Arminta Turney.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 108, 9 May 1896, Page 3 (Supplement)

Arminta Turney.

A Thrilling Adventure on a Railroad

Bridge,

By Emma A. Opper.

Katb Fuller ran to the door, seeing her bosom friend, Blanche Ingoldsby, coming up the steps.

4 W bat's bhe matter?' Blanche cried, the moment she saw her face.

• Arminta Turney !' said Kate. ' That's what's the matter.'

•Arminta Tnrney?' echoed Blanche. ' She's my tenth or 'leventh cousin,' tmid Kate, ' and 6'he lives in Chardon. I never saw her before. Her father was driving through here to Norwood, on business, and he brought Arminba to stay with ua until Saturday, when he comes back.

' Waib till you see her,1 cried Kabe, who waß a eomewhab disdainful young person, with decided ideas. ' Mamma says there is something to her. I can'b see io.' They had reached the sitting-room door. ' Aruainba,' said Kate, * this is my friend, Blanche Ingoldsby.' Arminta arose and bowed. 'Is this your lirab visib here?' said Blanche, politely.

1 Yes,' said Arminta,

• Don'b you think it is a pretty place,' said Blanche. • Yee,' said Arminta.

She wore a brown dress thab might have been made for her grandmother. Ib had a long baeque, with snug eleeves, and buttons down tho fronb. fcShe wore an out-of-date lace neckerchief, and her hair was arrangod in round curls, like the hair of an old style china doll. In shorb, Arminta was countrified and old-fashioned.

Blanche thoughb her pretty, though. ' Waa ib a pleasant drive from Chardon !' she asked.

' Ye?,' Arminta anewered ; and Blanche gave up. ' Yes' appeared to be all Arminta Turney could say. She and Kate exchanged looks, and Kate buried a giggle in her handkerchief.

'Harvey Torrey is going to join the tennis club,' said she ; and they talked for a half-hour aboub tennis, to the exclusion of Arminta.

' What shall you wear to Ida Goodricb'a this afternoon 1' said Blanche.

' Oh,' Kate responded, with a perceptible poub, 'I'm nob goinjr. I can't leave my company.' ' You will not have to leave her/said her mother, who had come in. * Ida drove over this morning, while you and Arminta

were out, and borrowed a few dishes for tha party. She expects twenty girte. I told her your cousin was with you, and she told mo to have you be sure and bring her.1 Kate's mother smiled her cheerful gratification. Kate bit her lip. Her bridling look said plainly : ' 1 would rather stay nt home than to take Arminta Turnoy to that party.' I The girls will etop for you this afternoon with the buggy, Biar.che,' Mrs Fuller promised. ' It's a long walk to the Goodriches'.' Bob when Kate and her coubhi stopped for Blanche that afternoon ib wa9 not with the buggy. I 1 persuaded mamma to let us walk, explained Kate. 'Ifc isn't quite two miles, the shortest way.' ' Bub the fchortest way,' Blanche whispered, putting on her hab before the hall glass, 'ia over the High Bridge. We can't go thab way.' ' Why can't we?' Kate demanded, 'We wenb over once, didn't we, you 'fraid-cab ?' *' Bub your father was with us !' eaid Blanche, gasping. * Your mother would never lot you go alone.' • She doesn't know I'm going to,' said Kate, coolly. . * Well, we can't,' BlaiMjho protested, with the decision of hoc inward dismay. • Arminta wouldn't daro.'

'Of course sho wouldn't, she'll torn around and come home,' Kate whispered and pinched Blanche's arm in triuaiph. • Why—Kate—Fuller !' Blanche ejaculated, half agha«b and half admiring. Nobody bub Kate would have dared to think of ?nch a thing. • Hush !. I don't care. I don't want to take her, and I'm going to get out of it if I can, thero now,' eaid Kate, defiantly. They teb out. They wenb down one streeb and up another ; up a long hill, and over some rail fences.

'Ida Goodrich lives across tho river,' Kato explained to Arainta, airily. ' There's a covered bridge half a mile down, bub it will Rave time to go over the High Bridge, It in more picturesque, too.' A few moments brought them to it. And ab aighfe. of it Blanohe set her teoth, with a shuddering 'E-o-e.' The High Bridge rose a hundred feeb above the river, and ib was over two hundred feeb from end to end. It was a railroad bridge inorely ; there was no ioobpath across it, and no railing ; there were only the bare ties, extended a scant three feet on either side of the track.

Below lay tho broad river, with its steep, green banks and a dotting isleb here and there. Arminta Turney looked at tho view. Kateaud Blanche looked at,each other. ' You are nob really going over, Kate Fuller?' said Blanche, feebly.

• Why nob ?' Kate retorted, with a look, intended to scorch her.

But Blanche was nob scorched. She had come to her senses. ' Because,' she declared, »it's dangerous. Don'b you know bow we clung to your father that time, and were scared oub of our wits ? The. ties are wide enough apart to let one of ua girb through if we gob dizzy or slipped; and whab if a train should comet What would your

mother say to you, Kate Fuller ? Arminta, don't you go one step !' She was quifco pale and earnest. Bat Artnintagazed about at the striking scenery with a look oft serena enjoyment. * Ob, I don't think I'm afraid,' she answered, and she set her hat on more firmly and stepped off on the bridge. Kate, behind her, threw up both hands and stared at Blanche. Dismay ami despair were written in her face. Her scheme had failed signally and dismally. Arminta was not going back home. She was going over the High Bridge wibhoub any hesitation, and quite coolly. Kate's chagrin had to have an tmtlet. ' You're a little ninny,'she threw back at Blanche. ' You can go poking round by the other bridge, if you want to all alone. I hope you'll meet sixteen tramps.' And from Blanche's imploring ' Don't go!' ebe turned deaf ears. She started across the bridge behind Arminta.

But her enthusiasm for the undertaking was blighted, and some of her courage as well.

They took the middle of the track. •Go carefully ; the beams are really far enough apart te let us through,' Kate cautioned. 1 The fall would break our necka, and we'd be drowned if it didn't.' She stared down nervously, with a dizzy feeling, at the water flowing far beneath them. ' sTou don't want to look down at the water,' said Arminta. • Look up and around and take even steps. The ties ate evenly laid.' She was actually stopping^ to look off admiringly ab tua view. Kate gave a shaky laugh. It occurred to her to wonder whether there was really ' something to ' her country cousin. She wished she was as cool aa Armiota appeared to be. But ehe realised what a foolhardy thing ehe had done—how rash, how wrong; and the realisation caueed her boldness to Ooze the faster. Aa for Arminta her tongue was loosed by her enjoytruSnb of the experience. ' Those gieafc rocks on that bank are lovely,'she said.' 1 Yes,' Kate responded, and said no more, because her voice trembled. The few stops they hnd pone seemed a miserably long distance. She did nob venture to look ahead at the long, perilous, narrow span. She looked ab the water—down, down—until she felt giddy and sick. What if she should stumble?

Where washer dauntless spirit! She was angrily intliguant with hereelf, bub ibhad fled.

Then a terrific thing happened. Suddenly on bho still air there sounded the near whiatle of a locomotive.

Kuta stood ebiil. ' A train ' Ehe panted, and clinched her bands. Her amazement; paralysed her. Of course, she liad thought of the trains and how could it 10 ? Ib was too late for the 2 o'clock train and ib was not time for the 3.10 express. Oh, how could it ba? Tho whittle thrilled again, and pierced her through, and loft her cold and limp with terror. 1 Arminta—Arminta,' ehe tried to say, but no sound came. She had brought Arminta to this. They would boko be killed, and she the causa of it. Was tAore anything to bo done—anything? She tried to steady herself—to think clearly. She could not. She felb herself growing fainL.

A minute more—one minute more—

She stood in tbe middle of tbe track and stared ahead: She could see the train, lb had burned the curve; it was almost oa the bridge. She felb the vibration of the beam on which she etood. She saw tho black smoke and the terrible gleam of the engine. A mist, & darkness was rising before her eyes. She felc a strong clutch on her arm, and heard Arrainta's voice in her oar. | ' Quick !' she said, ' quick. Oh, Kate, don't faint. Step over tho rail. Lie down | —here, on tbe ties, and I will. As close to the edge as you cani Harry, harry! Hang on tight—don't get near the rail— and shut your eyea.' Kate blindly did as the tecse voice told her. She threw herself prone on the narrow projection of the ties beyond the track.. She felb Arminba thrusting her skirts tightly in aboub her. She gripped tbe beam where her hands fell, and shuddered away from the rail, and shub her eyes.

Her sonßes were halt benumbed. A great rush and roar filled her earn and deafened them, and she felb the timbers under her rocking and cracking, till it seemed that? she must be shaken off into tho depths below. She clung fiercely. Before her closed eye* there was a eurgiug blackneae, and one horrible thought beat against her brain—was eho run over, was gho killed ? ■ •

Thon sha felb the lessening shaking of the ties. It bunk into a quiver, and it ceased. • Kate,' said a voice, and Kate raised herself.

By degrees she gained a sitting position. ' Arminta,' she said, aud burst into gaspiNjj sobs.

'Don't,' said Arminta, 'ib'e all over.'

'Arminta,' cried Kate, 'do you know whab you have done? You've saved ua both from being killed. Arminta, you have.' :

1 Why,' said Arminba, who was trying to pull a alsvor out of her thumb, 'wo didn't want bo eUnd tbere in the middle of the track and &&t run over. 1 didn't do anything much. There wasn't anything el«e to do.'

And that was the most she ever said about ib.

A tire from within v cJ Kate's tears. 4 Armintn,' sbe sa\d v . 'you are the braveut girl I ever knew or hsard of. And I'm a coward. Sco how I .lovb my head ! I was ecarod even before thsj sjara came. I'm an idiot!'

• Oh, no,' said Arminte,. ' bow we look ! Your hatgoue and mine &X bent bo pieces.' 'But, Anninfca, let me falk about it,' aaid Kato. 'I think yau'ra \ perFect wonder. Why, overybody wiM any bo. I think '

' Oh, pshaw,' saiel Arminta. And her old, shy look came beck, her uyes 1011. 'Let's get off the bridge. Do you feetl strong enough ?'

'Yes, I do. I've been enough of a aim pleton for one day,' said Kate.

They gob to their feeb and went bacJj aa they had come. On the bank stood Blanjjhq aa white as a, ghost* Sha flung his anpg around them hoik. . ';t'

•I thought you were killed,' aho said* faintly. 'Oh,, Kate—ob.Arminbfl !' They sat down together on the grasi, and Kate got Arminta's band in both her owbi • I'm glad Blanche is here,' she said, • for I want a witness. I do, Arminta. I've been a—yes, a fool, I'll say it. A. tool, more ways than ona. 1 Do you know why I wanted to go-ovefr the bridge? Because I hopad you-wonM bo t>[ raid, and go back. I didn't want to-. tako you to the party, because—.yes, I'll, tell you all about it if ib kills me— Because '

' I know,' Arminta murmured, reddening faintly. 'My—my clothes.l' •How could 12' Kate cried. *I don'l know how I could I Your clothes !' And there adequate words failed her. * Ctobheatfsho burst t<ub. 'If I could be like yett—Memarb and as plucky—l'd wear bluejear pantaloons the rest of my life.' •

There's SoitEmrno to Yon:, :£&%s[s£ Tdjbnbt.' Blanche broke oub laughing. Bbewaß almost crying, coo. • Shall we go bad: ihome,' *hs <j«eßtioned. ' Home?' said Sato. "No, Infleefl:! We are goiug to the party. , My .bat "is ia the river, and Arminta's looiks as if the cara had run over it, and we'rd.'all'OYer'dirt, and my dreßß is torn ; bub I. o,on?t :Care. We won't go over the high bridge, bub we're going to the party.' She bad her way. It was a most) eujoyible jwrty, srith all kinds of pleaaanb things to -do, aud a bountiful supper. Bub Kate Fuller and her vcoasin from Chardon wore the eeatre &i ;<iritereßb. Kate had to tell all about th^'ir drilling experience again and again, in .graphic detail. Arminta Turney wm u;heroine. The girls gazed at her and exclaimed .over her and secretly admireel her pretty face and modest ways, and made far mare Of her than of anybody. As to the runaway train, ft was learned that it was the two o'clock train, ft half hour behind schedule time, on aeeftnab of a delaying • hot box ' ten miles up the road. In the edge of the moonlit evening tho father of the young hostess drove them all home in a lumber waggon cushioned with buffalo robes—a gay and noisy load.\ Arminta Turney whispered a shy woj& to Kate under cover of the laughing hubbub. . \

1 I'm better acquainted with you now/ she said. ' I felt strange at first!, and—an£ I knew you didn't like me, and somehow I couldn'A say a word to you, and if yoa thought I was a goose I dou'b blame you.' Kate gob her arm around her shoulderd and (squeezed her. ' You can't go hotae Saturday,' ehe said. ' I don't want you to; and when mamma knows all about it, she never will let you. Stay longer, and we'll have a splendid time together. Theft's " something to " job* Arminta Turney !'