The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-05-31
Put Yourself in Her Place.

The long summer day had crept slowly
away, and it was nearly five O'Clock. The
hours at the railway station were marked
as by some gigantic clock that told the
laggard minutes by screaming whistle
and changing bell. The 4 80 accommo-
dation had gone east, the western express
due here 4:55, had Numbered through
the village, gone over the great viaduct,
and disappeared round the vast curve
beyond.
So one counted the hours by the trains
Lydia by name, girl of the best New
England type, quiet, and yet with an i'm
mense capacity for doing and daring
should love and the occasion demand. The
local freight would come next and then
then she would see him again.
She laid aside her work, put some
split zephyr vanity upon her head and
went out towards the railroad. AS she
approached the station she saw her
brother, the station master, opening the
little freight house on the farther side of
the track. By this she knew the local
freight would stop this time. Her heart
beat the faster and she quickened her
step.
On reaching the passenger station
where the village street crossed the rail-
way, she looked up and down the line
and then crossed over and turned to the
left and walked beside the track towards
the freight house.
To understand all that took place on
this occasion, and to fully appreciate her
consummate skill in controlling the
events so quickly to crowd upon her, we
must study the construction of the road
at this point. The Main Line for more
than mile to the right, or towards the
east, was perfectly straight and COM
paratively level. To the left, or the west,
it crossed deep valley by lofty stone
viaduct, and beyond the valley it curved
toward the north and mounted the hill
by long grade. Just east of the pas
senger station branch road entered the
Main Line and there was, as supposed,
a cross-over switch. Beyond the passen-
senger station, on the west, was short
siding ending small freight house and
directly opposite was another siding with
a freight shed and coal yard.
Lydia walked on past the freight house,
and, crossing the side track, found a
large fat rock beside the way, and there,
under the shade of an ancient apple tree,
she sat down to wait till her lover should
come.
He comesl she heard the three long
whistles sounding far down the line, and
a bright blush mounted to her face. The
train would stop. That was the signal
for the station master. Her brother
came out of the freight house, spoke
pleasantly to her, and then walked on
towards the switch at the head of the
siding.
Suddenly the Main Line track before
her began to sing in sharp metallic MUIR
murs. The train had entered that Sec
ton Of the road and he was near. Then
there came the sound of escaping steam
The engine was slowing down and the
steam, no longer employed, was bursting
with loud roar from the safety valve a
if impatient of delay.
With . jar that shook the ground the
immense freight engine rolled past her, and
the engineer, leaning out of his window,
nodded to her a. he slid past. Then the
cars in long procession came into sigh.
and moved past with slowly decreasing
speed. -Four brskemen busy at the
brakes went past and still he came not.
Atlsst the rear car appeared, and young
man swung himself down from the iron
ladder on the Car and sprang to the
ground at her feet.
A sooty man, clad in blue canvas now
black with smoke and dust. Only q
brakeman No; tri6e better-the con-
ductor Of the freight train. A year ago
h had been glad to take the place of .
brakeman, and already he had been pro-
mo&sd. Love did it. He hsd met and
Loved Lydia il the days Of his foolish