Year: 1873

under any circumstances, i assure
you. There was now only little
strip of time between Madge and
Charley. She looked over that little
strip and saw just how it would be.
They were to have a cottage on a
clean street; her grandparents fthey
became intirm, were to have home
with her; 'and these two little hands,
said Charley, will make me the dear
est nest; III be so glad to run into
it at nightr


Madge's pink face took on rose as
she thought Of all these things, look
ing up and down the cut to see if the
track was clear as her grandfather
had said. She felt relieved and
foolish about coming out there
through twilight to spy for Charley's
welfare and much inclined to hide
from the smoke rising far off. But
those unstable sandy walls towering
over his way; Madge watched them
jealously. Just as the thunder Of
the train could be heard, her heart
stood still to see them dissolve, like
pillars ground down by some malici-
Gus Samson and piled upon the track
until nothing could be seen for yards
but one long hill Of earth and
stones!


Now, little Madge, if there is hero
ism in you, it must meet and lasso
that iron beast whirling a hundred
people upon death! A hundredl The
whole world was in the engine house.
He would not try to save himselfwhen
he came upon the life-trap. She Saw
how he would set his lips, bend
nerve and brain to the emergency;
she saw how car would crush into
car, the wreck lie over burning en-
gine, and Charley be ground and
charred under them all


q, sublimely selfish woman! She
flew over the track like thing of
wings. 1t was life and Charley. or
death with Charley. The headlight
flashed up through the dusk There
her grandfather's hut and chcercd
her last appearance Sopeople froth
up in gratitude.


were matches in her pocket; she
scraped them on rail, and tore off
her apron. Oh, they wouldn't ignite,
and the cotton would but smolder
1t is rolling down OF, her swift as air.
Bless the loom which wove the cloth
which made the cotton apronl She
tossed it, blinking and blazing above
her head, walking slowly backward.


She was seen. The engine rent
the evening air with yells; the brakes
were on-her lasso had caught tit
could now be stopped in time. She
darted aside, but the current was too
strong for her. She was dizzy fell,
and clutched in the wrong direction.
Poor, poor little fingers.


Now the people pour out; they
run here and there. Women are cry
ing-perhaps because they weren't
hurt. The engineer darts along like
a mailman, looking under the train.
There, dozen feet before the engine,
rises q sand hill. Everybody wants
to know how they were stopped be-
fore they rounded the curve.


Here she isl shouted Charley,
striding up with a limp bundle, like
q king who had sacrificed to the good
of the state. 'She showed the signal
and stood up to it until saw her
until we almost run her down
There's half the fingers cut off her
left hand There, what do you think
Of that now, for the woman who
saved you all p holding up the mutt
lated stump.


God bless ftp prayed an old gen
tleman, taking off his hat.


'Amen!' roared the crowd. With
one breath they raised three shouts,
which shook the sand hills until they
came down handsomely a second
time, Charley standing above their
enthusiasm with the fainting child in
his arms, like regent holding some
royal infant.


Let me see her. sobbed first one
woman, then another. So Charley
sat down and let them crowd around
him with ice water, cologne and lin
en- for bandages. He even gave the
men glimpse of her waxy face, just
unfolding to consciousness. Like
oil western people they wanted to
pour out their hearts in "a purse
Madge hid her face on Charley's
blouse, and would none of it,


He carried her home at the head