Connecticut western news., 1885-06-03

seemed long,. That was all. You know Simon is not easily frightened. He is ready to go to work again." added Lau- renee, tranquilly.
 But Celine's anxieties were aroused afresh.
 Sometime after that the hours of ser vice were changed again and Laurence took the night section. He could no longer think of taking Aimee with him.
 One evening, however, a poor woman in the village was taken very ill. The doctor who came wrote a prescription and said to the neighbors he found there: "These medicines can only be had in the town, and you must not wait for them. Let one of you go to the rail- way station, where there is a portable pharmacy, and ask the station master on my account for little laudanum. That will quiet the pains till you can have the prescriptions. Which of you will go?"
 ''Celine Celine I" said several voices. It was certain that the station-master would not hesitate to give her the medi- cine.
 The young woman thought at first of leaving Aimee, but, as she had been particularly restless all day, Celine con- cluded to take her. They had to pass Laurence's post. to go to the station. He saw them coming, and as soon as they were within hearing, began to question them.
 "Old Gertrude is very i'll, and I am going to the station for medicine"
 "That's right. But let me have Aimee; I will keep her till you come back"
 Celine lifted the little girl over the fence to her father, who took the pre- cious burden in his arms and returned with her to his box. before which a lamp was burning. All around dark ness covered the tracks, which crossed each other in every direction.
 It would not take Celine more than twenty minutes to get to the station and back. The child was in one of her most frolicsome moods; she ran sudden ly into the garden; Laurence ran laugh ing after her.
 "You can't catch me" said she.
 "Yes, I can"
 But the little witch evaded Laurence's pursuit, leaving laughter behind her. "Here, here p she said, and rushed to the track and began to cross it.
 "Don't go there, darling" said her father. It was very dark-the switch tender could hardly see his daughter.
 "You can't catch me-" repeated the child.
 "Come, come here," said her father.
 "Look for me-" answered the child.
 "Aimee, Aimee, don't play any more. I shall be angry. Come here."
 "Oh you say that because you can't catch me-"
 "Come back, I will give you cake. !"
 "That isn't true; you haven't one. You want to make me come back"
 "Yes, I don't want you to stay there. The express train is coming. Be quick. !"
 "Ohl shan't let you catch me. The train has gone by."
 "There is another"
 Instead of replying, the child said:
 "Run after me, papa; run."
 Laurence saw there was nothing to be done but to run after her and take her out of danger. He rushed toward the place where he heard her voice. It was dark, and Aimee escaped him still. His alarm increased. At any instant the whistle of the on-coming train might be heard, and Laurence redoubled his ap- peals. His voice was hoarse with fright, The fatal moment approached, and still the child. laughed and repeated, "You can't catch me" Now the whistle sounded. The lugubrious call paralyzed the poor man, and he lost his head com pletely. The train would have two vic tims if he did not regain his composure Two victims It would be catas trophe with incalculable consequences for a train was stopping at the station 6 little way ahead, and if the express wa: not switched of there must inevitably be collision. Laurence shook of hi' torpor.
 "Aimee P he cried, in laundering tones.
 "Here, papa" And the child con tinued to give sharp little calls, whicf mingled with the roar of the approach 1 ing engine. The instinct of duty, rathe than will, urged Laurence toward tn switch. He seized the instrument whicl ought to turn the train. "No," he cried '1 must save her. Aimee, Aimee where are you?" and his eyes sought t pierce the darkness. The switch-tender with hair on end, thought of throwing himself before the iron monster. Bu one chance remained, that Aimee va not on the track over which the trai must pass. He looked again, and thi time he saw her-he saw her. She va there, standing on the very track tn train must take if he altered the switch | II b4O HUI N4AA hOb DtAAO AOo SA U course the child was saved. The trai would go on to crash against the one g the station. What matter? Aime would be alive All this went throug his head like lightning. There would |
 the killed and wounded-twenty famii,
 in despair, but Aimee would be safe aE
 sound. There would be an inquest; would be condemned to prison, dishol ored, ruined But his daughter, h
 Aimee, would live and be happy. Al
 how quickly one can think in such te
 ribIe moments The train came laundering on, but
 could not be seen on account of shal | curve in the road. There was still tin ' to save Aimee, but the child would n stir, It seemed to her father that sl 0 waited for the train with an air of