The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-02-21
BLOWN AWAY.


There were three OF them-Kitty, Mar
and little Tommy-the children Of tn
station.master at Black River Junction, o
the Great Southwestern Railroad. TIL
station stood alone on the open prairie
miles and miles from anywhere in par
%ticular. Black river flowed through tn,
mountains, a hundred miles away to tn
north; and on clear days the snowy noun
tains could be seen glimmering on til,
grassy horizon. The line leading TO tn,
Black river met the Southwestern here
and thus 1t was the place was called Blacl
River Junction.
The station.master and his wife ant
three children lived in the little depo'
quite happily, but there was not another
family within ten miles in any direction
AT times the children thought it rather
lonely. There was nothing in particular
To be done, except to watch the trains
that stopped at the junction several times
a day. Once in a while a freight car would
be left on the side track, and the children
soon found that an empty freight car
makes q capital playhouse. They could
keep house in the corners and make Wis
its, or sit by the open door, and make be.
lieve they are having a ride.
One morning they were awakened by o
curious humming sound out OF doors, and
they all scrambled up and looked out Of
the window. How the wind did blow! II
whistled and roared round the house and
played on the telegraph wires upon the
roof as upon q huge harp.
As the wires were fastened TO the roof,
the house became a great music-box, with
the children inside. After breakfast the
morning trains arrived, but the wind was
so high that the passengers were glad to
hurry from one train to another as quick
as possible. Then the trains went away,
and the great wind.harp on the roof sang
louder than eve
The station.master said it blew q gale,
and that the children must stay in the
house lest they be blown away into the
prairie and be lost. The station-master's
wife said 1t was a pity the children must
stay in the house all day. There was an
empty freight car or the side track; per-
haps they might play in that. The station
master thought this a good idea, and he
took Kitty by the hand and Tommy in
his arms, while Mary took hold OF his
coat, and they all went out to the empty
car. Whew! How 1t did blow! They
certainly thought they would be lifted up
by the wind and blown into the sky. The
empty car was warm and snug, and once
inside, they were quite out Of the way OF
the wind. .
Mary thought the rear enc would be a
good place TO keep house,. but Tommy
preferred the other end, so they agreed to
keen house at both ends OF the empty car.
This was q nice plan, for it gave them a
chance 10 visit each other, and the open
part by the door made a grand promenade
to walk on.
Louder and louder roared the gale. Safe
and snug In the car, they went on with
their play and thought nothing OF the
weather outside.
Suddenly the car seemed to shake, and
they stopped in their housekeeping and
ran To the door to see what had happened.
"Why, it's moving. Somebody's push
ing i" said Mary. $3.50,
"They are taking US away, on the freight
train. Come, we must get out"
az didn't hear the whistle" said Tom
nv. 81 guess something Is pushing the
car"
The girls leaned out OF the door to see
what had happened. Why, where was
the platform? 1t was moving away. No,
II was the car. 1t had left the siding and
had rolled out upon the main line and
was moving faster and faster along the
road. ~
us away"
here till the brakeman comes round. !
didn't hear them when they took US or
the train"
"There amt any train" said Tommy,
looking up and down the line.
"Oh, it's the wind! It's blowing the cal
away. We must put on the brakes anc
fhis was a good plan, but how were
they to carry It out2 The brake whee
was on top OF the car, and they we're in
side. Faster and faster rolled the a r II
began TO rattle and roar as ii dragged
along by a swift engine. In q moment
Tommy began TO cry. Mary tried to look
brave, and Kitty stared hard at the leveI
prairie flying past. 1t was OF no use. They
ali broke down together and had q hearty
cry alone in the empty car as 1t rolled on
and on before the gale. ~
The station.maGter's wife rolled up hel
sleeves to put the house in order whit
The children were safely out OF the way,
The station.master, feeling sure the chill
dren were safely IN the freight car, sat II
His Office nearly all the morning. AT last
the beds were made, the dinner put or
the FIRE, and the mother wondered how
The uirls were getting along in their .plal
house ON the track. She threw a shaw
over her head and went out on the plat
form. Atonce, the wind blew the snaw
over her face, and she couId not see eH
actly where she stood. Turning her pacl
to the wind she began to call the chlIIfen
How loudly the wind roared through ID.
telegraph wires! Perhaps they conld no
hear IN all this din. May be they yer
inside the car out Of hearing. She wake
IN. towards the siding, not o thing to b
seenI she wondered il there had not bee
A mistakel Perhaps the car wa on tn
other side track? No, the rails were o.ccu
Mad as far as she could sec in every diret
Hon. What did 1t mean? What had hap
nenedP She staggered back into the static
land startled her husband with q cry {
despair. ,,
The station.master ran out upon "a
!, platform and looked up and down III
lime, Not a car in sight! 1t bad bee
blown away before the terrible wind, an
was perhaps at this instant rolling, swirl
nnuarl with liz nracinns load 70 lestrnl