Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-05-18
PUT YOURSELF IN HER PLACE.


station were marked as by some gi
gantic clock that told the laggard
minutes by screaming whistle and
changing bell. The 4:ao accommo
dation had gone east, the westward
express due here at :55 had thun
dered through the village, gone ovel
the great viaduct and disappeared
round the vast curve beyond.
So one counted the hours by the
trains. Lydie by name, girl OF the
best New England type, quiet, and
yet with an immense capacity for do
ing 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 ap-
preached 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
that 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
railway she looked up and down
the line and then crossed over and
turned to the left and walked beside
the track toward the freight house.
To understand all that took place
on this occasion, and to fully appre-
ciate her consumate skill in controll-
ing the events so quickly to crowd
upon her, we must study the con-
struction of the road at this point
The main line for more than mile
to the right, or towards the east, was
perfectly straight and comparatively
level. To the left, or the west, it
crossed a deep valley by a lofty
stone viaduct,an beyond the village
it curved to the north and mounted
the hill by long grade. Just east
of the passenger station branch
road entered the main line and there
was, as might be supposed, a cross
over switch. Beyond the passenger
station, on the west, was short sid
ing ending in small freight house,
and directly opposite was another
siding with freight shed and coal
yard. At this point there was also
another cross-over switch.
Lydia walked on past the freight
house, and crossing the side track,
found a large flat 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 comes! She heard TIE three
long whistles sounding down the
line, and a bright blush mounted to
her face. The train would stop
This 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 be-
fore her began to sing in sharp me-
tallic murmurs. The train had enter
ed that section of the road and he
was near. Then there came the
sound of escaping steam. The en-
CINE was slowing down, and the
steam, no longer employed, was
bursting with loud roar from the
safety valve as if impatient of delay.
With a jar that shook the ground,
the immense freight engine rolled
past her, and the engineer, leaning
out of his window, nodded to her as
he slid past. Then the cars in long
procession came into sight and NOV
ed past with slowly decreasing speed.
-Four brakemen busy at the brakes
went past and still he came not. AT
last the rear car appeared, and a
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 a brakeman! Oh; a little bet
tcr-the conductor of the freight
train. A year ago he had been glad
to take the place of Il brakeman
Love did it. He had met and loved
Lydia in the days of his foolish idle
ness; and she had insisted that he do
some manly work or she could not
yes, she could and did love him;
but he must show himself worthy Of
her love. Already he had advanced,
and she was well pleased with his
progress, and they had become en-
gagged.
A grim, dusty man III unlovely
garments; but in her eyes, he was Il
man made for better things. AS he
stood beside her one could see in his
clear eyes and sensible face that he
had good stuff in him and was worthy
of her love.
1t becomes us not to linger while
they talk quietly together beside the
track. The train moved slower and
slower, till, finally, it stopped with
the last car just beyond the switch.
The iron horse was moved on, the
station-master signaled with his arms
in q curious fashion, and each of the
four brakemen repeated the motion
in turn. While puffs Of steam rose
high in the air from the farther end
of the train. A curious, rafting
sound spread through the train, and
the last car backed down, turned
aside, and entered the siding. The
station-master left the switch, and
came hastily toward the lovers.
"Good day, Alfred. Light freight
to-day; only one car-by the way,
the brake-chain is broken, and you
had better drop the car at the repair
shops. The freight can be thrown
out without leaving the car"
So saying, the station-master went
on into the freight house, followed
by the rafting and rumbling cars
They gradually lost their speed, and
then came to stop with the end of
the train lost in the dark cavern of
the freight house. There was a
shout from the building, and then
one of the brakemen began to move
his arms as signal to. go on
Again the white puffs of steam shot
up in the distance, and, with jar
and culver, the train started again.
Car after car rolled past thcm.-