Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-11-22
"Charley didn't pass to-day when the dil

50, don't you be skeered honey
"1'm not scared about anything, grand
pa" said Madge tremblingly. but smiling
like rainbow.
"There, now. mother" cried Caspar, tri
umphantly, returning to his onions; ''you
come down on me for nothin'. She ain
skeered Bit"
No, not bit. She flew about the room
like bird, washed the earthenware, brought
the grandfather his pipe, and dropped at bis
feet to tell him some funny story aaoat. In
his enjoyment he wrapped himself in such a
cloud that she could hardly see the clock.
Madge 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 Gin
der sidewalk, following magnet which
would have drawn her from the center Of the
aearh To the road, of course. How often
s-e~l she watched tie rails conserging hori-
Forwards until they sharpeneds themselves
to needle point The railroad had a fas-
cination for Madge. When baby, she
used to follow her grandfather to his week,
and hide among bushes to see the big freights
numbering by, and the express trains whirl-
ing into town like screaming land demons.
She had hoard Of the sea- and the spell it
had upon sailors, but she saw the railroad
and felt the spell, which nobody seemed to
remark, that it cast over inland laborers
She saw her boy playmates sucked up by
''the road" heard her grandfather tell Of
hair-breadth escapes from collisions, of cool
courage in men who placed themselves be-
tween the people they carried and most hor-
rible death. She had learned the power and
mission of "the road" In short, she was
as loyal daughtea Of the rail as any Maine
shippers child is Of the sea. Madge had
affinity for an engine. To this day der
throat swelled, her eye kindled, when the
great iron animal swept past her. Charley
drove an engine, and his engine was in her
eyes fitting exponent Of the strength and
beauty of his manhood. Such was the ro-
nance Of her little dry life. Everybody
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 hurrying up and
down, picking up freights like hen gather
ing her chickens now breathing loud
enough to deafen multitude now coucen
trating his strength and painting slowly
away at the head Of its charge. She had
walked from sleep to hear them calling to
each other through the darkness, and trans
lated to herself what they said.
1t was proper thing for Madge to be an
engineers wife. She thought it a fitting
thing to be Charley wife under any circum-
stances, assure you. There was now only
little strip of time between Madge and
Charley She looked over that little strip,
and saw just how it would be. They were
to have cottage on a clean street; her
grand parents, if they became indrm, were
to have home With her; sand these two
little hands," said Charley. twill make me
the dearest nest; I'll be SO glad to run into
it at night!'
Madge's pink face took on rose as she
thought Of all these things, looking up and
Gown the cut to see il the track was clear, as
her grandfather had said. It was clear
She felt relieved and foolish about coming
out there through the twilight to spy for
Charley S welfare, and much inclined to hide
from the smoke rising far off But those
unstable sandy walls towering OYER bis way !;
Madge watched them jealousy. Just as the
thunder of the train could be heard, her heart
stood still to see them dissolve, like pillars
ground down by some malicious Samson,
and piled upon the track until nothing could
be seen for yards but one long bill Of earth
and stones
Now, little Madge, if there is hergism in
you, it must meet and lasso that iron beast
whiring hundred people upon death! A
hundred The aohoze uorgd was in the en-
CINE house lie wouldn't try to save him
self when he came upon the life.trap. She
saw how he would set bis lips, bend nerve
and brain to the emergency; she saw how
car would crush into car, the wreck lie over
burning engine, and Charley be ground
and oharred under them all
0 sublimely selfish woman! She few over
the track like thing of wings. 1t was life
and Charley, OR death with Charley The
head light flashed up through the dusk
There were matches in her pocket; she
scraped them on rail, and tore her apron.
Oh they wouldn't ignite, and the cotton
would but shoulder. It is rolling down on
her as swift as air. Bless the loom which
wove the cloth which made the cotton apron !
She tossed it, blinking and bllzing, above
her head, walking slowly backward. The
red-eyed fury reared down at her, but you
can't terrify a woman whe her mind is made
Up. Il should run over her before it should
reach the sand heap.
She was seen. The engine rent evening
with its yells; The brakes were on, her las.
80 bad caught tit could now be stopped
in time. She darted aside, but the current
was too strong for her. She was dizzy !;
fell, and clutched in the wrong direction -
Poor, poor little fingers!
Now the people pour out, they run here
and there. Women are crying perhaps
because they warn't hurt. The engineer
darts along like mailman, looking under
the train. There, dozen feet before the
engine, rises the sand hill Everybody
wants to know how they we're stopped before
they rounded the curve
Here she is" shouted Charley. striding
up with a limp bundle, like king who had
sacrificed to the good of the state. "She
showed the signal, and stood up to it until l
saw hec--until we almost run her down j.
There's half the fingers cut off her left hand
There, what 10 you think Of that now, for
the woman who saved you all p holding up
the INITIATED stump.
"God bless y prayed an old gentleman.
taking of bis hat.
amen p roared the crowd With one
breath they raised three shouts which shook
the sand hills until they came down hand
somely second time, Charley standing