The Blue Grass Seminary Girls' Vacation Adventures Part 6

But the strain upon Shirley had been terrible, and no sooner had the child been dragged to safety, than Shirley's strength gave out, and the wheel settled down upon her own foot.

She did not cry out, but Mabel's quick eyes detected her friend's plight. She uttered an exclamation of dismay and hurried to her aid.

"Shirley!" was all she could say.

With her foot pinned beneath the wheel, Shirley smiled at her.

"I'm caught," she said simply. "How is the little girl?"

Mabel bent over, and examined her chum's predicament. Then she laid hold of the wheel and attempted to lift it.

"I can't move it," she said, and continued to tug desperately at the wheel and heavy axle.

"You had better call some one to help you," said Shirley calmly.

Mabel gave up her attempt to lift the wheel and hurried to the opposite side of the tangled wreckage, where she could hear men at work trying to pull other victims from beneath the heap.

The heat from the flames that now almost enveloped the wreck was becoming more intense. It was almost unbearable, and Shirley, imprisoned as she was, stretched as far as possible from the fire.

At Mabel's call for aid, one of the men gave up his position with the others and followed her to where Shirley lay. It was but the work of a moment for him to lift the wheel sufficiently for Mabel to help Shirley from beneath it.

Shirley arose and tried her foot. It pained her, but hasty examination showed that it was simply bruised. Painfully, a.s.sisted by Mabel, she limped after the man, who had raised the wheel, to the opposite side of the wreck, where rescuers were even at that moment pulling the last of the victims from under the cars, away from the tongues of flame.

CHAPTER V.-HOME AGAIN.

As she walked along, the pain in Shirley's foot became less and less, until finally she was not conscious of it. The girls soon sat down upon the gra.s.s, where they watched the men fighting the flames, that the cars might not be entirely consumed.

Shirley suddenly jumped to her feet.

"Where is the girl we pulled from under the car?" she asked Mabel.

Mabel also sprung up.

"I had forgotten all about her," she exclaimed.

They walked to where the little one lay, still moaning with pain.

Shirley picked her up gently, and bade Mabel bring some water. This the latter did, and the two girls at length succeeded in soothing the child, until she lay still in Shirley's arms.

Suddenly there was a fluttering of skirts, a glad cry in a woman's voice and the tot was s.n.a.t.c.hed from Shirley's arms.

"Agnes, Agnes!" said the voice.

Shirley arose and faced the woman who had taken the child from her.

"I am Mrs. Johnson," the woman said, "and this is my daughter Agnes. The men told me you saved her from the flames. I don't know how to thank you."

"Never mind the thanks," said Shirley. "We simply pulled her away. That is all."

"Why, Shirley," exclaimed Mabel, "you almost lost your own life."

Shirley frowned at her friend.

"It was nothing," she said.

The little girl's mother looked first at one and then at the other.

"I didn't know you endangered your own life," she said. "I wish I could thank you properly."

"Just say no more about it then," said Shirley, somewhat embarra.s.sed by this conversation.

The woman smiled.

"As modest as you are brave," she said. "Well, then, I shall say no more about it. But remember, if you ever need a friend, just call on me."

"Thank you. I shall remember," said Shirley, and the woman walked away, carrying her daughter in her arms.

From down the track at this moment came the buzz of an approaching car.

It was the wrecking train bringing a crew to clear the track, also physicians and nurses.

Fortunately, the services of none of the latter were needed, for it was found, that besides the little girl Shirley had rescued, none of the pa.s.sengers had been severely injured.

Half an hour later a car approached from the other direction, and came to a stop a few yards from the scene of the wreck. Pa.s.sengers disembarked and, upon the instructions of an official, the car made ready to return toward Cincinnati.

Shirley and Mabel climbed aboard with the other pa.s.sengers and soon were on their way once more. They did not wait to find their hand baggage, nor did any of the other pa.s.sengers. It was hopelessly lost in the wreckage. Their trunks, they knew, would reach Cincinnati, and eventually home, without trouble.

The wreck had delayed the car for nearly two hours; so when they finally reached Cincinnati, it was too late to catch their train to Paris.

Shirley and Mabel had been in the Ohio city too many times to feel frightened, however. So, after sending a telegram to Mr. Willing explaining their reasons for not being home on time, the two girls made their way from the station to the Sinton Hotel, where they spent the night.

They were up bright and early the next morning, and caught their train soon after eight o'clock. Shortly before eleven they reached Paris.

Shirley, the first to descend the steps, was caught in the arms of a dignified, white-haired old gentleman, who squeezed her until she cried out:

"Stop, Dad, or you will squeeze the life out of me."

The old gentleman laughed and, putting a hand on both of her shoulders, held her off at arms' length and looked at her intently.

"Well, well," he said, "so I have you back again. How glad I am to see you, daughter. It seems as though you had been gone ten years."

Again he regarded her earnestly.

"Come, Dad," said Shirley, "you are blocking the way. The people want to get off."

"I'd like to know," said Mr. Willing, looking about fiercely, "who is going to tell me to move."