San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-03
LANCE ELLIOTTS IDEA.

II Gal ~ iiAN' AAAlNAe ttbAC ~ lNtt'l vi
write my own name. always to be poor
ignorant drudge" Lance Elliott dashed
the tears augrilv from his eyes with :
feeling of shame. though there was NJ
one near to see his wet cheeks and quiv
ering lip. Coward To be crying al
my age"
With his elbows resting on the iron
brake wheel and his head between his
hands, Lance stood thinking sadly of his
unhappy lot. He was only fourteen
years'old. but for nearly two years he
had earned his living in various ways.
He had blacked boots, run errands and
held horses. More than once he had gone
supperless to bed, and very often the bed
had been a hayloft or cowshed. Now,
however, he was regularly employed
selling papers on the express train which
left Woodstock at $50 every evening
Though he was earning fair wages con-
sldering his age, he was growing more
and more dissatisfied every day, for he
saw no prospect of improvement.
Mr.. Bascom, the conductor. to whom
Lance had contided his troubles. had
said, The thing, my boy, is to do your
duty in whatever position you are placed,
and let the rest take care of itself"
But Lance was not content with this.
lit seems TO me-" he had answered,
lust the difference between walking on
level ground and climbing up pair OF
stairs"
Tonight he had sold all his papers for
the trip and had gone ont upon the rear
platform of the train where he could be
alone. The rapid motion of the express
seemed TO sOothe his troubled thoughts.
and he stood a long while watching the
lights along the tracks as they flashed
by and We're lost in the darkness behind
As he gazed dreamily before him
gradualiya dim perception of something
unusual or out of place among the IA
miliar objects along the road grew upon
MIN. At first he could not make out
what it was. but in another moment he
understood. 1t was new light and one
that he had never seen before.
But what chiefly puzzled Lance was
the position of the light. 1t seemed to
be directly in the center of the line of
rails upon which the express was travel
ing. 1t could not be a signal lantern,
for it was too high in the air: besides
there was no signal at that part of the
road.
As he continued to watch the strange
object with growing wonder, he sud-
denly became aware that the light was
i'll motion. More than that. it was fol-
lowing the express! As the train swept
around curve the light vanished, only
to appear a moment later, showing that
it, too, had come around the curve.
Lance had already guessed what it
was, but he was afraid to believe his
own eyes. If it should be that He felt
cold chill creep over him.
While he was confusedly trying to
think what he ought to do the door of
the car opened, and Mr.. Bascom, the
conductor, stepped ont upon the plat
form Without waiting for him to speak
Lance caught him by the sleeve, aud
pointing to the light behind exclaimed:
Look! Look! Do you know what
that is"
Mr.. Bascom shaded his eyes with his
hand and gazed earnestly at the light
Then, without a word. he turned and
hurried back through the train.
In another moment the engine Of the
express sounded Il shrill warning whistle.
and Lance felt the train suddenly in
crease its speed. Presently MIR. Bascom.
accompanied by one Of the brakemen
was back on the platform beside Lance
again.
Both men examined the light, which
had meantime drawn much nearer. with
evident alarm. Then the conductor
swung the red lantern he carried spv-
eral times
That is No. 26," said Mr.. Bascom
"She was standing on the siding at Rich
field as we passed.
What does she mean by following
u.s." asked the brakeman And why
doesn't she answer orr sgnals:'
Because, said Mr.. Bascom, there is
no one on board to see or hear them"
"A runawayr exclaimed the brake
man.
Just that" replied the conductor
at has happened before They have
run her out on the track ready to take
her train, and somehow she has got
started.
Lance, who had listened attentively to
this conversation, understood it per-
fectly. The light behind them was the
headlight of engine No. % He, too,
had seen it on the side track as the ex-
press passed, AS Mr. Bascom had said,
after the express had gone by, this en-
CINE had drawn out upon the main track
ready to take its train, which was not to
start until half an hour after the ex-
nress and in some nnknNyn manner had