Year: 1874

ly even pausing for breath until she had
reached the iron track in the valley below
where side-rail marked the intersectinp
course of little freight road that led
away to the north. At six eyery morn.
ing and evening the freight trains passed
over the road-bed, and it was among Har-
ry Rivers most important duties to turn
the switch that connected this branch
road with the main track, after the
freight train had gone by.


Had he remembered to do so to night
Or was the long and heavily laden express
from the west even now sweeping on to
its certain doom of death and destruction.
Hero knelt to feel of the track Her
deadly doubt had too much foundation in
fact-the switch had not been altered
since the freight had passed up at six o.
clock.


A chill dew beaded over her forehead,
a sinking sensation struck to her heart.
What was she to do? Were she gifted
with the flying footsteps of Mercurys
self, she could not have got to the Min
er's Arms in time to avert the impending
catastrsphe. And even suppose that she
could, was Harry Rivers in condition to
comprehend what was said to him? And
with bitter groan, rising up from the
depths of her heart, she realized all the
horrors which have their beginning in the
wine cup.


Suddenly gleam of hope shot athwart
her her brain. She knew where the
switch key was kept--she remembered
having once seen Harry slip it under a
projecting ledge of rock, upon sort of
natural shelf, secure from rain, dew or
tempest, just beyond where she stood
What if she herself should attempt to
save the lives of the doomed passengers
every instant coming nearer to their fate?
The idea and to act upon it were tele-
graphed almost instantly from brain to
hand Snatching the key from its rest
ing place, she stopped, in the faint glim-
mer of the starlight, now breaking
through the clouds, and strove with every
force of her weak woman's strength to
move the iron rails.


God be thanked They stirred-they
grated in their sockets-and, even at the
moment in which the firey-red eye of the
approaching express train blazed in the
foggy distance, she dragged the switch in
to its proper place.


And yet, even then, she could scarcely
believe that it was right, and with the
key dangling at her side, she leaned
against the rocks until, with shrek like
that of some fre-throated demon of Aver
nus, the train swept by, dizzy succession
of lighted windows, and darkness and ST.
lence again settled down over her.


Hero Lewis neither tainted or wept.
She was not of the material that fainters
and shreikers are made of. She knew
that she had saved the lives of all upon
that train; she knew that she had avert
ed great crime from Harry Rivers soul,
and that was enough for her.


As she climbed the hillside few min
utes later, she met Harry Rivers stagger
ing down the road She stopped him
peremptorily.


Harry where are you going?"


"Dont get in my way, my lassie, fo
Heavens sake" he cried, in thick un
certain voice. "It's the midnight express
II amt quite sure a-about tina
switch


"The midnight express train passed b!
fifteen or twenty minutes ago" said Here
firmly; II heard the whistle!"


"Are you sure?"


"Quite sure


"Then God have mercy on my soul !!
cried Rivers, fairly sobered at last by tn
shock


"You need have no fears" said Hero
coldly. 81 was there, and / turned tn
SWITCH"


"You?"


"Yes, I. 1 had seen you do it, and
knew where the key was kept"


'Hero" cried Rivers, with a sob in hi
throat, 'you are my guardian angel Hero
you are woman among thousand
Kiss me, my darling"


"Never again, Harry Rivers she ans
wered, shrinking from him. "This nigh
has opened my eyes. Hereafter we ar
tie merest strangers to one another"
| So she left him, scarcely believing tn
evidence of his own senses.


The next day his formal dismissal fror
the services of the railroad company cam.
and he accepted it without protest HI
knew how dark record would have rest
ed against his name had Hero chosen t,
speak, and he dare not hazard remon
STRANGE


As for Hero herself, she never saw
him again.


"My girl, said Uncle Royal, 'you ar
worthy of your name. And believe me
you never could have respected Harr,
Rivers as wife should respect her hus
band"


II know it, Uncle" she said, softly.


But always in the depths of her SOU
she kept the secret of the midnight ex
press train.