The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-07-31

"Celine! Celine!" said several
voices. 1t was certain that the station
master would not hesitate to give her
the medicine.
The young woman thought at first of
leaving Aimee, but, as she had been
particularly restless all day, Celne
concluded to take her. They had to
pass Laurence's post to go to the sta
ton. He saw them coming, and as
O as they were within hearing, be-
gan to question them.
cold Gertrude is very i'll, and | am
going to the station for medicine"
"That's right. But let me have
Aimee; 1 will keep her till you come
back"
Celine lifted the little girl over the
fence to her father, who took the
precious burden III his arms and re-
turned with her to his box, before
which a lamp was burning. All
around darkness covered the tracks,
which crossed each other in every di'
rection.
1t would not take Celine more thai,
twenty minutes to get to the station and
back. The child was in one of her
most frolicSome moods, she ran sud
denly into the garden; Laurence a
laughing after her.
"Yon can't catch me" said she.
eyes | can"
But the litSle witch evaded Laurence's
pursuit, leaving laughter behind her.
Here, here" she said, and rushed to
the track and began to cross it.
Don't go there, darling" said her
father. 1t 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"
"Ol You say that because you can't
catch me-"
Come back, I will give youa cake"
"That isn't true; you haven't one.
! You want to make he come back"
"Oh!I 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. 1t
was dark, and Aimee escaped him still.
His alarm increased. At any instant
the whistle of the oncoming train might
be heard, and Laurence r%edoubled his
appeals. His voice was hoarse with
fright. The fatal moment approached,
and still the child laughed and repeat
! ed, "You can't catch me-" Now the
! whistle sounded. TIE lnGuhrions call
paralyzed the poor man, and he lost his
head completely. The train would
have two victims if he did not regain
his composure. Two victims! 1t would
be a catastrophe with incalcutable con-
sequences; for a train was stopping at
the station a little way ahead, and If
the express was not switched off there
must inevitably be o collision. Laur-
ence shook off his torpor.
"Amiee!" he cried, in laundering
tones.
"Here, papa And the child con-
tinued to give sharp little calls, which
mingled with the roar Of the approach
ing engine. The instinct of duty rath-
er than will, urged Lawrence toward
the switch. He seized the instrument
which ought to turn the train. mo-"
he cried, IL must a v her. Aimee
Aimeei where are you?" and his eyes
sought to pierce the darkness. The
switch tender, with hair on end, thought
of throwing himself before the iron
monster. But nc chance remained,
that Aimee was not on the track
over which the train must pass.
He looked again, and this time
he saw her-he saw her. She
was there, standing on the very
track the train must take if he altered
the switch. If the iron tempest die
not take its true course the child wa:
saved. The train would go on to crash
against tho one at the station. What
matter Aimee would be alivel AL
this went through his mind like light
ming. There would be the killed and
wounded-twenty families in despair,
but Aimee would bc safe and sound
There would be IN inquest; he
would be condemned to prison, dis
honored, ruined! But his daughter,
his Aimee, would live and be happy,
All how quickly one can think in such
terrible nom ntsI
The train came laundering on, but il
could not be seen on account OF q SHARP
curve in the road. There Vas still
time to save Aimee, but the child would
not stir. tt seemed to her father thai
she waited for the train with an air OF
defiance.
Aimee" he repeated in q voice
you will kill mel"
Suddenly the advancing lights Of thu
engine appeared. The train was upor
him; twas here. The man felt hi,