Show the 1 he I 1 cridge bridge by RAYMOND OTIS by 1614 mccaro CIr new newspaper paper syndicate 96 ants S THERE a high bridge on tills this i line a very cry high bridge that we cross at night she was a pretty woman about thirty it was surprising that she should speak to me she look like the aggressive kind but she had spoken and I 1 liked her looks so I 1 stood up in the aisle of the pullman A bridge I 1 said there must be many of 0 them thein between here and the coast especially where we erm cross the moun mountains taina well this must be an unusual bridge not over a river a great span over an abyss and deep deeper than anything 1 I dont know of any are you going through this time till all the way yes I 1 am what about the bridge why does it bother you ill tell you she said bald listen last night I 1 had bad a dream I 1 dreamt that this train came to a great bridge and the bridge was broken the train ran into the gap and she paused to shudder plunged a th thousand omand feet to the rocks below well I 1 said that was a dream anybody killed everybody uy my dream was prophetic P betic I 1 shifted uneasily what do you mean by prophetic exactly well I 1 dont know I 1 saw the things so clearly every detail as if a great searchlight were playing on th the scene if there Is su such 6 a bridge I 1 I 1 won go over it tor for a fortune if excuse me ill go back for n smoke I 1 said she simply nodded and I 1 went to the smoking room to save my life I 1 get the picture of a train running off a bridge out of my mind maud then I 1 spotted a timetable time table on the window alil I 1 turned a page and there was a span exactly as slie she had described I 1 read the legend under the picture one of the highest railroad bridges in I 1 the he world it said on the main line to california canyon falero flero I 1 looked up on the map which was also in the folder the town nearest the bridge and then searched the timetable for the hour at which we were due at that town eight the next evening so we did go over the bridge at nl night bt of course all the time I 1 was telling myself not to be a fool I 1 slipped the folder into my pocket and went back into the car pardon me I 1 said eaid to the dreamer but ive looked up your bridge and nd at that I 1 handed her the folder opened to the picture and I 1 watched her face minutely my god she said in a throaty voice its the bridge its the very bridge when do we tross it I 1 tomorrow night between eight and nine im going to get off this train she said starting to rise not now flow I 1 objected we dont get there until tomorrow night she settled back bach in the seat her hands twitched nervously she declared that unless th the e conductor would consent to stop the train at the bridgehead she would get olt off at the first station before it by morning a strange thing had bad happened the whole train was talking about the canyon fiero bridge nobody I 1 thought had bad yet consulted the cond conductor u actor about stopping the train at the bridgehead so I 1 accosted him myself when he came through the car nad had he heard about the dreamt dream 1 yes ive heard about it we dont in make a ke a custom ot of stopping these trains because of dreams but I 1 W wired red ahead an and d got a notification to proceed theres nothing wrong with the bridge nothing could be more convincing than that put but the russian who had overheard the talk suddenly flew out of her seat and came up to us dont you see what it Is she said of course not going to break breah the bridge until its too late for telegrams it may be a plot sabotage very well madam ill stop the tha aral train f T thank you she said and turned away at eight we came to the last town before canyon clero no reports on the bridge said the conductor and we started on the russian woman nibbled the corner of her handkerchief all through the train there was a remarkable atmosphere mo sphere of tension the train slowed down came to an effortless stop silence I 1 got out and walked up tip toward tile engine I 1 thought I 1 saw the russian chead of me there was a cluster of people around the engine when I 1 reached the coal tender I 1 noticed that everybody had bad suddenly lined up tip mont along the wheels and I 1 heard a voice barking crisp commands it was as on the moonlit side of the train an and d the visibility was good I 1 felt a jab ab in the ribs get a move on somebody said in my ear line up with the rest resl it was tile the anisi an woman with a revolver they ransacked the baggage cars and relieved the passengers of their money their last act before departing in automobiles waiting with their motors running was aas to roh rob those of us who find got out and stood with the crew then they herded us hack back on an the train I 1 saw in the moonia moonlight ht as the dior slummed an oval face ara framed n ed in blick hair she blew me a kiss as the train pulled away |