Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-02
LOVE AND A LANTERN.
Ian Francisco CALL

facts are essential to a right understanding 0
the events hst TOOK place at the st ,tiJn OFT
Light abOut year ago.
Old sam BTijtou. station master, sat by th'
stove In the = idd.e of the switch house lily
SCoking az the dulI-red Goals In the ugly stove
HIS daugbttr tsTv. about 49, sat by the It'll;
telegraph apparatus near the Widow ID.
looked out dnHn the line. By the ali or
lantern She U3S reading stray neSspaaS tte
hon TrCdf r. i'ic'r. q strange paper for giT
to read; but :. b'loHCad TO a dear frieni. AID
some SiIgUldr pictures had interested hel
greatly. She I'D more She read and listened
Not thing ST. Ttd In rhe dull bare little r,g,r
cessant CHATTER ~ TIRE machine fell on her paI
and yet she he III IL not. Elm city wa takl le
to Centrryillt. forty miles oil, and every wo:d
was spelled or her Sounder. Yet she heard ii
sound.
Her father had let fan the paper h, was
rf30fDg. lie could not read, for birter tisap
p futnent kepi bis mind hdrassed and Jroab,ai
ICN lChg va 'hi- default OF payment 10 the
empl0! q OF 1t railway TO continue? Tae last
, Nc nlh'S WAGES ua1 hot been paid and another
month had nearly passed. The line ne A,ief re-
pt;r1Ig. The 'rackmel had complained that
very day tiai eW and better tools were needed
ana that nose ballast was wanting
suddenly. for away on the Sea-like horizon.
arose star. The young girls eyes were Oh ne
PAPER, and yea she saw it rising. She looked
star growing bright. II did not seem 10 rise
but TO grow Ok with brightness. IL IL not for
Io'e 70 Slt aLd gaze It must act. She rose,
switch bars and stood with both hands ctasped
about the hapd.e. and gazing down the line,
where tie star had become fiame
linen came iaraway sound through the
night. SIZE pulled thc bar ard: far down
the track he switch moved in the dark ana a
gIeat green ey, became red Up the Lac In the
TUNED ICd-
Samson G..d,rs sat ON his high seat With one
hand on the thrCttle-yalve. gazing steadily
ahead. a c,."s clla1icn OF green ana yellow
iyln LIB
SlEd"r. Ms nftnan, ON the other side of the
engine had given voice TO the monster as Ii
painted a.ong It's way. All. one star ia
IaShtd Ied- TIE engineer bluShed and Suilei
% the darE, ard pulled the thTottle-vaiye
hen came 2 push and jar as the heavy
keight train ;,-rblinS behind pushed against
She engine. I be motive power had CEASED
and the INN hse momentum OF the traia drove
The idle engine swiftly forward. The whistle
spoke TO tie nen behind, and they gladly
pulled the bIakPS ard the train entered the
siding. The h-a,i-ligit threw lurid Glaze on
the switch-holiSe. and by the light Sampson
saw a youIE girl by the track. She was
dTtSSt q for Rough weather, and wore Tti hood
that was not lovely. To Sampson 10 was
lovely III the glow Of The great lamp arainsF
the sky. II n3y have been the pecii ir effect
OF the light: y may have been love for love n As
liner eyes than uhiGying mOTtalS.
They came into the twitca-h0use together;
she smiling az happy. he pleased and graft
ned. yet With a shade OF care urOn his face In
DIS hand he held new iracE-layer'S bar, such
as IEay &c Us q 10 dIdW spikes rom ties. He
spoke to S1n Bfitton pleasantly about the
weather and hen said:
There's g bs:r for the section master I
bought IL uiy SELF. The company seems to be
too poor to give IFS men ut tools"
10 say LO'htng OF our wages" added the
old man, roughly.
"Oh, father. Why do you harp on that. The
company h 3 great deal o. property IL
swil surely pay us our dues
The engineer placed the bar against the wall
fy the door aha rnen turned TO Mary She led
him away 10 Ter little IL SIX bT the WindOV and
there they sat down together. Presently Jack
C1Dder and Ole or Two OF the train men came
and sat doWL BY The stove. The conversation
among the men for the first few moments had
local favCr aha n eds no mention. Then 1t
branehed TO more important thene-the over
due wages. Even The lovers discussed the mat
ter. al d after a few words they stopped
abruptly. Tears were in the girls eyes, and
she tuTred away and gazed out the window at
The great glo" ing headlight.
Then one OF The brakemen said:
And the president Is racing around the
county In drawing room car Ee'S coming
up the road 10 night on a special car, and
everything las 10 give way TO his train
:. wish lie Eilght get tumbled into the
oitch," said deep voice that startled them
all.
"Ob. Samson, Row can you say that?r said
Mary tremuiGuS tones.
Because I'm mad. Here we cant" He
STOPPED and the girl FLUSHED scarlet. '"The
resident can make excursions over the
line and d;S@ TraI &c the time tables anu yet we
are two months waiJing for our pay. | think"
He stopped and looked toward the door;
HldeOuS creature stood before them-a IraD1D
foot-soTe. hU3 cry and homeless, had found the
door Unlatcheu and wandered in looking for
shelter. The station master let the man come
In ard stand by the stove to warm himself for
he was very cold, and the talk was continued
In whispers.
suddenly there came the sound of distant
whistle. Tie station master looked at the
switch bars TO see that all was right and Sam
son Glider rose and SAID:
''That's Williams train. I'll go out and
wave him a friendly light"
The sound or The approaching freight train
came nearer, aid the engineer took the lantern
from the desk and went out. The others fell
into silence as the rumbling train crept past
the door. The young girl started at the head
wishing.
Taxing advantage OF the noise, the tramp
shufled away toward the door. just as he
-reached il he looked hastily around the room
and then slyiy took up the track-layer'5 bar
and VANISHED. His presence had been burden,
ana they paid 40 heed TO his departure. A
moment after the door opened, and Samson
Glider entered.
"The specla! is IN sight, boys We must be
-6n. he said.
The men reluctantly went out to their train.
and the lovers Ret 10 part at The door. Her
eyes were bright with Unsurpassed tears.
little money
'.Iknow II. dear: yet when the company do
pay us We shall nave al the more"
Nearer and nearer came the great yellow
lar came The Tong wdiltng sound OF the express
whistle. The lovers heard it. and held each a
tighter clasp. The tracks before the door b.
gan 10 sing. The monster came on IN fright
ful 1uIy. SPARKS shot up IN fountains from its
stack. The ground quiSered, the windows
shook
All, dcspa'ring scream from the whistle
Al earthquake?
Some one rushed past the girl. she cIasped
the door for support, Lot knowing what hltp-
peDed, and looked ont into the gloomy nioht
stunned and terrified.
There Was hCthipg-noI hing save a vast
cloud OF dust. White and ghaSfly. All a rleaI1
OF light IL SEone through The curtain OF aust
as IL dTi1ttd before the wind. There were nlIr-
Tying footsteps. cries for help and gsoarS The
aust disappeared. and the ED OF an over
turned car stood ont in the bright l!gnt The
wreck grew in hOrrid proportions. An, &c was
on IRE.
IL is a peculiar feature OF American life that
new ana uLeN e Cte1 Circumst aqceS are always
met and cont gl.ed by a spirit OF orgalZation
that creates OFT OF the men and material at
hdnO the mastery Of events. Ia half an hour
AFTER the first crash, as The train LETT the me-
lalS, the fftSAtenCd passengers We're com!or-
faoy housed III the empty cars or the freight
vain. A carload OF lumber had been de-
spoiled 10 make seats for the whole aud beds
for the DJUTcd. The freight engine on the
siding was used 10 drag the wreck away on the
Up-linP, and It's tank-Water and steam had
ben used 10 put out the fire. In an hour the
freight engine. In charge OF the express people
started away with its dreary load. the well In
The forwsrd cars, the injured on beds OF hay
ASOoDed nom the freight In the next cars, the