Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-09-02

half filed with sacks of corn-meal. On
these they made themselves quite COM
Portable, and here they decided to walt
patiently until the lighted clock on
tower above the station, which they
could see from the car door, should tell
them that 1t was nearly midnight. OF
course they had no idea of going to
sleep. That would never do; for they
must watch the clock. How slowly its
hands crept round. Arthur resolutely
turned his eyes away from 1t, deter
mined not to look again for at least half
an hour. When satisfied that that
length of time had elapsed, he glanced
at its round, yellow face, only to find
that barely five minutes had passed.
He spoke Of this to Uncle Phin; but re-
ceived no answer. The old man was
fast asleep.
'Poor Uncle Phin" said tho brave
little fellow. "He must be very tired,
and l won't wake him till it's time to
CO."
So the boy watched the lighted clock
until it looked like a moon, and then
he rubbed bis eyes to make sure that IL
was not winking and laughing at him.
And then-and then he too was fast
asleep, with one arm thrown about
Rusty's neck, and the only sounds to- be
heard were the patter Of rain on the
roof OF the motionless freight car, and
the regular breathing Of its three tired
occupants.
An hour later two men, carrying Ian
terms and wearing rubber coats that
glistened with the wet, came along and
paused before the freight car. One Of
them consulted way bill. Yes, this
is It," he said; mo. 2O1, corn meal for
Harrisburg. Six sacks to be left at
Arden. That's all right Shut her
up, Joe. Itwas mighty careless Of those
fellows to leave the door open"
Here Joe pushed the door TO with
slam. 1t fastened with a spring lock,
and the men with the lanterns walked
away to lock up the rest of their train.
A little later an engine came rolling
softly along the wet track TO where tho
car stood. There was bump, rattle
of coupling pins and links, a swinging
of lanterns, and the car was drawn
away, past the multitude OF little red,
and green, and yellow lights twinkling
through the rain and darkness like big
fre-fies and marking the switches.
The car was hauled and pushed hither
and thither, and others were attached
to it. until at length long train was
made up. The great locomotive painted,
eager to be Off, and it's hot breath made
little clouds Of feecy steam that were
edged with flame by the glow from Its
open-mouthed furnace. The brakemen
were at their posts on the slippery tops
OF the cars; the caboose at the rear end
of the train looked warm and comfort
able. Two red lights, shining like
angry eyes, were hung in position on its
sides near the rear end and freight train
No. Is was in readiness for a start
The conductor came from the train
dispatcher's Office with a thin sheet OF
yellow paper, on which were written
his orders, in his hand.
mo tramps on board tonight, are
there, Joe?" he said to his head brake
| man.
mo, sir, not a sign OF one. I've
looked carefully everywhere. It's too
wet for 'em to travel, reckon"
"All right. Let her CO."
Then the conductor swung his gleam-
ing lantern, the engine-driver pulled
the throttle, and freight No. Is moved
slowly out into the darkness. Its first
stop was at Arden, where 1t was to side
track and await the passing of the New
York limited. Here, too, were to be left
six sacks of meal.
AS Brakeman Joe unlocked and pushed
open the door of the car No. 201, and the
light Of his lantern flashed into its dark
interior, it fell upon something that
caused him to start and exclaim:
Great Scott! The tramps are travel
ing after all, and here they are. A dog,
too! Well, II that isn't cold cbeekr'