Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-14


with aunt Mary to watch the trains come
and go. 1t was a small station and very
few people stopped there.
Just before reaching the station the
railroad crosses a drawbridge. Polly
liked to watch the man open and shut the
draw as the boats on the river passed
through. There was footpath over this
bridge, and Polly had once crossed it
with aunt Mary. They had stopped to
speak to the fiagman who was pleasant
and good natured. He told Polly where
she could find some beautiful white lilies
in pond not far away. That was more
than a week ago, and the flowers were
not open then, and now, as Polly ran
down the road, she thought she would
have time to gather some for her parents
before the train arrived.
When Polly reached the station she
found no one there, and on looking at the
clock, she saw it was ten minutes past four
so she had twenty minutes to wait. Then
she ran on quickly.
The fagman stood by the draw, and
Polly saw some distance down the river
a small vessel coming toward the bridge.
She ran along rapidly, and as she passed
the fagman he called out:
"Going for the lilies? The pond was
all white with them when l went by this
morning."
"Yes, sir; 1 want to pick some for
mamma and papa. They wrote me
letter and said they were coming on the
next train"
"You don't say so! Well, guess
you're glad Look out for the locomo-
your flowers, and you'll have plenty of
tir,n 70 cot oL- Eoforo ba
in"
Polly thanked him and ran on. In
about five minutes she reached the
pond. How lovely the lilies looked
with their snowy cups resting upon the
dark waters. But their stems were long
and tough, and most of them grew be
yond her reach. Polly was sorry to
leave so many behind, but was afraid if
she fingered too long she would miss the
train. So, gathering up the blossoms,
she pinned them into her belt, and
scampered back toward the bridge.
The boat had Just sailed through the
draw, and the man stood ready to close
the bridge when Polly came up. He
looked over at her from the center of the
bridge, and called out with smile:
"Couldn't you get any more flowers
than those2 If 1 had time to go to the
pond you should have as many as you
could carry"
Polly smiled back at him and then be-
gan to watch him as he made ready to
turn the great bridge back into place for
the train to pass over. His hand was on
the crank, when a rope dangling over
the railing of the bridge attracted his
attention AS he tried to pull it in it
seemed to be caught underneath. Polly
+ch him To hottor
hold, when to her great horror, the piece
OF railing to which he held gave way.
There was a sudden scream and a
great splash in the water. But before
the waves of the swiftly flowing river
closed over him Polly heard the cry:
''The train-the fiagr'
Poor little Polly, She was so alarmed
for the poor mans safety that for some
moments she could think of nothing
else, and ran backward and forward
ringing her hands in despair. AS he rose
to the surface she saw that he made
franctIc gestures to her and pointed up
the road from which the train was to
come. He seemed to be able to keep him
self above the water with very little eff
fort, and oily saw with Joy that the
accident had been observed by the crew
of the vessel. The man in the water
struck out toward the boat, and Polly
could hear shouts and cheers from the
men on board.
All at once she was startled by the
far off whistle of the approaching loco
motive. In a moment she understood
the meaning of the flagman's gestures.
She looked at the open space and then at
the bridge. In five minutes or less the
train would come rushing into that awful
chasm. Polly's hair almost rose on her
could do to keep her senses.
There must be some way to avert the
awful calamity. She ran swiftly along
toward the rapidly approaching train
Lying on the ground, Just by the small
wooden house where the f1agman gener-
ally sat. Polly saw a red flag. She re-
membered having heard that this flag
was used in case of danger or when there
was any reason for stopping the cars. She
did not know whether there was vet
time, but she seized the flag and flew
wildly up the track.
ooh my papa. Oh my mamma >" she
cried. ''They will fall into the river and
be drowned. What shall | do?" and
Polly waved the flag backward and for
ward as she ran.
Then came the train around the curve.
She could see the white steam putting
from the pipe, and could hear the pant
ing of the engine.
Il know they'll run over me, but if
papa and mamma are killed don't care
to live she said to herself, as she APP
OrOachp0 the GREAT black DOiSv on