The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-08-08
WHAT PATSY DID.
How a Little Boy, Left Alone at Sta
ton, Gave the Signal of Danger to a
Passenger Train.


ton, Gave the Signal of Danger to
Passenger Train.
Eight-year- old Patsy was tending
station" The consequence was that
eight-year-old Patsy felt exceedingly
grown-up.
Not that there was anything under
the light of the sun for him to do in
the little out-of-the-way railway sta
ton. If there had been, Patsy would
not have been left there to do it.
The way of it was: Years ago, be-
fore there ever was such boy as Patsy
Green, Mr.. Thomas Green had been
appointed station agent at Green S
Corner; post which he had filled for
years. But when Patsy was five years
old, God had a higher station for his
papa to fill, and so he took him home
to Heaven.
Now, Mrs. Green had always helped
her husband in the duties belonging to
the little station, and had even learned
to telegraph; so when she was left a
care for, and clothe, and bring up, and
educate and make man of, the rail
road company had asked her to fill her
husbands post at the station. And she
had been glad to take the place, which
she had filled ever since.
All that was the very beginning of it.
But the way Patsy came to be tend
inc station all alone this afternoon was
this: Mrs Green had received word
that her mother was very sick at the
other end of the village, and as she
could get no one to take her place
while she ran over there, she had vent
ured to leave her boy alone for little
while Besides there was nothing
whatever to do, and wouldn't be until
the six o'clock train was due. So
Patsy-whose name wasn't Patsy at
all, but Alexander-was duly installed
and felt extremely important. Sc
much so in fact that he felt at once
that going barefooted was not consist
ent with his new position in life.
Therefore he hurried upstairs, for
they lived over the depot, aud donned
his best shoes and his one darling pain
of red stockings. Then he walked
majestically down stairs and about the
platform for several minutes; for he
now felt that he filled altogether toe
important place among men to run
and play like boy.
For some time Patsy squeaked slow
ly about in his new shoes, trying to bt
dignitied. And although it was hare
work he was determined not to give VI
and play. So he finally went into the
waiting room and seated himself or
one of the long settees that ran arounC
the room.
"Taint no matter if | lie down a min
ute, he finally said to himself, They
do sometimes" and he stretched hi,
heavy shoes and red stockings ont OF
the seat, and tried to look as long q
: possible
The afternoon was very warm, and ;
' drowsy feeling was in the air. A biz
| bottle-Gy came buzzing monotonousl,
around the window nearest Patsy. ThC
sound of the mowers scythes in tn,
: neighboring fields came floating in upol
3 the stiffness. The cricketS, too, chirpeC
, their sleepy song.
. | think it must have been the BLENDED
hum of all these sounds, mingled witt
the excess of dignity that Patsy wa
trying to bear up under, that did it
Anyway, in about two minutes from tn
: time Patsy lay down he was SCUM,
: asleep.
a A long time after, he was awakene
y by gruff voices and steps on the plat
form. The first words he heard caugh
his attention. "That'll be the end q
t that bridge! An as for the train
/ whe-e-w!"
3 "Are We sure the Grand Mogul II b
It on the train? 1t 'ud be a pity to smas
r up the train for nothin'.'
Sure, is it? An didn't hear hir
a say for sure he'd be on that train? L
a pay him for turnin' off his honest helF
d When they strike them rails where ther
4 isn't any"
i. Come, come" replied the othel
a nervously, "We'd better be gettin' OF
! O. this. We don't want to be caugf
within five miles o. that Perry Bridge.
"Sh! don't talk so loud. You don
. s'pose the kid in there can hear, d
T youP"
y Sound asleep!" was the answe
!, Besides he's too little to know VIII;
. it means. Come, come, hurry" An
~ n then Patsy heard the footsteps as the
\ crunched on the gravelly railroad tracl
~ ~ For few minutes Patsy lay still. I
10 had heard the talk only as one heal
in dream, but soon the words can
Dc back to him with a terrible meanin,
2; at 'ud be a pity to smash up Il
- train" when they strike them raj
g, where there isn't anyp'
er Patsy. young as he was, had heal
le all manner of stories about accident
ne how wicked people will sometim
ID wreck a whole train, killing scores
O. people, to crafty spite against Of