The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-22
PATSYS RED STOCKINGS.

How Little Boy, Left Alone at sta
ton, Gave the Signal of Danger to a
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 Wit-of- the-way railway sta
ton. Ii there had been, Patsy would
not have been left there to do IL.
The way of it was; Years ago, be-
fore there ever was such n boy as Patsy
Green, Mr.. Thomas Green had been
appointed station agent at Green S
Corner; post which he had filed 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
poor widow with her fatherless boy to
care for, and clothe, and bring up, and
educate and make a man of, the rail
road company had asked her to ill her
husbands post ut the station. And she
had been glad to take the place, which
she had filed ever since.
All that was the very beginning of It.
But the way Patsy came TO be tend
ing station all alone this afternoon was
this: Mrs. Green had received word
that her mother was very sick ut 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 Aleyander--was duly installed
and felt extremely important So
mitch 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 pair
of red stockings. Then he walked
majestically down stairs and about the
platform for several minutes; for he
now felt that he filed altogether too
important place among men to run
ard play like boy
For some time Patsy suuoaked slow
ly about in his new shoes, trying TO be
dignified. And although IL was hard
work he was determined not to give up
and play. SO he finally went into the
waiting room and seated himself on
one of the long settees that ran around
the room.
"'Taint no matter If lie down a min
ute," he finally said to himself. They
do sometimes and he stretched his
heavy shoes and red stockings out on
the seat, and tried to look as long as
possible.
The afternoon was very warm, and
drowsy feeling was In the air A big
bottle-fiy came buzzing monotonously
around the window nearest Patsy. The
sound of the mowers scythes in the
neighboring fields came floating in upon
the stiffness. The crickets, too, chirped
their sleepy song
think it must have been the blended
hum of all these sounds, mingled with
the excess of dignity that Patsy was
trying to bear up under that did it.
Anyway, in about two minutes from the
time Patsy lay down he was sound
asleep.
A long time after, he was awakened
by gruff voices and steps on the plat
form. The first words he heard caught
his attention. ''That'll be the end of
that bridget An as for the train
whe-e-wir
Are ye sure the Grand Mogul IL be
on the trainp 1t 'ud be a pity to smash
up the train for nothin'.
"Sure, is itp An didn't hear him
say for sure he'd be on that trainp I'll
pay him for turnin' off his honest help.
When they strike them rails where there
isn't any
Come, come" replied the other,
nervously, "We'd better be gettin' out
O. this. We don't want to be caught
within five miles o. that Perry Bridge. ="
"'Sh! don't talk so loud. You don't
s'pose the kid in there can hear, do
youp"
Sound asleep!" was the answer.
"Besides he's too little to know what
it means Come. come, hurry" And
then Patsy heard the footsteps as they
crunched on the gravelly railroad track.
For few minutes Patsy lay still. He
had heard the talk only as one hears
in dream, but soon the words came
back to him with terrible meaning.
ut 'ud be a pity to smash up the
train. y when they strike them rails
where there isn't anyr'
Patsy, young as he was, had heard
all manner OF stories about accidents;
how wicked people will sometimes
wreck a whole train. killing scores of
people, to crafty spite against one
man. Might this not be what was
meant by these rough mems talkP
Perry Bridget 1t was a mile below the
station in an unfrequented, swampy re-
gion. o dearl what could such little
fellow dop All his pomposity had van
ished. He now felt himself to be very
small boy indeed. If his mother would
only come. Patsy was one of those
boys who believe in their mother, and
he felt sure she would know just what
to do. But she didn't appear. Patsy
got up and stepped carefully to the
door Looking up the track he could
see the forms of two tramps disappear
ing rapidly. He looked about for some
one to whom he could tell his fear.
But no one was in sight He climbed
up to the ticket window and looked at
the clock. He had just learned to tell
the time of day. 1t was five minutes
past five, and the long. crowded, mount
ain express train was due at six!
Then Patsy had an inspiration.
Without stopping to put on the ragged
straw hat, which reposed gracefully on
the depot floor, he started down the
track, towards the bridge, on the keen
run. A mile is long way for an
eight-vear- old boy to run under hot
sun; but Patsy's courage never failed
him, although for the last quarter of a
mile before he reached the bridge, his
speed tagged little.
The cows which grazed in the pasture
along his route, stopped eating to gaze
In mild-eyed wonder at the diminutive
youth who went flying along so wildly;
and Patches old cross critter' bel
lowed furiously at the sight of his
bright red stockings, and ran after
him. But there was o fence between
them, and besides Patsy did not notice
the creature. His energies were all
bent on reaching the Perry Bridge be-
fore the six o'clock train was due!