The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-05-29
LOVE and A LANTERN.

the G.. S. and Western railway, and 10
Gated out on the prairie at the edge of s
bit of scrubby woods. The little village
of Barstow is about mile from the sta
tien, and to reach it one has to take 8
rough road through the woods. The
line at this point is perfectly straight
and reaches to the horizon in both direc'
tions, These facts are essential to 8
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 looking at the dull red Goals in
the ugly stove. His daughter Mary,
aged nineteen, sat by the little tele1
grsph apparatus near the window that
looked out down the line. By the aid
of lantern she was reading stray
newspaper, the Iron Trade Review
strange paper for girl to read, but it
belonged to dear friend, and some
singular pictures had interested her
greatly. She was doing more. She
read and listened. Mt thing stirred
in the duh bare room save the restless
sounder on her table. The incessant
clatter of the machine fell upon 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 harassed and troubled.
How long was this default of payment
to the employees of the railway company
to continue? TIE last months wages
had not been paid, and another month
had nearly passed. The line needed re-
pairing. 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 star. The young
girls eyes were on the paper, and yet she
saw its rising. She looked out the cur
tainless 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.bsfs and
stood with both hands clasped about the
handle and gazing down the line, where
the star had become fame.
Then came PARKWAY 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 the opposite direction, another green
star suddenly turned to a warning red.
Samson Glider sat on his high seat
with one hand on the throttle.valVe,
gazing steadily ahead. A constellation
of green and yellow stars had sprung up
on his horizon. Jack Cinder, his FIRE
man, 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 q
push and jar as the heavy freight trsin
rumbling behind pushed against the
engine. The motive power had ceased,
and the immense momentum 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 q young girl standing by the track.
She was dressed for rough weather, and
wore hood that was not lovely. Sam
son 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 unlov-
ing mortals.
They came into the switch.house
together, she smiling and happy, he
pleased and grstifed, yet with shade
of care upon his face. In his hand he
held new track.layer's bar, bar such
as may be used to draw spikes from ties.
He spoke to Sam Britten pleasantly
about the weather, and then said ::
"There's q bar for the section-master.
bought it myself. The company seems
to be too poor to give its men proper
tools"
"To say nothing of our wages" added
the old man, roughly.
"Oh, father, why do you harp on
that ? The company has great deal of
property. 1t will surely pay us our
dues
The engineer placed the bar against
the wall BY the door, and then turned
to Mary. She led him away to her little
desk by the window, and there they sat
down together. Presently Jack Cinder
and one or two of the train men came
and sat down by the dull red stove.
The conversation among the men for the
first few moments had local favor, and
needs no mention. Then it branched to
a more important theme-the overdue
wages. Even the lovers discussed the
matter, and after a few words they
stopped abruptly. Tears brimmed the
girls eyes, and she turned away and
gazed out the window at the glowing
headlight.
Then one of the brakemen said
&c And the president is racing round the
country in a drawing-room car. He's
coming up the road tonight on a special,
and everything has to give way to his
train"
81 wish he might get tumbled into
ditch" said deep voice that startled
them all.