Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-03

light of KatIe's face across her thresh-
old. And so Katie had gone and re-
turned, many and many time, by the
narrow path between the granite walls.
Nobody in that peacefulre gion dreamed
of fear at being "out after dark - and
again and again had good Aunt Betsy
detained her pet until night had fallen,
although her only companion home
ward was her little star Of a lantern.
There came day when Katie's
handkerchief fiuttered in vain, and
then another, when even the reply she
received from the train convinced her
that there had been change of some
kind, and she would receive no more
signals from the same hand. And SO
she sadly prepared to give it up, in
the first tit of genuine blues she had
ever INDUCED in but, few evenings
afterward, she fingered at the garden
gate a little, after her return from
Aunt Betsey's, to see the night express
go flashing by. 1t was a grand sight
when it came, incomparably more IN
teresting and mysterious in the dark
ness than ever in the day. and Katie
wondered she had never thought SO
before but she almost unconsciously
sed he is little lantern, and swung it
around her head as she had used to
wave her handkerchief.
Could she believe her eyes
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 picture tall form in blue
clothing, standing on the platform be-
tween two cars.
And now, while the October days
grew cooler and the glorious evenings
longer, Grandmother Crowninshield
began to grumble at the disposition her
darling ev1nced to pay so very many
visits to Aunt Betsy.
"It's long walk for you, child" she
said, "and it's through the cut, too.
What if railway train should come
along before you get ont 90
go Grandma, that'Il never happen d
laughed Kate; S'the railroad and I are
very good friends
You ought to be-" said grand
mother. 81 never saw any living
being care more for dumb thing than
you've always done for that there
train"
But grandmother was nearer right
than Katie; for only night or SO
after that-it must have been that Aunt
Betsy's clock was slow-for Katie was
in the middle of the cut when her ears
were suddenly filled with the shrek
and roar with which the train dashed
in at the upper end.
Her heart beat quickly for moment
but not for fear; for, as she sprang
lightly upon a projecting rock that she
had often before noted as very avail
able perch, she gathered her futtering
dress more closely about her and ex-
claimed.
"There, I'm safe enough but to
think Of It's coming so near ~
Near enough, indeed, and Katie
leaned back hard against the crag be-
hind her; for it seemed as if she could
feel the breath of the iron monster on
her cheek. In one hand she clutched
more tightly the folds of her shawl, and
in the other she raised the lantern, as
if it's feeble star could be of some pro-
lection, and then her grasp of it grew
suddenly very tight, indeed !; for lean,
ing out little from the platform of a
car, and looking forward, as if impa-
tient for the train to clear the cut,
stood tall, handsome, bearded man,
in dark blue clothes, with lantern in
his hands, and his eager, watching,
expectant face, came SO very close to
her own
It was like flash of lightning; but
Katie knew the face, and she knew
also that she herself had been seen,
and she had even marked the swift
paling of the bronzed visage as it re-
cognized her and then swept on into
the darkness beyond.
"He was afraid I would be hurt, y
she thought; and then she said aloud !:
'.But he must have seen how safe
was up here on the rock. 1 don't be-
ieve he swung his lantern at our gar
den gate to-nig ht."
Aunt Betsey's house was some little
distance from the upper entrance, and
the approach to the latter was gloomy
enough, the next night of her visit,
even for one who knew every inch Of
the way as we'll as Katie did; but her
little lantern shone out cheerily against
it's bright reflector, throwing it's radi-
ance ahead, as if it were trying to tell
her: "There, dear, that's it; don't be
afraid, now, I'll show you the track !"
She had not gone far, however, before
the granite walls brought to her ears,
all the way from the lower end and
round the curve, as if the cut had been
speaking-tube, the sound of voices
that were evidently meant to be low
and guarded There were other sounds
mingled with the voices, and Katie
could not make out more than a word
or SO here and there, but there
was something about it ali
that startled and frightened
her. At first she was half inclined
to turn and make the best of her way
back to Aunt Betsey's; but that seem
ed foolish, and Katie was really cour-
ageous little soul She hid her lantern
under her shawl, however, and stepped