Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-15

watch. "and here"--carefully spreading Ou
the wet copy on his kuee-'they want him al
the other end OF the line. Well, I can attend
10 this business az well Rs he could but
must get 10 the station in thirty minutes
will You forgive me IL leave you 10 the care
Of the other folks? Here they come now.
Tumble in Sammy I'll take you home," un
fastening one of the teams as he spoke.
Good by, and God bless you Florence.
Meet me at the station with the carriage when
the down express comes in tomorrow.
wouldn't go a step now, only that il ought to
be done for father"
Miss Van Amden's hand still tingled from
Toms fervent grasp when Tom himself and
his small companion had clattered out OF sight
along the road to the station.
The evening at Squire Porters mansion was
a dull one for this young lady, and she arose
the next morning under the possession OF that
indefuable unpleasantness Of general sensa
tion which we know by the name Of pre-
sentiment. Not even the memory Of the scene
In the woods the day before Offset the disa-
greeable and persistent impression that some
thing was about to happen. She had DOro-
thy, the girls quiet horse, harnessed more
than two hours before the express was due,
and drove of to make the circuit OF the Blue
Hill before meeting Tom at the station.
OOWu Dy Tue IhllTOhu II WAS hth5unhuil
hot. The reflection from the long line OF
rails stretching into the distance quivered in
the heated air that rose from the yellow sand
embankmsnts. The vast stores Of pine-wood
piled beside the track sent out balsamic odorf
| a. 1t baked under the rays of the sun. The
crane-like spout that fed the locomotives
from the tank at the end Of the freight
house stood erect and parched as the throat
Of Tantalus. Lefty piled her palm-leaf fan,
and sighed for the thunder-showers which
the telegraphic friend at her elbow-only q
hundred aud fifty miles distsnt-had just an
nounced az clearing the air in that more ia
vored locality.
The accommodation had passed. The ur
express hsd stopped for water and gone il
way. Two freight trains had numbered by.
The afternoon was well advanced, when
thunder caps" began to pile up from be
hind the hills, and Lefty imagined that she
sniffed moisture and freshness in the air.
1T II be ripper when We do get it, re-
marked the station master, looking in at Let
| ty's window. There's tremendous BLACK
streak round at the west"
From that quarter there was rising a darh
screen with ragged edges pushed up from
below, and steadily cutting away the bright
sky. The spruees on the high hill-sidei
caught the voice of the messenger winds sem
in advance Of the tempest, and whispered II
TO the valleys below. Whit OF the breeze
reached the station Just as the edge Of the
storm cloud gashed the disk of the sun. Il
was followed by another, whirlipg little ed
dies Of dust from the repose in which they
had been left beside the track by the last
passing train. Then the wind began TO blow
more steadily, and Lefty shut down her win
dow with prudent precaution, calling TO Sam
my as she did 80.
Sammy did not respond but at the mo
ment of closing the window the sound Of q
carriage rapidly driven and drawing up hasti
ly ct the station fell upon her ear. No train
was due at this hour, and it must be some
one seeking shelter under the carriage shed
from the approaching storm.
Suddenly the door Of her little Office wat
swung violently open, and on the threshold
stood the young lady whose arrival she had
watched from behind her curtain little more
than two weeks before. She was pale now
and agitatsd.
where is the man-the station master
the one in charge here 2" asked Miss Var
Amden hurriedly, breaking in before Lefty
had time 10 formulate the naughty little salu
tation that was rising to her lips.
He has gone home for q few minutes, bu
will return before the express arrives. Do
| you wish ticket 2"
moi no no !" cried Flor nee, with as
near an approach TO wringing her hands Al
women OF this day know. Il want to save
lives There is a great land slide on the
track. saw it as l came around Blue Hill
and drove on as fast as / could to get help
What must we doP Quick quick !" and thu
excited girl grasped Letiy's arm and almos
shook her.
Letty's experience in the business of run.
ming railroad by telegraph stood her il
good stead at this crisis, and her sense OF su
periority to the situation was evident in tn,
calmly frigid air which she opposed to bel
companions eager anxiety. She even in
dulged in a sort of self -complacent contempt
for the frightened helplessness of Miss Var
Amden, while conscious of her own power tC
stay all disaster with single movement oi
her hand.
"There is no hurry" she replied with
such dignity as her little figure aud bird -lik,
voice we're capable Of expressing. THE ex
press is not due at Flaxborough for fifteeI
minutes yet, and shall telegraph to hold i
| there until the track is cleared. There is nc
other train on this section except the up &C
commodation which stops here. II you ex
pect any friends on either, you needn't bt
alarmed"
She seated herself at the table, and touched
the telegraph key with that graceful motion
which displays a shapely hand more effec
lively than any other employment except vi
olin- playing. She ''called" the station a
| Flaxborough. But as her fingers ratified OF
the familiar dots and dashes her PTacticed ca
detected the fact that no message followed
along the wire in consequence. She exam
ined the switch, and quickly tightened
screw. Again no life came at her manipula
tion. The spirit of the telegraph had fed.
Quickly rising, Lefty went to the closet il
which the local battery was kept. and if tn
empty cells had not been enough to explain
the situation, the appearance of Sammy a
the door, with an appreciative expression oI
his face and two neatly cleansed copper cups il
his hand, would have left no doubt as to tb
cause of the impotence Of her instrument
Jealous to atone for his short. comings of tn
day before, the useful boy had taken this oc
casion to perform for his sister the somewha
dirty service of securing out the battery.
"Oh, Sammy, what have you done? erie,
Lefty, now as pale as Miss Van Amden.
Cleaned 'em up" answered the boy
"thats all"
"Oh dear oh dear you meddlesome
wicked child. l put the last drop of acid il
this morning, and now you have poured it a
away"
"Get some more, suggested Sammy.
Don't talk to me" retorted Lefty. ''The
| were to send me some by the express this al
ternoon, and until get it the wires are use
less"
"wait till it comes, then" was Sammy
rejoinder.
"You don't know what you are tAlkin
about. Run just as fast Is you can to MI
Jones's, and tell him there is An accident o.
the road, and he must hurry here. Ru
alongl" and she pushed him out of tn
door.
The station master came in haste, heralde
by clap of thunder and accompanied b.
the loud pattering of the first rain-drops.
"What is it, Miss Brooks ?" he asked, a
he burst into the room.
This lady has just come around the Blu
Hill, and says there is landslide across tn
track. The wires won't work, and the dow
express is due at half past"
"Where is the slider"
"Just beyond the covered bridge" answer
cd Miss Van Amden.
-Four miles of, and in q bad place" Tn
station master looked at his watch. 9Th
express is due at Flaxborough in Ave minutes
and here in twenty .fve. We can't get ther
with a signal in time Try the wires again
Miss Brooks"
Lefty tried again with the same result th
telegraph was mute.
"rll take your team and do my best, sal
the station-m master to Miss Van Amden, snatch
ing up red signal flag and rushing from tn
room.
The sound of the increasing storm hid th