Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-15

from hour to hour, for we had tele-
graphed both ways, and the snow
had stopped by that time, and none
of us had any notion that it was GO
ing to be the job it was to dig us out.
Only the young lady had the sense to
that it might take longer
than we was calculating on.
Says [, if we are kept here week,
there won't be a shovelful of coal left
for any of the fires, let alone the en-
gine.
Then don't you think, says she, in
her soft voice, that it would be a wise
plan to get all the passengers in one
car, and keep good fire up there,
and let the other fires 60 out? It's
no matter if we are little crowded,
said she.
Well, of course it was the only
thing to do, as we see at once when
it was put into our heads. We took
the car the sick lady was in, SOS
she'd not have to be disturbed, and
we made up beds for the children,
and somehow all the passengers man
aged to pack in, train hands and all.
1t was a tight squeeze but that didn't
matter so much, because the weather
was so awfully cold.
That was the way 1 come to see so
much of the young lady. | hadn't
anything to keep me about the en-
glne, so [ kind of detailed myself off
to wait on her. She was busy all
day long doing things for the rest.
It's queer how peoples characters
come out at such times. We got to
know all about each other. People
stopped string and ma'am-ing and
being polite, and just showed for
what they were worth. The selfish
ones, and the shirks, and the towards,
and the mean cusses who wanted to
blame some one besides the Almighty
for sending the weather-there wasn't
no use for any of them to try to hide
themselves no more than it was for
the other kind. The women, as a
rule, bore up better than the men. 1t
comes natural, l suppose, for wo-
man to be kind of silent, land pale and
patient when she's suffering. But
the young lady wasn't that sort Ell
ther. She was as bright as button
all along. You'd have supposed from
her face that she was having just the
best kind of time!
l can see her now standing before
the stove roasting jack-rabbits for
the others supper. Some gentlemen
had revolvers, and when the snow
got crusted oversees they could walk
on it, they used to shoot EN- And
we were glad enough of every one
shot, provisions were so scanty. The
last two days them rabbits and snow
water melted in a pail over the stove
was all we had to eat or drink.
suppose there was nothing for
you to do but wait, said Miss Vaughn.
No, ma am; there wasn't nothing
at all for me TO do but to help the
young lady now and then. She let
me help her more than the rest, |
used to think. She'd come to me
and say: Mr.. Scott, this rabbit is for
you and the conductor. Once she
asked me to hold the sick little girl
while she took sleep. 1t was mighty
pretty always to see her with them
children. They never seemed to have
enough of her. All of them wanted
she should put them to bed, and sing
to them, and tell them stories. Some
times she'd have all five, swarming
over them at once. | used to like to
watch them.
Well, how did it end? asked Miss
Vaughn, as the engineers voice, which
had gradually grown lower and more
dreamy, came to stop.
Eh? What2 Oh housing himself
1t ended when three locomotives and
relief train from Cheyenne broke
through to US on the eighth morning
after we were blockaded. They
brought provisions and coal, and We
got on frstrate after that.
Did the sick lady die?
No, ma'am. She was living wher
l last heard of her, down to Sants
Barbara. Two years ago that was
And what became of the young
lady?
She left at Sacramento. Her broth
er or some one was down to meet her
/ saw him a moment. He didn't looE
like her.
And you never saw her again? Yol
never heard her name?
No, ma'am; | never did.
The engineers voice sounded gruf
and husky as he said this. He shov
eled in coal with needless energy.
Are you married man? asket
Miss Vaughn. The question sounded
abrupt even to herself, but seemet
relevant to something in her mind.
No.
, John Scott looked her squarely il
the face as he replied. His counte
; nance was rather grim and set, ant
, for moment she had offended him
: Then, as he met her deprecating gaze
he reassured her with a swift smile
No, Fam, | amt; and | neve
shall be as | know of, he added
Second-rate wouldn't satisfy me now
| guess. He pulled the cord whic