Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-03-10
passing-track switch.

paSSlng-track switch.
Running to it, she grasped the lever
only to find the switch locked. She
had feared, almost expected, as much
but now, how to open it! She
looked ahead shrill engine whistle
startled her, and her cup filled-the
passenger train, bearing down the
long tangent at full speed, was whis-
Ting for her home crossing, hardly two
miles distant.
She could see smoke streaming from
the stack of the engine. Behind, she
the head-end of the runaway was
laundering on the bridge. Desperation
cleared her head. She caught up a
heavy stone from the right Of way
and pounded fiercely at the switch
lock. She struck at the stout bow
and hammered in fury at the resist
ing cover
No mechanism could stand such an
assault for long. The ground under
her feet was vibrating with the fear
full pound of the great freight engine
as it dashed with it's 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 staple gave
way The excited girl jerked the twist
ed bow clear and threw the switch,
half fainting beside it as the monster
engine struck madly at the switch
points. Then, with a shock that tore
the heavy roadbed and the roar al
most of an earthquake, engine, tender
and train lurched heavily into the sid
ing. Car after car jumped and pound
ed at the stubborn rails. On and on
they came, shaking the solid earth
under Helen as she painted and gasped
But the laundering, jumping wheels
continued to catch the switch in safe
ty and the points held. The long train
made the siding to the very end and
Helen, almost stunned saw, in some
thing like vision, the passenger
train, it's brakes throwing streams of
fire from the grinding wheels, race
u
the bridge. The sight meant little to
her now-her senses were too numbed
to realize what it meant-that the pas
senger train at last was quite safe.
The runaway freight was less for.
tunate. At the farther end of the
passing track three box cars stood pa
tiently waiting for orders. They had
been standing there unmolested for
days; they had tarried one moment
too long The runaway engine with
it's still obstinate fireman. at times on
the running board and at times in the
cab, was heading viciously for them,
But the fireman saw the game was
clearly up. He chose his moment and
der ballast Bruised and cut, he lay
breathless, almost insensible. He
heard confusedly the terrific crash
into the idle box cars. The huge en-,
CINE scattered them in dust and
kindling high in the air. He tried to
roll farther from the threatening
wreck-for the head-end of the train
had been derailed by the impact and
the jamming string of cars was zig.
tagging wildly across the right OF
to the stunned boy was of someone
struggling to help him get away from
the wreck-some puny strength ex.
erted to drag his heavy body to great.
'er safety. With breath, the first
he had been able to draw, he opened
his eyes. A young woman was bend
ing over him.
He was a forbidding sight. Blood
dust and gravel hung in half dozen
cuts on his Extraordinarily feature
of his face, except his eyes, had es
capped the smash Of the cinders. Some,
one with a very little and very wet
handkerchief wiped his 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 it be of recollec.
ton that struggled through his whirl.
ing 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 re-
called it under ordinary conditions.
But two people, a young man, now,
and young woman, were meeting
under extraordinary circumstances
and their eyes were very close to-
gether. -N1e man caught at her hand
as it passed his forehead, stopped it,
and looked keenly into Helen's eyes.
With that look, vision swept across
their memories,
u surely know you," he said, not
taking his eyes from hers. Unequal
to releasing her gaze, she stared at
him without speaking. I'm sure l
know you," he exclaimed, perplexed
He rose of sudden to his feet-so
easily it surprised her. 1T was the
beach" he went on, slowly. 'You
were hurt-the miniature railroad"
Che rooo rdod him a rn0mant in ST.