Smyrna times., 1932-12-21

lne-a very high bridge-that
we cross at night?"
She was a pretty woman, about
thirty. 1t was surprising that she
should speak to me; she didn't look
like the aggressive kind But she
had spoken and | liked her looks,
so | stood up in the aisle of the
pullman.
"A bridge?" | said. There must
be many Of them between here and
the coast, especially where we cross
the mountains
well. this must be an unusual
bridge-not over a rivera great
span over an abyss. And deep
deeper than anything"
II don't know Of any"
Are you going through this time,
all the way?"
yes. | am.-What about the
bridge? Why does it bother you?"
IN tell yOu," she said. Listen.
Last night had a dream. dreamt
that this train came to great
bridge. And the bridge was broken.
The train ran into the gap. and.
She paused to shudder plunged
a thousand feet to the rocks below"
"Well." said, that was a dream.
Anybody killed?''
Everybody My dream was pro-
phetic!'
! shifted uneasily.
"What do you mean By prophetic,
exactly?"
"Well-l don't know. | saw the
things SO clearly-every detail as if
a great searchlight were playing on
the scene If there is a bridge l
wouldn't go over it for fortune"
IF you'll excuse me. I'll go back
for smoke" said. She simply
nodded and went to the smoking
room. To save my life | couldn't
get the picture of a train running
off bridge out of my mind. Then
| spotted a timetable on the win
dOwsilL | turned a page and there
was a span exactly as she had de-
scribed.
looked up On the map, which
was also in the folder, the town
nearest the bridge and then
searched the timetable for the hour
at which we were due at that town.
Eight the next evening. So we did
60 over the bridge at night. Of
course all the time | was telling
myself not to be a fool. | slipped
the folder into my pocket and went
back into the car.
Pardon me-" | said to the dream
er, but I've looked up your
bridge = and at that | hand
ed her the folder. opening at the
picture. And | watched her face
minutely.
my God" she said in a throaty
voice, Its the bridge-it's the very
bridge! When do we cross it,"
Tomorrow night, between eight
and nine"
I'm going 70 get of this train,"
she said. starting to rise.
mot now" objected. I'VE don't
get there until tomorrow night"
She settled back in the seat Her
hands twitched nervously.
By morning, strange thing had
happened. The whole train was
talking about the Canyon Fiero
bridge.
Nobody, | thought, had yet con-
suited the conductor about stopping
the train at the bridgehead. so 1
accosted him myself when he came
through the car. Had he heard
about the dream?
"Yes, I've heard about 1t. We
don't make a custom OF stopping
these trains because Of dreams. But
/ wired ahead and got notifica-
tion to proceed. There's nothing
wrong with the bridge"
Nothing could be more convincing
than that. But the Russian, who
had overheard the talk, suddenly
flew out Of her seat and came up
\ to us.
Don't you see what 1t is?' she
said. 'Of course they're not going
to break the bridge until it's too
late for kilograms It may be a plot.
| Sabotage"
''very well. madam. I'll stop the
train"
At eight o'clock we came to the
last town before Canyon FierO.
mo reports on the bridge" said
! the conductor and we started on.
The Russian woman nibbled the
corner of her handkerchief. All
/ through the train there was re-
\ markable atmosphere of tension.
\ The train slowed down and came to
1 an effOrtless stOp-silence. | got out
and walked up toward the engine.
| thought ! saw the Russian ahead
! of me. There was a cluster of peo-
pie around the engine.
When | reached the coal tender
noticed that everybody had sudden
ly lined up along the wheels and
heard a voice barking crisp com
mands. It was the moonlit side of
the train and the visibility was