The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-08-08
s.nECH ADO,n ETC.
"A True Story.

ESsnECH ADO," ETC.
"Paps rwant to go to Hartford with
your called out little Lofty Park, as she
saw her father open the door to go down
stairs, for It WAS almost train-time, and
Mr. Park was station-agent ct West
'Not to-day. Lofty. L can't go till
to-morrovi yop may come along then.
Il mamma says So"
The next morning, Lofty was duly
dressed in her prettiest clothes, and
looking like . dolly, only far sweeter
and pretfier than the best of dollies,
she went down to the platform, for Mr..
Parks house was the upper story of
the picturesque passenger depot.
Before long the train came screaming
and kissing in from the west, and Mr..
Park locked up the Office and came out
20 wherH Lofty stood. Tom Scott, the
baggageSn1Asfer on the train, looked
out Of the sliding door to see Lofty, for
whom be vas Always prepared with 9
flower. an Rapple, bit of candy, or
some other dainty, for he loved the rosy
little thing desrly, and all the more that
his own little girl lay asleep in the
Sharon. graveyard.
Mr.. Park swung Lofty up into Tom
Scott's arms. Z .Herem said he; sscheck
this bit of baggage through to Hart
ford" isEs%St ~
Catching her, with as,laugh and 8
kiss, he sal her down. on big trunk
and gave her q cooky out of his dinner
pail. bA@
Just then Mr.. Park caught sight of
the very man on whose account he was
going in 70 Hartford. Mr. Coe was 8
manufactures in Waring and there had
been trouble about his freight-srates,
which Mr. Park had to go into the Office
of the read % see about; he had not got
all the information he wanted, for Mr..
Coe had been West, but here he was,
Just come back, on his way TO the
'Waring station, half mile below
West Waring.
So Mr. Park talked to him al the
time the engine was taking in water,
and then got into the car and sat beside
him, stin talking so earnestly that he
got of at the Waring station, quite
forgetfui OF Lofty, Hartford and every
thing else, and followed Mr.. Coe to the
wagon which was waiting for him in
his earnestness 70 fully inform himself
about this matter.
The cIstter of car wheels called
him back in . moment; the train was
of, off beyond his reach, but it would
go easily down to the Tuck Junction,
few rods off, and stop there, accord
ing to law, to cross the other track.
Mr.. Park tore after it like crazy man,
caught his foot in q rail, fell, scram bled
up and rushed on, but all too latei
The train Kissed away far ahead of
the frantic follower; there was but one
thing to do: telegraph to the next sta
ton, East Hartland, to have her put off
there and sent back on the next train.
He ran back to the Waring station,
but the telegraph operator had gone
home to dinner, and he had to hunt
him up and get the key; but now the
train was overdue at East Hartland, he
must signal to Parsonsyille. ...s,
This village happened to be mile
from its station, and before the opera
tor could send up message the train
had gone. Mr.. Park could have cried
II he had been q woman; being q man,
he expressed his distress otherwise, but
quite as forcibly. 1.-The next thing was
to signal Hampton
S..Ask Conductor Cone to stop train at
B. Brook siding; fetch girl Tom Scott
hasfalang," "E.1G ~ EosE XXX
The train in from Waring went on to
q siding just before you reached Hamp-
ton, and waited for the Hartford train
ten minutes. At Hampton the tele-
graph operator was also gone to dinner.
No answer came back till Mr.. Park was
ready % despair, then It said: both
trains gone before your message came. !"
There was but one thing left to do
now he must telegraph to Hartford,
and another message spun along the
wires.
ASK Cone to fetch the little girl Tom
Scott took IN out on the evening train. I"
The answer that came back was
dreadful to the anxious father
..Tom Scott left train at Wintonbury.
No child on board"
To be sure Tom SCOTS old mother
lived ct Wintonbury. Once q week he
stopped off the train st this last station
TO see her, and took the return train
there, for she was very old and infrm.
and lately had been dangerously i'll.
But "No child on board !" What
could this meanf Had Lofty run into
the next car to find her father and
slipped unseen between the cars, while
careless Tom stepped of at Wintonbury
and thought no more about herr Oh,
poor LottyIwas she lying on that ghastly
track that had slaughtered so many be
fore herr Mr.. Park shuddered and hid
his head in his hands; he was not an Inn
aginatiye man, buteverything that could
possibly happen to his darling ran
through his mind; may be she had fallen
from the door of the baggage-car and
been lost In the woods, If she escaped
uninjured. Perhaps she lay in that cold,
black river the train crossed so many
times, which only q few months age
had engulfed q score of others, each
perhaps as dear to some one as Lofty
70 him; and all because of his OWE
carelessnessi How could he have for
gotten her? What was business OF any
sort compared with Lottye
He was not habitually praying man
but with the instinct that drives many o.
us-most of us-to an Almighty power
for help when trouble and danger press
he lifted up fervent prayer 70 God tt
help him; to bring back his lost Lofty
Poor mani he dare not 60 home anC
face his wife, who was feeble always
and now worn out with the care OF
sick baby. He could not bear to thinl
of going to her with the truth of tn,
case2which he could not know himsel
until the evening train brought out Ton
Scott; and he would not go to her witt
adreadful uncertainty.
There was nothing for him but to wal
st the station till the train came in.
His brother George was in the ticke
Office at West Waring, filing his place
on the snpposition that he and Lott.
had gone to Hartford, so he need not g
back there.
1t was two o'clock by this time; il
f;fteen minutes the milk train woulC
come along. There was just q chanc'
Lofty might have been put on to the mill
train from the platform at Bright Brook