The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-16


walked. She wasn't that kind"
Another pause, which Miss Vaughn was
careful not to break.
II don't know what them children would
a done without her, went on the engineer,
as if talking to himself Then, with a sud.
would a done without her. The only
trouble was that she couldn't be everywhere
at the same time. There was a sick lady in
the drawing room at the end of one of the
Pullmans. She had weak lungs, and was
going out to California for her health.
brought on hemorrhage. That was
the second day after we was blOckaded. There
wasn't no doctors on'board, and her husband
he was mighty scared. He came through to
the front car to find the conductor, looking
as pale as a ghost. My wife's a-dying, said
he Amt there no medical man on the
trainr And when we said no he just gave
groan. Then she must die" he said.
Great heavens why did bring her out on
this fatal journeyr
Perhaps the young lady'll bsve some
remedies, suggested one of the porters: for
to the young lady whenever things were
wrong.
"Well, went for her, and you never see
any one so level headed rs she seemed to be.
She knew just what to do; and she had the
right medicine in her bag; and in less than
an hour that poor lady was quite comforta-
BILE and her husband the most relieved man
that ever was. Then the young
lady come along to where
was standlng-there wasn't nothing
for me to do, but was waiting, for didn't
know but there might be-and said she:
Mr. Scott, am growing anxious about the
fuel. DO you think there is plenty to last?
Suppose we were to be kept here a week.
"Now just think of 1T! not one of us dumb
fools had thought of that You see we was
expecting to be relieved from hour to hour,
for we had telegraphed both WAYS, and the
snow bad stopped by that time, and none of
us had any notion it was going to be the job
it was to dig us out. 0Rly the young lady
had the sense to remember that it might
take longer than we was calculating on.
Says l. If were kept here week, there
went be shovelful of Goals left for any of
the fires, let alone the engine
Then don't you think, says she, in her
soft voice, that il would be a wise plan to
get all the passengers together in one car, and
keep good fire up there, and let the other
stoves go out? 1t s no matter If we are lit
tie crowded, says she.
"WelI, 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 managed to pack
in, train hands and all. twas a tight squeeze,
but that didn't matter so much, because the
weather was so awfully cold.
THAT was the way L come to see 80
much of the young lady. 1 hadn't
anything to keep me about the en-
CINE, so l 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. Peo-
pie stopped string and ma AIMING and being
polite, and Just showed for what thew 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 want no use
for any of them to Try to hide themselves
any more than ii was tor the other kind.
The women, as a rule, bore up better than
the men. 1t come natural, suppose, for q
woman to be silent and pale and patient
when she's suffering. But the young lady
wasn't that sort either. 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
81 can see her now, standing before the
stove roasting jsck-rabbits for the others
supper. Some of the gentlemen had revolt
vers, and when the snow got crusted oven
SOS they could walk on it they used to shoot
'em. And we were glad enough of every one
shot, provisions were so scanty. The last two
days them rabbits and snow water melted in
pail over the stove was all we had to eat or
drink"
81 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 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 for you and
the conductor She never forgot anybody
except herself. Once she asked me to
LA1l .,al- - Il rl,;1 H. 81
sleep. 1t was a 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.
Sometimes She have all five swarming over
her at once. | used 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 q stop.
''Eh? What? OH" rousing himself. 'Tt
ended when three locomotives and relief
train from Cheyenne broke through to us on
the eighth morning after we was blockaded.
They brought provisions and coal, and we
got on first-rate after that. Did the sick
lady dieP No, ma'am. She was living, when
| last heard of her, down to Santa Barbara.
Tive years ago, that was.
"And what became of your young LADY,"
''She left at Sacramento. Her brother or
some one was down 10 meet her. saw MIN
a moment. He didn't look like her."
and you never saw her again? You never
heard her nameY
NO, ma'am. ] never did
The engineers voice sounded gruf and
husky as he said this. He shoveled in Goals
with needless energy.
Are you married man?' asked Miss
Vaughn. The question sounded abrupt even
to herself, but seemed relevant to something
in her mind.
John Scott looked her squarely in the face
as he replied. His countenance was rather
grim and set, and for q moment she feared
that she had offended him. Then, as he met
her deprecating gaze he treasured her with
swift smile.
mo, ma'am, amt and never shall be
as know Of" he added. Second rate
wouldn't satisfy me now, L guess" He pull
ed the cord which hung ready to his hand,
and long screeching whistle rang out over
the plain, and sent the prairie dogs scuttling
into their burrows.
This is a feeding station we're coming to"
he explained. Twenty minutes here for
supper, ma'am, and it amt a bad supper
either. l reckon you'd like to have me help
you down, wouldn't your