Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-08-25


threw shawl over her head and went
out on the platform. At once, the wind
blew the shawl over her face and she
could not see exactly where she stood.
Turning her back to the wind she began
to call the children. How loudly the
wind roared through the telegraph
wires Perhaps, they could not hear in
all this din. Maybe they were inside
the car, out of hearing. She walked on
toward the siding. Not a thing to be
seen! She wondered if there had not
been mistake? Perhaps, the car was
on the other side of the track I? No, the
rails were unoccupied as far as she could
sai sss in syfEaE daiGeGGsalppP,s What did it
gered back into the station, and startled
her husband with cry of despair.
"The car. The children p
The station-master ran out upon the
platform and looked up and down the
line. Not car in sight ! 1t had been
blown away before the terrible wind,
and was perhaps at this instant rolling
swiftly onward with its precious load to
destruction. What would happen to it !?
Would it meet train or run into sta
ton? Would the children try to get
out, or would they stay in the car till it
was wrecked
He sprang to the door of the depot to
telegraph the terrible news down the
line, but just as he opened the door he
saw faint white cloud on the western
horizon. 1t was train. Help was
coming. At the same instant. his wife
appeared with new grief and terror in
her eyes.
81 cannot get call in either direc.
tion. The wires are blown down."
This only added to the danger, for
there was now no means of sending in
advance of the runaway car. 1t must
90 on to Its fate without help or warn
ing.
"Help is coming, mother. Here's a
train bound east"
Near and nearer came the tram, and
the father and mother stood watching it
as it crept along the rails. 1t seemed
as if it would never come. At last it
reached the platform and proved to be a
passenger train bound up the Black
River Road, and not intended to go in
the direction IN which the car had been
blown away. The instant it stopped,
the station master ran to the engineer
and told his terrible story. The moth
er, with quicker wit, found the conduc-
tor and demanded that the engine be
taken off and sent after the children.
The conductor was man of regular
habits, and such bold request struck
him as something extraordinary. Take
the engine off. and leave the train and
passengers waiting at this lonely station ?
The idea was preposterous Some of the
passengers gathered near and asked
what was the matter.
Three children lost, blown away in
an empty car. Some one. said, "Yes.
go at once. We can wait here till the
engine returns" The conductor said
he must telegraph for instructions; but
some one said, 1.-The wires are down."
and the people only cried out the more,
"Let the the engine go!" SO the mother
ran to the tender and began to pull out
the pin, that the engine might start.
"Hold on, marm," said a brakeman
"I'll cast her off. You jump aboard, if
you want to go too. Fire up, Jack, and
make her hum"
It was all done in a moment, and
away few the engine, leaving the con-
ductor and the station master staring in
surprise at this singular proceeding
The station-master did not feel very
happy. He had half intended to 20
with the engine. but it would never do
to leave his post.
"Fire steady. Jack. said the engineer
to the fireman. "It's no use to get ex-
cited, for we're in for long race
'1t's enough to make fellow excit-
ed to see that woman" said the fireman.
The engineer turned around. and
there by his side stood the mother, her
eyes straining ahead down the line in
search of the missing ones.
"Oh, sir open the throttle wide.
Don't try to save coal at such a time
as this"
"We must keep cool, marin, and &c
steady, or we shall run out of coal and
water and come to stand still on the
Hne." aeFa ~
The woman said not word, but nod
ded mournfully and leaned against the
side of the cab for support, and ther
the fireman gave her his seat, where sh.
could look out ahead over the line. How
the engine shook and roared The littl,
finger of the steam-g -guage trembled ant
rose higher and higher as the steam
pressure increased over the raging fire
The engine seemed to be eating up th'
track in front, and behind, the rail
spun out like shining ribbons in tn
sun. The station and train had alread,
J sunk down out of sight, and the grass