Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-09-15
A Railway Story.

Dut SOmeuOW vi OGucI HdFt IOuuu
that railway men are made of the same
stuff as other men, and have hearts
under their uniform coats.
1t was no business of mine, if, while
| was at the London terminus of the
Great Division and Longshire railway
| examined the tickets and unlocked
the carriages on the departure plat
form-it was no business of mine if a
tall, fair girl, in deep mourning, came
twice week regularly, and showed
me her ticket for Westgate, return,
second class But somehow it seemed
to be my business, when | had unlock
ed an empty carriage and handed her
in as we'll as | could, that | should
lock that door again without banging
it, and then take care that no one else
went in but lady like females. Of
course l could not help it, but from
the very first day-cold, winter day
when, thinly dressed, she came shiver-
| ing along the platform, | seemed to
have some strange interest in her; and
as the weeks slipped by, found my
self looking out for her regularly
1t was easy to see from the music roll
she carried and the return ticket, that
she went down the line to give les
sons.
| called myself fool and thought
of my salary as a guard, and my posi-
tion in life compared with the grace
ful, lady like girl who used to come
floating along towards me every Mon
day and Wednesday, looking so pale
and sad, and careworn, that | first be-
gan by plying her, and then-we!l,
never mind now.
One cold December day | was shift
ed for week on the arrival platform,
and so missed seeing her leave; but |
carefully watched every train that
came in till | saw her get out. With
out seeing me she hurried away
Well. there was nothing to sigh for
there, you'll say, but did sigh all the
time, and was turning away when |
saw the searching porter with music
roll in hand, which some one had left
in a carriage.
Here, | know whom that belongs
to- I said, snatching it from him; and
then seeing that he was going to make
a bother, slipped siXpence into his
hand and ran out Of the station.
just in time; | could see her at the
bottom Of the street, and catching
h2d d S6 81 one 9 tbs b0ys Gy la haP19 P2Ht
and told him to follow her to where
she lived and come back and tell me.
And not send the music roll? No,
| meant to take that. | knew not
why, but there seemed something
pleasant in the idea of being servant
to her, and waiting on her, and | kept
telling myself so as | walked back to
attend to my duty.
Next morning | was in a quiet,
shabby lodging letting place leading
out of Cover street, north, with mu-
sic roll in my hand, looking for No. 2l.
1t was easy enough to find, but some.
thing seemed to make me walk past
two or three times before | could sum.
mon courage to go up and ring. But
at last | did, thinking how foolish it
was, when l only had to deliver the
lost parcel and come away.
So | rang gently and waited; rang
again and waited; and then a red
faced woman came to the door.
You have a young lady who teach
es music"
Second floor front, ," she said, snap
pishly. "Why don't you knock twice
Bells for the ground floor. There, &C
upw
l took off my cap, wiped my shoes
and feeling ashamed of my uniform
for the first time in my life, went
slowly up to the second floor, and
then stopped for [ could hear pia
no, and the sweetest voice | ever heard
was singing to it in a low tone.
stopped, listening and drinking in the
sweet sounds with my heart beating
for it was a long way up, and | shoe
have stopped longer, had | not heard
some one coming up stairs. Then
knocked, and a voice cried, Come
inW
| turned the handle two or three
times, for it was old and worn, and
then, entering, stood blushing like q
great girl, and trembling before the
tall, pale lady, and some one lying up
on a sofa, in front of miserable fire
Such bare, chilly room, and so colo
and pale both the inmates looked, as
I stood observing all I could in the
first glance.
"Oh, mamma, the music !" cried the
pale girl, rising from her seat by the
piano, and running toward me; and
then, as l cIumsily held it out, | saw
that I was recognized, as she thanked
me for bringing it, and also for wha
she called my kindness at the station
Ask him to take glass of wine
Louise" said the lady on the sofa
when | saw the color flush in bel
daughters cheek as she said hastily:
t Z think mama, we have none in tht
house" .e ..as.ae
/: | clumsily protested that | would
: rather not take any wine, and wal
e backing toward the door, when sud
: den pain shot through me, for hat
, detected motion on the part OF tn,
: pale girl, and caught sight of a shil
ling in her hand. Isuppose I showed
what | felt, for. she paused and color
: ed deeply, and, as stood outside, sh
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