Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-11-27

beng care more for dumb thing than
you've always done for that there
train"
But grandmother was nearer right
than Katie for only a 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 filed 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 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 check. 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
1T 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"
she Thought ; and then she said aloud:
''But he must have seen how safe I
was up here on the rock. don't be.
lieve he swung his lantern at our gar
den gate tonight"
Aunt Betsey's house was some little
distance from the upper entrance, and
tho 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, las if the cut had been
q speakiug-tube, the sourd 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 word
or SO here and there, but there
was something, about it. all
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
very lightly and swiftly forward, try.
ing to remember if there were not a
rock or hollow where she would be as
safe from men as she had been from
the passing train. She was very near.
ly through, herself, before she could
any way make out what it all meant;
but, as she paused in the deep shad-
ows of the rocks and peered timidly
ont toward the now dull aud muff1ed
sounds, with which the voices we're no
longer mingled, broad quick CLEAN,
as from lantern, suddenly shaded or
extinguished, shot across the track not
many yards below, and then all was
darkness and silence.
But that one moment of illumination
had revealed. extraordinary things to
the keen, excited vision of Kate Crown
inshield.
There were men, three or four, she
could not soy just how many, but
rough, fierce, wild, and anxious-look-
ing, and before them on the railway
track, from which the rails had been
pried away just there, was confused
heap of heavy granite boulders and
fragments. Katie understood it as
clearly as if those men had taken her
into their confidence, and had told her
in words.
1t was plot to wreck the train!
And now she was out in the open air,
beyond the upper entrance, and she
could see the peaceful light still shin
ing from Aunt Detsey,s- window. But
! there was no time to 20 there for help.
The train must be so very near!
Katie did for q moment think of
kindling a bright fire on the track.
but that would take too long, and the
great rum and horror would come be-
fore even small fagot would be we'll
ablaze.
"There's nothing but my own little
lantern" almost sobbed poor Katie.
'>Maybe he will know it when he sees
it, but he must be warned before he
reaches the cut"
The lantern shone like frosty little
star determined to be seen as Katie
sprang forward up the track. She had
not far to go, for the train was ahead
of time that night, Instead of being be-
hind, as would have been more desira-
BILE under the circumstances. Never
had anything appeared to Kate Crown
inshield more suddenly than did the
great glaring eyes Of the locomotive
headlight that now glowed upon her
out of tho overshadowing night, and
her lantern seemed to have instantan-
eously vanished.
1t is SO SMALL" she cried, in ap-
ony, "and he will never see it. -
Nevertheless, on low mound of
eart'! and stones, close by the side of
the track, Katie took her post of char
ity and danger, and swung her little
lantern frantically to and fro, while
she now tried to make her sweet GIRLS
voice heard through the roar and
clamor of the rushing train.
On came the railway giant, tugeine
with him his precious freight of human
life, and it flashed upon Katie Crown
isshield's mind what an awful capacity
for suffering that train might have on
board. On, with the great glare md
the all-absorbing torrent of sound, and.
almost before Katie knew it, the OBJ
icct OF her hope and fear had dushed
ruthlessly past her, and was quickly
swallowed up from her sight in the
rocky jaws of the deep cut. With a
cry of grief and disappointment on
her lips, and a strange thrill of pain ut
her heart, the poor girl sank upon the