulled up at the foot of the
lighthouse. and they all got out. then
lifted out a trunk. Madge was among
them, dressed In her best. She and
George stood on the rocks and a par
son made her Mrs. Tuttle. Then a
hamper was taken from the boat con-
tanning a bridal feast, and the party
refreshed themselves.
whats that?"
The lighthouse keeper and his wife
were eating supper. 1t had been rain
ing for three days, and there was a
bowling wind.
"A landslide"
The pair listened, but could hear
nothing further except the gusts of
wind and the waves beating against
the tower.
IF that's a landslide it's probably
over the railroad at the cut beyond the
inlet I've often wondered that it did
not give way even in dry weather"
"The train." said Madge. that comes
down about 0 o'clock will strike It II
it's this side the cut the engineer won't
see it."
THAT would wreck a trainload of
people"
George dare not leave the lighthouse.
and Madge concluded that she must go
to the scene of the trouble and do
what might be necessary in the case.
She put on her wraps while George
lighted a lantern and handed it to her
>as she went out, picking up a box of
matches at the same time and thrust
ing them into her hand.
Madge made her way to the railroad
track. then, turning eastward. soon
struck the bridge across the inlet. 1t
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 oyer 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 1t had passed the bridge.
Then suddenly the light went out. At
the same time he saw the stronger
light of a 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 a
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, risking the fame com
municating with her dress, she lighted
the 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 he
saw a broader light. The front of his
wife's dress had caught fire. Madge
grabbed it in her two hands. and it APP
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 a few
rods from the lantern.
1t required an hour to remove the
obstruction on the track, at the end of
which time Madge was carried on the
train to the point where the track
passed near her home. There she was
put off and in a few minutes was
caught In the arms of her husband