Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-09-02

LlOiirCiio AOiIili 1OcSdil W Wy
Mary tried to look brave, ant
Kitty stared fast at the leve
prairie flying past. 1t was of NJ
use. They all broke down to
lgether and had a hearty cry as
the empty car rolled on before
the gale.
The station masters wife roll
ed up her sleeves and put thu
house in order while the children
were safely out of the way. Th'
station master, feeling sure tha
the children were safe in th'
freight car, sat in his office near
Ily all the morning. At last ths
beds were made and dinner pur
on the fire, and the mother won.
dered how the girls got along
with their play house on tho
track. She threw shawl ovel
head and went out ON the plat.
form. 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 sire began to call her chill.
dren. How lonely the wind
roared through the telegraph
wires. Perhaps they could not
hear her in all this din. Maybe
they were inside the car out Of
hearing. She walked on towards
the siding. Not a thing to be
seen. She wondered if there had
been a mistake. Perhaps the
car was on the other side track.
No the rails were unoccupied as
far as she could see in every di-
rection. What did it meant
What had happened? She stag
gered back into the station and
startled her husband with a cry
of despair.
"The car! The childlen!"
The station master ran out up
on the platform and looked up
and down the line. Not car
in sightl 1t had been blown a.
way by the terrible wind, and
was perhaps at that instant roll
ing swiftly onward with its prec-
ious load to destruction. What
would happen to it? Would it
meet a train or run into a station!
Would the children get out, or
would they stay in the car until
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 a
faint white cloud on the western
horizon. 1t was a train. Help
was. coming. AT the same time
his wife appeared with a new
grief and terror in her eyes.
81 cannot get call in either
direction. The wires are down" Z"
This only added to the dam
ger, for there was no means of
sending word in advance of the
runaway car. 1t must go OH to
its fate without help or warning.
"Helpiscomi g,mother. Here's
a train bound east. "
Nearer and nearer came the
train, and the father stood watch
ing it as it crept along the rails.
1t seemed as if it never would
COME. AT last it reached the
platform and proved to be pas
senger train bound up the Black
river road, not intended to go in
the direction in which the car
had been blown away. The in
stant-it stopped the station mas
ter ran to the engineer and told
his terrible story. The mother,
with quick wit, found the con-
ductor, and demanded that the
engine be taken off and. sent af-
ter the children.
The conductor was a man of
regular habits, and such a bold
request struck him as something
extraordinary. Take the engine
off and leave the train and pas
sengers waiting at this lonely
station? The idea was prepos-
terous. Some of the passengers
gathered near and asked what
was the matter.
Three children lost; blown a.
way in an empty car. Some one
said:
eyes, 60 at once. We can
wait here till the engine re-
turns"
The conductor said he must
telegraph for Instructions, but
some one said, "The wires are
down, "and the people only cried
out the more, "Let the engine
go!" so the mother ran ahead to
the tender and began to pull out
lshe pin that the engine might
start.
"IIold on, n,marm!'s said a brake
man; "I'll cast her off. You
jump aboard if you want to go.
Fire up, Jack, and make her
hump'
1t was all done in a moment,
and away flew the engine, leav-
ing the conductor and station
master staring in surprise at this
proceeding. The station master
did not feel very happy. He