Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-04-25
LOVE AND A LANTERN,


Barstow's Siding is small station
on the G. S. & Western Railway, and
located out on the prairie atthe edge of
q bit of scrubby woods. The little viii
lage of Barstow is about mile from
the station, and to reach it one has to
take rough road through the woods.
The line at this point is perfectly
straight, and reaches to the horizon in
both directions. These facts are essen
tial to right understanding of the
events that took place at the station one
night about year ago.
Old Sam Britton, station-master, sat
by the stove in the middle of the switch
house idly looking at the dull red Goals
in the ugly stove. His daughter Mary,
aged nineteen, sat by the little tele-
graph apparatus near the window that
looked out down the line. BY the aid
of lantern she was reading a stray
newspaper, the Iron Trade RevieW-a
strange paper for girl TO read, but it
belonged to dear friend, aud some
singular pictures had interested 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 incessant
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 bitter disappointment
kept his mind harassed and troubled.
How long was this default of payment
to the employees of the railway company
to continued The last months wages
had not been paid and another month
had nearly passed. The line needed
repairing. There were two bad ties on
this section, and one of the signals was
broken. The track-men had complained
that very day that new and better tools
were needed, and that more ballast was
wanting.
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
70 rise, but to grow big with brightness.
1t is not tor love 10 SIT ana 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 a
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 great green eye turned red. Up
the line, in an opposite direction,
another green star suddenly turned to
warning red.
Samson Glider sat on his high seat
with one hand on the throttle-valve |
gazing steadily ahead. A constella-
tion of green and yellow stars had |
sprung up on his horizon. Jack Gin
der, his fireman, on the other side of |
the engine, had given 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 Unbelievable.
Then came push and jar as the heavy
freight-train rumbling behind pushed
against the engine. The motive power
had ceased, and the immense momen-
tum of the train drove the idle engine |
swiftly forward. The whistle spoke to
the men behind, and they gladly pulled
at the brakes, and the train entered the
siding. The headlight threw a lurid
glare on the switch-house, and by the
light samson saw young girl stand
ing by the track. She was dressed for
rough weather, and wore red hood
hat was not lovely. Samson thought
It was beautiful in the glow of the
great lamp and against the winter
night. 1t may have been the peculiar
effect OF the light. 1t may have been
love, for love has finer eyes than unloy-
ng mortals.
They came into the switch-house to-
yether, she smiling and happy, he
pleased and gratitied, yet with a shade
If care upon his face. In his hand
ne held now track-layer's bar, a bar
iuch as may be used to draw spikes
rom ties.
40 spun" % 0'.i44 D-;tt-- ri-~-~.,tls,
about the weather, and then said,
: There's bar for the section-master.
bought it myself. The company seems
o be too poor to give its men proper
oOls-"
|" To say nothing of our wages"
Idded the old man, roughly.
80, father, why do you harp on
hatP The company has a great deal
4 property. 1t will surely pay us our ]
The engineer placed the bar against |
he wall by the door, and then turned |
0 Mary. She led him away to her lit s
10 desk by the window, and there they {
at down together Presently Jack [
Under and one or two of the train men t
anne and sat down by the dull, red {
toYe. The conversation among the
len for the first few moments had a '
'cal flavor, and needs no mention.
hen it branched TO a more important q
ieme-the overdue wages. Even the :
'vers discussed the matter, and after C
Nv words they stopped abruptly. L
ears brimmed the girls eyes. and she t
irned away and gazed out of the win Il
ow at the glowing headlight.
Ihen one of the brakemen said: "
Ana the President is racing round the Fl
'untry in drawing room car. He's j
'mlng up the road tonight on a
'eclal' and everything has to give way C
his train.' "
~ wish he might get tumbled into n
9 ditch" said deep voice that " ',
artled them all.
20; Samson, how could you say "
" Because I'm mad. Here we can't" e.
9 stopped, and the girl blushed scar Ia
!. 1.-The President can make excur- G,
)ns over the line, and disarrange all p
timetables, and yet we are two 81
onths waiting for our pay. think" b.
He stopped and looked toward the HI
or; hideous creature, half man, 81