her on one of the benches in the waiting-room, I heard the
driver whistle 'brakes off.' I knew the train would now soon be back
to the station again with its precious load!

"Hardly had Julia recovered before the light on the rear car of the
express backed past the station. Standing on the platform of the car
was old Rawlings. With an imprecation he ran into the station and laid
his hand heavily on my shoulder. 'What does all this mean? why did you
throw up the semaphore and wave the red light for us to return?' he
demanded, his face all aglow with passion. 'Don't talk like that,' I
replied; 'thank God for the red lamp and the semaphore! You likely now
would have been a corpse were it not for them. There is a crossing
order to hold you here. Herbert got it and forgot to enter it in the
book and turn the lamp. He will soon be back and tell you whether the
crossing is with a freight or passenger special.'

"'Bless me, what an escape!' burst out Rawlings. 'There will be a
mighty big row about this. Where is that ass of a fellow?' The
question was soon answered. Slowly walking backward, with bent
shoulders and arms wrapped around some dark object, entered the driver
of the express, while following him and bent in a like manner came the
fireman. With a dull foreboding of evil I took a step forward. They
were carrying Herbert, all torn and mangled! 'We must have backed over
him,' said the driver, quietly as he laid the poor battered burden
down. 'There is just a spark of life left in him, nothing more.' I saw
the pallid lips move, and kneeling, bent my ear to them. The last
words they ever formed came very slow and faint, yet faint as they
were I heard them: 'The express must--cross--the--passenger--special.
I--loved--her--so.' Then the weary lips were at peace--lasting peace.
As I rose, my eyes fell on Julia; she was crouching at the feet of the
poor fellow whom, but a few moments ago she had refused to marry. As
the driver threw a sheet over the remains he said, 'Poor fellow, his
mistake cost him dear.' Then turning to me: 'What a blessing it was
that you kept your head and signalled us with the red light; for I had
just passed under the semaphore when the arm rose. Consequently I
thought nothing of the matter; but the fireman at that moment ran up
the back of the tender to throw down some coal near the fire-box, and
while doing so he noticed the light. He at once called to me to look
behind. The signal, coupled with the a