Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-11-21

wanted somethin' refreshin' after a
hard day. Taste 'em Madgie," said
ne inslnuating the emerald tops toward
her.
.''Oh, no, grandpa, keep 'em your
self" shaking her head ana smiling.
II feel, " rambled Caspar, filing his
senses and his jaws, with perfumed
roots until q bind man would have
pronounced him a Mexican if his Sc
had sat in judgment over Caspar, 81
rally feel as if | needed somethin' re-
freshin', workin' hard day after day for
nothin' you might say. Sort OF seem
your work go to pieces under yoIr
eyes, and KNOWN the danger to them
on the road
"What do you mean, grandpa 2"
cried Madgie, turning white as her
bread and butter.
Why, honey, you sec we've picked
and picked in that cut, and the sile's
as unstiddy as water The stones and
the earth just roll on the track contin'
eral. The company orto do somethin'
to that cut Stones as big as you are
Jared down by every train. But then the
roads new, the roads new yet.
"Men amt got no sense" broke in
the old wife. Don't you see you're
skeering that child to death for fear
Charlie1l get smashed up. He runs
on the road"
Two blades of keen remoIse leaped
from Caspar's bleared eyes
"Now, don't you be skeered, honey.
Take an ingen, honey.
He reached over to pet her fingers.
"Charlie didn't pass to-day when
the dirt was rattlin' down so. He
didn't pass till after eight this evening,
and we left the track as clear as this
table. Yes, sir; them rails is as free
and bright as new tin pans. So don't
you be slleered, honey
"I'm not scared about anything,
grandpa" said Madgie TREMENDOUSLY,
but smiling like rainbow.
"There, now, mother" cried Caspar
triumphantly, returning to his onions,
"you come down on me for nothin'.
She amt skeeYed Il bit"
No, not a bit. She flew about the
room like a bird, washed the earthen-
ware, brought her grandfather his
pipe, and dropped 1T his feet to tell
him some funny story afloat. In his
enjoyment he wrapped himself in such
cloud that she could hardly see the
clock.
Madgie slipped out to the gate. She
was often there, looking up the road.
The two old people sat inside, thinking
of the days when they were young.
She was restless, and fitted over the
cinder sidewalk, following a magnet
which would have drawn her from the
centre of the earth. TO the road of
course. How often had she watched
the rails conyerging horizonward until
they sharpened themselves to needle
point The railroad had n fascination
for Madgie. When a baby she used to
follow her grandfather to his work,
ana hide among the rushes to see the
big freights numbering by, and the ex.
press trains whistling into town like
screaming land demons. She had heard
OF the sea, and the spell it had upon
/ the sailors, but she saw the railroad
and felt the spell, which nobody seem
eel to remark, that 1T cast over inland Ia
bors. She saw her boy playmates suck
ed up by "the road; " heard her grand
father tell of hairbreadth escapes from
collisions, of cool courage in men
placing themselves between the people
they carried and most horrible death.
She had learned the power and mission
of "tho road" In short, she was as
loyal a daughter of the rail rs any
Name shippers child is of the sea.
Madgie had affinity for an engine.
To this day her throat swelled, her
eye kindled, when the great iron ami
NAL swept past her Charlie drove an
engine, and his engine was i'll her eyes,
n fitting exponent of the strength and
beauty of his manhood. Such was the
romance of her little dry life. Every
body must have his enthusiasm. She
had been In the towns great depot at
night arrived from holiday trip, and
had laughed aloud to see some busy
engine bumying up and down, picking
up freight like a hen gathering her
chickens; now breathing loud enough
to dcaton a multitude, now concentrat-
ing his strength and painting slowly
away at the head of its charge. She
had wakened from sleep to hear them
calling TO each other through the dark
ness, and translated to herself what they
said.
1t was proper thing for Madgie to
be an engineers wife. She thought it
a fitting thing to he Churley's wife I'M
der any circumstances, I assure you.
There was now only a little stri p of
time between Madgie and Charley.
She looked over that little strip, and
saw just how it would be. They were
to have a cottage OH n clean street
her grandparents if they became in
firm, were to have home with her;
and these two little hands, said