Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1904 — On Fourteen Trestle [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

On Fourteen Trestle

By... Clinton Dangerfield

Oopi/rifl/it, 1903, by T. C. McClure

Across the wide river the trestle, No. 14, stretched unendingly, for the broken ground on both shies necessitated Its covering not only the treacherous yellow tide, but much of the dubious shore beyond. Hinton’s eyes rested dully on the one point of interest the shore under the trestle offered—namely, the small landing where steamers stopped for cotton. The landing boasted a gin, where the product In its raw shape, brought there lu wagon loads by the small farmers, was reduced to proper commercial bulk. Although Hinton and Miss Wade wen* still a hundred yards from the spot where they would pirss the landing below and twice that distance from the trestle’s end, they could eee all its details very plainly, especially the huge open bin, where a quantity of unseeded cotton had been thrown, to be transferred to the snorting, laboring machinery later. “Jolle n’est ce pas?” observed Mls.s ,Wade lightly, with a wave of her hand which covered the surrounding scenery. “That’s French for ‘pretty/” interposed one of the children trotting at Miss Wade's heels. “I have learned that one word anyway,” pursued the speaker proudly*, and I mean to know more, ’cause you and Mr. Hinton talk in It and nobody can understand what you say. llennie, I>ou and me are all goin’ to learn it, so's we can tell secrets In the openest company.” This nmbltlous scholar was one of three youngsters tvho had joint'd the couple in their walk and to w*hose intrusion neither Miss Wade nor her escort objected. Now that he had been finally und completely rejected, Hinton was glad to have their embarrassed silence broken by the chatter of the children. Miss Wade also was glad of their presence. As the 4 o'clock train had passed only a few moments ago, Bhe hud been quite sure It was safe to cross the trestle. Then, Just as she was encouraging the rather laggard footsteps of the -youngest Infant, her blood froze at the

soufid of a shrill, ominous screech behind them, echoing over the hills. Hinton heard it at the same instant. Evidently some special or perhaps a wildcat engine whs bearing down upon them. And there was still so much trestle before them—so much of that slender network which ottered no places of safety. Looking back, he saw the thin line of smoke that marked the Speeding death—they could never reach the other side in time! The children, in their happy babble, heard nothing, and Hinton, forming an instant plan, said rapidly in French: "Don’t let them know. They will turn stupid with fright, and we could not do anything with them. Obey me, and 1 cun save j you all.” To the mastery in his eye Miss Wade yielded in a sort of blind confidence. He would save them all, she repeated, and the sick terror at her heart lessened its strain a little. She heard him laughingly urge the children to hurry, heard him offering prizes to the one who should pass the gin first and then saw him snatch, up the fat legged six-year-old. Wrapped In their wctchedly slow race, for they had to move with some caution, the children as they stood at last above the gin did not yet hear the thunderous monster, now setting its iron feet on the trestle itself. They only heard Hinton’s sharp command "Stop!” and then their baby faces went white as they saw him lean over and drop the six-year-old into what seemed destruction. But Hinton’s steady, athletic arms bad not failed Mm. Before the astounded child knew wiiat had happened she was lying on her back In the unseeded cotton. With cool and desperate precision Hinton threw the would be French scholar down next, though he bad to tear her frantic hands loose from his neck. The third youngster unceremoniously followed, landing on its bead, but with no worse harm than falling between two loose plies of

springy dlrtylsh white, which saved Its spinal column from any hurt. “You next," said Hinton calmly. “It’s the one chance. The train is almost upon us.” As he spoke he lifted the girl, and she found herself trusting to bis cool self possession lu spite of the horror before her. >Vbttt she might strike, where fall, she did not know. She only knew that lu his steady eyes flamed a hero she had not dreamed of in their conventional acquaintance. She thought of this us she thought of muity other things in her descent to the cotton below. The drop was a fearful one, and it seemed to her that she passed an eternity before she touched anything. Then, like the first of the children, she lay on her hack, staring up at the black muss thundering past above. As it reached the spot from whence she had been thrown she saw Hinton, his hands pointed above his bead, leap far out toward the center of the stream, beading as far us possible from the saving cotton. Ignoring the howls of the indignant children, who altogether failed to comprehend the reason for their brusque and unwilling flight downward, she scrambled out of the bin ami ran to the edge of the shore. Had Hinton struck one of the numerous crags abounding in the river? Would he never rise again? Her screams for aid brought the few men at work to her immediately. One of them unlocked a little llatboat moored to the shore, but as they prepared to push her off a brown head lifted itself from the muddy current, and Hinton, blowing the water from bis mouth, clambered up on the little pier, liis face growing radiant as he saw the girl unhurt. “Oh, you!” she cried. “You are”— She choked. “How are the kids?” asked Hinton a little thickly. “Safe as If they had merely been tossed Into bed. Ob, Mr. Hinton —Robert—l” “Don’t feel obliged to say anything pretty,” Interrupted Hinton a little ironically, misconstruing her embarrassment. “I’ve often dived from as great heights.” “You’d never dive twice Into that river an’ come out alive,” Interpolated the gin fireman abruptly. “What did you think of ns you winged your way down?” inquired Ilinton lightly ns they turned toward the wailing chorus of angry Infants, who found the sides of the bln too high to scramble out. Miss Wade went scarlet. “I thought of a lot of things!” she murmured. “Yes,” said Hinton politely, but with the wound she had given him before they had set foot on the trestle now reopening. He had saved her—for some other man! “I thought especially,” stammered Miss Wade, “of a—a proverb”— “Yes? May I ask the saw?” “It’s a—that it’s a woman’s privilege to change her mind,” murmured Miss 'Wade.

THEY SAW HIM LEAN OVER AND DROP THE SIX-YEAR-OLD.