Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-04-25
LOVE AND A LANTERN.

Barstow's Siding is a small station on
the G. S. and Western railway, and
located out on the prairie at the edge of
a bit Of scrubby woods. The little vii
lage of Barstow is about mile from the
rough road through the woods. The
line at this point is perfectly straight,
and reaches to the horizon in both di-
rections. These facts are essential to a
right understanding of the events that
took place at the station one night about
a year ago.
Old Sam Britton, station-master, sat
by the stove in the middle of the switch
house looking at the dull rod GOALS III the
ugly stove. His daughter Mary, aged
nineteen, sat by the little telegraph ap-
paratus near the window that looked out
dcwn the line. BY the aid of lantern she
was reading stray newspaper, the Iron
Trade ReC1eaO-a strange paper for a girl
to read, but it belonged to a dear friend,
and some singular pictures had inter
ested her greatly. She was doing more
She read and listened. Not a thing
stirred in the dull bare room save the
restless sounder on her table. The in
cessant clatter of the machine fell on her
ear, and yet she heard it not Elm City
was talking to Centreville, forty miles
through the night, and every word was
spelled on her sounder. Yet she heard
it not, for her mind was alert to catch
another sound. Her father had let fall
the paper he was reading. He could not
read, for a bitter disappointment kept
his mind harrassed and troubled How
long was this default of payment to the
employees of the railway company to
continue? The last months wages had
not been paid, and another month had
nearly passed. The line needed repair
ing. There were two bad ties on this
section, and one of the signals was
broken. The trackmen had complained
that very day that new and better tools
were needed, and that more ballast was
wanting.
Suddenly, far away on the edge of the
sea-like horizon, arose a star. The
young girls eyes were on the paper, and
yet she saw its rising. She looked out
the curtainless window and watched the
star grow bright 1t did not seem to
rise, but to grow big with brightness.
1t is not for love to sit and gaze 1t
must act. She rose, and in silence went
to one of the great iron switch-bars and
stood with both hands clasped about
the handle and gazing down the line,
where the star had become flame.
Then came far-away sound through
the night. Without hesitation she pulled
the bar forward Far down the track
the switch moved in the dark, and a
great green eye turned red. Up the line
in the opposite direction, another green
star suddenly turned to a warning red.
Samson Glider sat on his high seat
with one hand on throttle-valve, gazing
steadily ahead. A constellation of green
and yellow stars had sprung up on his
horizon. Jack Cinder, his fireman, or
the other side of the engine, had giver
voice to the monster as it painted along
its iron way. All! one star had flashed
red. The engineer blushed and smiled
in the dark and pulled the throttle valve
Then came push and jar as the heavy
freight train frumbling behind pushed
against the engine. The motive power
of the train drove the idle engine swiftly
forward. The whistle spoke to the meI
behind, and they glady pulled at th,
| brakes, and the train entered the siding
The headlight threw lurid glare OF
Glle SW WlGCn-uOuoes tHu ny bllC IlSllU Cdll
son saw young girl standing by TIN
track. She was dressed for rough wealth
er, and wore red hood that was no
lovely. Samson thought it was beauti
full in the glow of the great lamp ant
against the winter night. 1t may hav
been the peculiar effect of the light. |
may have been love, for love has fine
eyes than unloving mortals.
They came into the switch-house to
gether, she smiling and happy, he please
and gratified, yet with shade of car
upon his face. In his hand he held
new track-layer's bar, bar such as ma
be used to draw spikes from ties.
He spoke to Sam Britton pleasant
about the weather, and then said
There's a bar for the section-mastel
bought it myself. The company seem
to be too poor to give its men prope
tools
To say nothing of our wages, adde
the old man, roughly.
Oh, father, why do you harp on that
The company has great deal ofproperty
1t will surely pay us our dues
The engineer placed the bar against til
| wall hv the door and then tIIrnn