Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-21
NTyIE

But tree, and maiden, and lover, are dead.
Tick, took! tick, tock
ting Carleton in LtJe."
NTXIE.
Nobody would take little Mike Markham
for a heroine, nor would one suppose that lit
tie quiet figure possessed nerve enough to
save hundreds of lives by her prompt action,
but this was the way of il: II was a hot
summer afternoon, and the most absolute
quiet reigned over the little railroad station
of Parkerstown up in northern New England,
on the sweltering August days Not even
the customary loafers were around, and only
at train time was there any show of life.
The down train was due at go, but until
then, rs the sensational writers say, "all was
quiet as the grave
Mike was the station-agents daughter and
only child. She was II, although so small
she looked three years younger, and was usu-
ally quiet as Il mouse, mot much zip to
her, the country folks said. In spite of the
current opinion however, she had except the
small portion of time which the little country
town set apart for the school season-speut
nearly all of her time in the ticket. office with
her father, either reading the few books and
papers which came in her way, or "unbe-
known" to her father picking up, letter by
letter and word by word, the sounds OF the
Morse instrument and finally one day she
astonished her father by taking telegram by
sound, giving him neat copy
From that day Mike was installed as tele-
graph operator, and the indulgent father often
said Nick could run that Office Jest as well
as he could himself which, considering that
Mr.. Markham WAS considered by the boys "a
plug operator might be called a doubtful
compliment to Mike.
Well, on this particular afternoon We are
talking about, the aforesaid plug sauntered
into the depot with trouble enthroned on his
majestic brow
Mick, I'm summoned on jury case up to
the Center village this afternoon. It's too
late to get any body here, even s'posiug there
was anybody to get. What are we agoing to
do about it? S'pose you can tend the con
cern alone till get back-probably by six ~
II guess so, father replied Mike, there
won't be much of anything to do Likely
there won't be many passengers for the down
train this hot day, and hope know enough
to sell ticket or two if there are"
"Well, see that those boxes go by express.
The way bills are ready and in the drawer
guess you'll get along all rght'-and off he
went leaving Mike mistress of the situation
which phrase meant more than you might
imagine, on that very particular day.
At first she felt her newly acquired import
ance somewhat and stepped briskly around,
busting the musty little office and watering
the few plants in the window. but there be-
ing nothing absolutely to 90 and no one com.
ing near, she dropped into inactivity and
listened to the click Of the telegraph instru-
ments, which to her was as companionRble
as the talk of near friends would be. As the
afternoon passed drowsily along the heat and
the stiffness overcame her, and dropping her
fiaxen head on the desk before her she was
soon-as one of the good old ladies of Par
kerstown was wont to express tin the
arms of Morphine"
Afterward, the first thing she could remem-
Der about it, voice seeming to come from
her dreams, said, 'Taint likely she's left
here alone, and asleep too"
mo" responded another evil voice, "the
old mans probly round somewhere-but, " in
| lower tone, "come on, les go long. The
down train'll be along and we'll jest lay 'em
out"
Mike was wide awake enough now, but she
had presence of mind in her small body, and
realized that safety lay in keeping still.
"How far is it up there ?"
"Sh Keep mum. Do you want to knock
the hull thing in the head, aud yourself too p
and then the girls quickened hearing caught
the sound Of heavy footsteps passing by the
window and on the track.
Mike waited until she couldn't hear the
| footsteps and then cautiously turned and
looked out of the window. There they were
two miserable looking tramps Fastening up
| the track. She recognized them at once az
| two men who had been discharged from a
construction train that had been at work
down the road. What should she do? oh, if
| she could send for her father But there
was no one anywhere.near, and besides, by
the time he could get home it might be too
| late-for il was evident that the desperate
wretches were bent upon revenging them.
selves of their fancied wrongs upon the limo
cent. She looked at the clock. Half-past 1
| She ran out and looked around the lonely sta
tion. No living being in sight. She called
once feebly, but where was the use? II she
sent for her father she had no tangible expla
nation to give or real reason to make him
| hurry home-only she was sure there was
harm coming to the down train-thst long
crowded express filled with mountain tourists.
| But she must do something.
The men had disappeared around slight
bend in the track. Mike ran in, locked up
| the office, snatching hat from a nail in the
corner, and then hurried up the track until
| she arrived al the slight curve. Then she
made haste more slowly" for there were the
men. Stepping behind a chmp of bushes
she watched them. They had stopped and
were doing something, she could not at first
see what, to the track. Pretty soon up came
a rail, and in a minute more it was thrown
down a steep ledge within four feet of the
track-where the whole train must be pre-,
cipitated in less than an hour If something
could not be done to warn them. Mike saw
| it all now and for a moment stood, her eyes
| dilated with horror, while she saw the scoun.
drels shake their fists toward her way and
heard an imprecation. Then they passed on
and Mike, grown cold in the sudden extrsm-
ty, turned and sped toward the depot.
The rail had been removed on a curve
which was shaded on the west side by high
bank, so at half-past > it was quite dusk there,
and as the trains always came in on a dowr
grade, they came at full speed. So MIKE
thought to herself, "Im so glad came, for
now I'll hurry and telegraph to Stratford be
fore the train comes by, and then We'll see
Mr.. Tramps, how your little scheme comes
out"
She reached the office and looked at the
clock Five minutes to 3 and the train lef
Stratford at 5.O3. Well, eight minutes wal
more than plenty of time if she could ''raise'
Stratford. She grasped the key. "Sd d-sd,
clicked the instrument Never before wal
there so an impatient an operator on tha
line. With her eyes on the clock which seem
ed, then, If ever to say, "forever-never-
never-forever, she kept up the call, Some
body on the other side "broke her" twice, bu
she gave all the danger signals she coulC
think of and kept on, The moments KEEP
on-one, two, three, four, iye-slowly peal
ed the old clock-eaoh stroke an agony to thu
girl.
Meanwhile the agent at Stratford could no
operate at all, and the boy, who could anC
who served as general chore-boy about th
place, had gone for the cows, aud there wa
no one to answer the call on which so mucl
depended.
4 few minutes and it WAS too late, and Nix
ie was in a new dilemma
She closed the key in despair. She did no
know the train signals, but she seized the rel
| fac under the old desk and ran for dear life