Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-27

plainly ahead. The bridgetender was
hastily lowering the knife for the freight
Determined. while in tho river. to leave
the bridge open and wreck tho freight.
Helen believed she could avoid even that,
and had given the tender his orders sc-
cordingly. The tug. which had been
whistling wildly. now heeled violently to-
ward the wharf where the captain. a
game sport had resolved to make fast
and see the excitement out. With the
boat crew ashore and dashing across the
wharf to watch Helen, she crouched like
jockey over Rocket as he crushed and
scattered the cinders under his flying
feet. and In what seemed another mo-
ment-so fast had she flown-checking the
horse cruelty. she threw her lines and
slid from his back beside the sidetrack
switch.
Running to it, she grasped the lever
only to fined the switch locked.
She could see smoke streaming from
the stack OF the engine. Behind. she had
no need to look, the rumble OF the head
end of the runaway was laundering on
the bridge. Desperation cleared her head.
She caught up a heavy stone from the
r'ght-of-way and pounded fiercely at the
oWANCn AOShs 0nc 5NIuCh u TIC 6lOuN OOW
and hammered in a fury at the resist
| ing cover.
No mechanism could stand such an as
sault for long The ground under her
feet was vibrating with the fearful pound
Of tho great freight engine as It dashed
with its heavy drag over the closely
rail joints. She knew the Keeling machine
must be almost on her and the thought
spurred her to unnatural strength The
lock gave way. The excited girl jerked
the lever clear and threw the switch.
half fainting beside It as the monster
engine struck madly at the points. Then,
with a shock that tore the heavy road
bed and the roar almost of an earth
quake. engine. tender and train lurched
heavily into the siding. Car after car
jumped and pounded at the stubborn
rails. On and on they came. shaking
the solid earth under Helen as she
gasped. Bot the laundering. jumping
wheels continued to pass the switch In
safety and the points held. The Ions
train made the siding to the very end
and Helen almost stunned, saw. in
something like a vision. the passenger
train. its brakes throwing streams OF
fire from the grinding wheels. race past
her down the main track toward the
bridge
The runaway freight was less for
tunate. At the farther end OF the side
track three box cars stood patiently
waiting for orders. They had been stand
ing there unmolested for days; they had
tarried one moment too long. The run
away train with its still obstinate fire
man, at times on the running board and
at times In the cab, was heading vici-
ously for them It's speed was much re-
duced after reaching level grade. But the
fireman saw the game was clearly up,
He chose his moment and jumped, lend
ing violently in the cinder ballast
Bruised and cut. he lay breathless. al
most insensible. He heard confusedly
the terrific crash into the idle box cars.
The first realization that came to ths
stunned boy was OF someone struggling
to help him away from the wreck-some
puny strength exeerted to drag his heavy
body to greater safety. with a breath.
the first he had been able to draw. he
opened his eyes. A young woman was
bending over him.
He was a forbidding sight. Blood, dust
and gravel hung In half a dozen cuts
on his forehead-hardly feature OF his
face. except his eyes, had escaped the
smash Of the cinders. Someone with q
very little and very wet handkerchief
wiped HE eyes and he could see more
clearly when he opened them again. He
could see the face bent over him and
two eyes fixed anxiously on his-a girls
face. strange and yet-what could II be
lof recollection that struggled through
his whirling senses?
Nor had Helen. as she knelt and worked
over the injured man. dreamed OF seeing
any face she had ever looked into before
Even had It been uninjured she would
hardly have recalled Il under ordinary
conditions. But two people, a young
man, now. and young woman. were
meeting under extraordinary eircum-
stances and their eyes were very close
together. The man caught at her hand
as IL passed with the poor little stained
handkerchief across his forehead. stop
ped II. and looked kneenly into Helen's
eyes.
Il surely know you he said. not tax
Ing his eyes from hers. Unequal TO re-
leasing her gaze. she stared at him with
out speaking I'm sure / know YOU. {"
he exclaimed, perplexed.
He rose OF a sudden TO his feet-so
easily Il surprised her. 1t was the