Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1879-07-26

uOWu Uokotuor uuu Hau " O"b VI,
alone in the empty car rs it r0lle'
on and on before the gale.
The good wife rolled up he
sleeves to place her house in orde
while her children were safely Ou
of the way. The father, feeling th'
children were safe in the Car, 50
in his Office nearly all the morning
Finally, the beds were made, tn
dinner placed on the hre, and tn
mother wondered how the children
were progressing in their play hous'
on the track. She drew shaw
over her head and went out on th'
platform. At once, the wind blew
tho shawl over her face, and sh,
could not see clearly where she was
Turning her back to the wind sht
began to call the children. How
loudly the wind roars along the tel
egraph wires. Perhaps the chill
dren could not b ear in all this din
may be, they were inside the car
out of hearing. She walked OF
toward the siding; she wondered
If there had not been mistake
perhaps the car was on the Other
side track; no, the rails were un
occupied as far as she could see in
every direction. What did it mean I
What had happened She stag.
gered back into the depot and alarm.
ed her husband with cry of de-
spair.
"The car! the children
The station master ran out upon
tho platform and looked up and
down the line. Not a Car in sight
1t had been blown away before the
raging wind, and perhaps at this
momont rolling rapidly onward
with it's precious load to destruc-
tion. What would happen to it :
would it meet train or rnn into a
stationf Would the children try
and get out, or would they stay in
the car till it was wreckedf
He sprang to the door of the de-
pot to telegraph the terrible news
down the line, but just as he opened
the door be saw faint white cloud
on the western horizon. 1t was a
train; help was coming; at the
same moment his wife appeared
with new grief in her eyes.
~ cannot get a call in either di.
rection. The wires are blown
down !" ~
This only added to the danger,
for there was now no means of send
ing word in advance of the runaway
car. 1t must go on to its fate with
no help or warning.
"Help is coming, mother. Here's
a train bound east"
Nearer and nearer came the train,
and the father and mother were
watching it as it crept along the
rails. 1t seemed as if it would never
come; at last it reached the plat
form and proved to be a passenger
train bound up the Black River
road, and not designed for the road
on which the car had been blown
away. The moment it stopped the
husband ran to the engineer and
gave his terrible story the mother
with quicker wit, found the con.
ductor and demanded that the Ell.
CINE be taken off and sent after the
children.
The conductor was a man of reg
ular habits, and such bold re-
quest struck him as something very
Take the engine of, and
leave the train waiting at this lone.
ly place 7 The idea was preposte-
rous! Some of the passengers gath
cred near and asked him what was
the trouble.
"Three children lost, blown away
in an empty car"
Some one said, eyes, 60 at once.
We can wait here until the engine
The conductor said he must tele.
graph for orders; but some one said,
THE wires are down." and the pas
sengers only cried the more, "Let
The engine 60 p SO the mother ran
to the tender and began to pull out
The pin, that the engine might
start.
"Aold on, marm," said the brake-
man, "rll cast her off. You jump
if you want to 60 too; fire
up, Jack, and make her hum"
1t was all done in a moment, and
away flew the engine, leaving the
and the father staring in
surprise at this singular proceeding.
The father did not feel very happy /;
ne had half in tended to 60 with the
engine, but it would never do to
cave his post.
"Flre steady, jack" said the en-
,ineer to the fireman ''its no use
20 get excited, for we're in for long
ace,
at is enough to make a fellow
excited to see that woman" said the
fireman.
The engineer turned round, and
here by his side stood the mother,
Ter eyes straining ahead down the
inc i'm search of the missing ones.