Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-11
The Obstructed Track.

The Distracted Track.
On crisp night in October the wind
Yustled the leaves in the woods that
surrounded Viola Vathek's house.
Above the fair girl who looked out
of q small dormitory window shone
countless stars she might have seen
Bootes and Orion had she looked up,
but that night the words of heaven had
no attraction for her.
She was listening to a strange sound
borne from the west by the nocturnal
breeze that chilled her cheek. 1 might
have said with property, succession
Of sounds, for it seemed as if a number
of persons were cording wood or NOV
ing heavy timber not far away. Save
this noise the night was quiet, and she
heard without interruption from the
window of her boudoir.
81 believe it is in 'Gwynne's CUT"
she said at last to herself. perhaps
some william is obstructing the track
for devlish purposes. The Red Bird
will soon be due, and this is Eds trip
down."
Her face grew trife paler as she
spoke, and moment later she stood
before the ancient wall sweeper in one
of the rooms.
The moonbeams stealing in at the
window fell on the face of the dial and
told Viola that it was II o'clock.
Twelve she murmured. "What (!
Twelve o'clock, and he whistles to me
at,half- past My heavens what if the
track is obstructed in the cut !"
With the last words on her lips, she
turned and soon left the house.
At the gate she paused a moment and
listened. The sounds were still to be
heard, and she believed that they en-
anated from spot in the cut near the
cattle-guard. Then she started forward
again and crossed the meadows that
lay between her home and her destina-
ton.
The stars looked down on little OBJ
ject that glittered like silver in Viola's
hand. 1t was a revolver, and her fin
gers held it firmly. Once or twice
she g lanced at it as if to satisfy herself
that it was there. Then she looked up
with the air of determination.
She was the belle of the country she
inhabited. Her father was dead, and
with her widowed mother and little
brother of twelve, she dwelt in the
humble house won by the sweat of her
fathers brow
A railway station called Beaumont was
the only settlement near, and was six
miles from home. She seldom went
thither, for there was no society there,
and she could enjoy herself better at
home.
The track of iron was the making of
Beaumont, for the road was new and
towns were springipg up all around the
line. Viola could see the cars from
her window, and often had she sat
there until the flaming headlight of the
midnight express had appeared and
disappeared. An opening in the woods
enabled her to see the headlight for a
moment, and then the lighted windows
of the cars.
Did the engineer know that she was
watching--thnt his engine gave two
shrill shrieks as it reached the opening
two shrieks that seemed to say,
"Viola Violav' She always smiled
when she heard the sounds, and with q
smile lingering on her face, or flush,
she would listen to the rumbling of the
train as it died away beyond the uncom-
mercial Beaumont.
The brace of shrieks, loud and shrill,
told her who drove that engine toward
the great city on the Mississippi banks.
They recalled the day, one year since.
when the first engine she had ever seen
stopped at Beaumont, scarcely station
then.
The engineer was young and hand
some. AS he saw her examing the
great driving wheels, and looking with
wonderment upon the mighty beauties
of his iron pet, he leaped to tie ground.
A pretty piece of machinery" said
he to her, land she goes like bird. VI
She blushed when she caught his
eye, and the sound of his voice thrilled
her.
Overcoming her timidity, he helped
her into his cosy apartment on the en-.
CINE, and explained to her the wonder.
tul mechanism of this beautiful mon
ster. Then he said good.by, and she
saw the train move off, and his hat
waving from the engine was the last
thing she saw as the train darted
around the curve.
A week later she found herself at the
station talking to him again. Their
meeting seemed purely accidental, and
no doubt it was such but I am sure
the meetings that followed it were not.
By and by Ed Gordon, the engineer,
carried picture over his heart, and on
Viola's bureau lay the Photographic
semblance of his face.
Thus the acquaintance at the station,
during the Red Birds trial over the
new road, had ripened into love, and
the two midnight shrieks told her lie
was safe and driving his engine towards
the river metropolis.
She sat at her window oftimes.
with the lamp on the sill. and often