The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-12-23

When the tralnmen reached the END Oh
of their division they learned that two
freight wrecks had caused a demand for
crews, and so they were ordered to con-
tinue straight through to st. Louis.
Want of sleep the night before had had
it's effect upon their strange passenger, and
not till they were again whirling away
across the country did n little form rise in
the corner and "A little voice come forth
through the dusk, saying:
as it Christmas yetW
mo, my little lady" said Jack Burns as
he and Dick turned quickly and looked at
her. "Who are you, how did you get here,
and where are you going"
~ am Fay" said the little girl, 'and the
Spirit of Steam helped me up on the engine
here, and am going home.
81 am very hungry" she added present.
ly, land | haven't had anything to eat
since drank some milk long before l came
here"
Before she finished speaking the choice
Of Dicks lunch basket was before her. A
good supper was soon finished, and the
cold rain and sleet outside, joined to the
warm blaze of the coal inside, caused the
eyes to droop, and soon she was curled up
in the corner asleep again.
"Well, it does knock me out" said Dick.
"What do you think it means anyhow
81 don't know" said Jack dreamily.
''There is something uncanny about it all.
She will unfold her wings and quietly
| fly out the window before we know it, l
guess"
1t was nearly daylight when little Fay
opened her eyes and sat up 1t was snow
| ing, and the flakes were coming down thick
and fast. and the sight made her heart leap
| for joy. The weather was just like that OF
year ago, and she remembered overy cir
cumstance connected with that fateful
Christmas eve. On and on went the train.
After awhile they entered the suburbs
of great smoky city, for now it was broad
daylight, and even the sun was trying to
come up, and she could see the intermina-
BILE row after row of houses, with the
smoke from their chimneys curling up
ward in the still air. Presently they came
up to another station, and she heard a
voice back on the train call out "Grand
avenue"
Grand avenuel Grand avenuep whis-
pered the Spirit of Steam as it came in
through the cab window and wrapped her
| In its arms. Ills Is your placer Come
down the steps and l will hold you in my
! arms"
And when the old engine pulled out from
the station, and Jack and Dick found their
strange passenger missing, they looked at
each other, but said never n word.
And Fay was standing in a snowdrift.
1t was very cold, and she followed two
men going up over the hill. She remem-
bered Grand avenue and the kind old gen
tleman who had told her to run home, but
how could she find her wayp And while
she was thinking, and her fingers and toes
were growing cold and her lip was be.
ginning to tremble, she heard the chimes
Of the church and saw the spire that the
kind old gentleman had pointed out to
her, and away she went on the wings oil
the wind
In fact, the wind would have to have
very large wings and work them with pro-
digious force to go half as fast as she did
And when she did get into the yard Of the
old house 1t seemed as If she would never
be able to reach the door. for Fido would
not let her by, but just pushed her down
and played with her and kissed her and
just barked and barked till he cried. And
when she couldn't get the door open and
ran and knocked on the window, and saw
papa and mamma sitting bya Christmas
\ ~