The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-11-29

| winning character of its own. like every
thing else that belonged to Katie Crownif-
| shield, and she herself was half inclined to
make contidant of it.
In fact, X ties lantern found its own oc-
easlon tor putting on almost the semblance
| OF personal friend. There came day
When katie's handkerchiefflu fluttered in vain,
and then another, when even the reply she
! received from the train convinced her that
there had been a change of some kind, and
that she would receive no more signals
from the same hand. 1t was odd enough.
| but her lohg-accustomed bit of morning
pleasure seemed suddenly turned into
/ something childish and uninteresting-a
! Worn-out amusement that it was time to
put aside with her discarded dolls. And
so she sadly prepared to give it up, in the
| first fit of genuine blues she had ever in
dulged in: but, few evenings afterward,
| she fingered atthe garden-gate little, after
her RETURN from Aunt Betsy's, to see the
night EXPRESS go flashing by. 1t was
| grand sight when it came, incomparably
more interesting and mysterious in the
darkness than ever in the day, and Katie
| wondered she had never thought so before !:
but she almost unconsciously raised her
| little lantern, and swung it around her
head as she had used to wave her handker-
chief.
| Could she believe her eyes?
/ II She almost refused to give them any
| faith at first, but then there followed a
| quick flush in her cheek and warm glow
at her heart; for she was sure there had
been an answering light, and she could al
most picture tall form in dark-blue cloth
ing, standing on the platform between two
Of the cars.
She knew very little of railway matters.
but was not so dull that there was any
4 special mystery TO her mind in such
thing as a change of trains by a conductor.
| She did not let Grandfather or Grand
mother Crowninshield see her, however,
the next evening when she again Grept out
| to the gate, almost smothering her little
| lantern for she had a half 1iuttefing sort
| of dread that this second experimen Int might
| fail.
Fail? No; the greeting from the train
| was as ready as was Katie's own g good
evening" and the little lantern was likely
theneefoTth TO be the very foremost Of
/ prime fasorites with its mistress. And
now, while the October days grew cooler
/ and the glorious evenings longer, Grand
mother Crowilinsf1ield began to grumble
| a little at the disposition her darling
evinced to pay sovery MANY visits to Aunt
| Betsy. sf
] "It's a long walk for you, child,'' she
said; 'sand it's through the cut, too.
liW Whab if railway train should come along
before you could get out ~
+ 20 grandmama, that'l never happen, y
laughed Katie; $ the railroad and | are
very good friends"
i "YouIought to be-" said grandmother.
/ g / never saw any living being care more
for dumb thing than you've always done
for that there train. .5f6
But grandmother was nearer right than
Katie; for only night or so after tfat-it
must have been that Aunt Betsy's clock
i was sloE-for Katie was in the very middle
of the cut when her ears were suddenly
j filled with the shrek and roar with which
j the traiSi dashed IN at the upper end.
1 Her heart beat quickly for a moment,
but not.with fear; for, as she sprang light
Il ly upoa q projecting rock that she had
i often before noted as a very available perch,
i she gathered her futtering dress more
Il closely about her and exclaimed:
4 g There, I'm safe enough; but to think
of its coming so near ~
q Near5enough, indeed, and Katie. leaned
back hard against the crag behind her; fo1
/ it seemed as if she could feel the breath OF
E the iron monster on her cheek. In one
hand she clutehed more tightly the folds
Il of her shawl, and in the other she raised
her lantern, as if its feeble star could be
| of some protection, and then her grasp OF
it grew suddenlyVery tight, indeed; for
leaning out little from the platform of q
car, and looking forward, as it impatient
for the train to clear the cut, stood tail
f handsome, bearded man, in dark-blut
clothes, with a lantern in his hand, andhis
eager, watching, eXpectant face, came sc
very close to her own!
It was like flash of lightning; but Ka
tie knew the face, anefshe knew also thai
; she herself had been seen, and she hat
. even inarked the swift paling of tht
, bronZed visage as it recognized her ant
then swept on into the darkness beyond
: sIHe was afraid | would he hurt sht
) thought: and then she said loud Blu
he mast have seen how safe was, up her.
on the rock, ! don't believe he swung hi
i lantern at our garden-gate to-night.
Katie did not relate her adventure ever
) to hes grandmother, and ON her next visi
+ to, Aunt Betsy 'ssshe vas careful to COM
E away: in time.
! too early,'' she said to herself as she fin
i ished her visitand halrried her departure
r .but LEON, t like being eau CHI In the Gu
I at all. I'm glad I'm so sure not to NEE
! anybody 1belieye / ID want to hide AVA,
o from a stranger, te-night, saInssb as nl1lcl
i as from a raiIway-train. -
i 1t was indeed an unusually dark am
gloomy night, but Katie was destined t
!. be disappointed in her hope of gettin
= through the cut without seeing anybody
!. As has been. said, the granite ledge ha
y necessarily been pierced on curved line
= so that no one standing at one end of tn
y ! cut, moderate as were its dimensions
o could see more than halfway through.
n Aunt Betsy's house was some little di'
l. tanGe from the upper entrance, and the az
It proaeh to the latter was gloomy enough
a thatnight, even for one who knew ever
incl of the way as well as Katie did {; bu
d her little lantern shone out eheerily again'
Q its bright reflector, throwing its radiane
9 ahead, as if it were trying to tell her
r. There, dear, that's it; don't be afrait
Ie now. I'll show you the traekln But Kat
o remembered, just then, that it was gettin
Ie later every minute, and she trlpped brlskl
: into the cut, wondering why the Lantern
:, Eglst shauIds make it look so StFangel