The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-10-19

crylri' so, an she said if we could only
TELEGRAPH to my papa So l came here to
ask you. You will tell him, won't you?
She was so very much in earnest about
the whole proceeding that the conductor
was going to question her, but Mr.. Therold
came up at that moment.
"Is there any good reason for all this
delay, Mr.. Beck 2" he asked sharply. "ll
not, no more time should be lost! 1t is
bad enough that an express train should be
stopped by that child; there is no reason
why time should be wasted in petting her
Punishment is what she needs, and she
ought to have itn'
Little Agnes had got down, and had
started in haste toward the cottage. She
stopped and stared about in establishment
at the sound Of this awful voice scolding
her friend.
go home, childr' Mr.. Therold said
severely, threatening her with his finger.
GO home, and stay there! What do you
mean by stopping railroad trains in this
manner? Don't attempt it again, or you
will not get off SO easily!'
The next moment the train was on its
way again into Deep Canon; but the
shadow of that little childs trouble rested
more darkly upon the conductor and the
trainmen than the shadow of the canon
walls had ever done and there were NUT
terings among them which it was just as
well the vice president did not hear Mr..
Therold sat for a short time in frowning
and ominous silence. Perhaps he was
uncomfortably conscious of having done an
unkind thing to an innocent and helpless
child. He called Conductor Beck to him,
end was more crusty to him than he
needed to be.
as there nobody to care for those chill
dren in their fathers absence, and keep
them off the track % he asked.
"Joe's sister keeps house for him since
his wife was killed, and she does the best
she cam | suppose"
"Ah, Did the children lose their mother
by an accident? Their fathers name is
Perkins, think on said; is he the man
that saved another train from collision
with his, after his had been wrecked at
Gulch Junction two years ago.
That's just what he did. His train
left the track and his wife was i'll the
wreck with the baby in her arms. The
rear brakeman was caught somehow and
held fast, and the night express was close
behind. Joe himself had a broken ann,
but he managed to get up the track and
stop the express. Then he came back t.
his train and looked for his wife and baby.
He found the baby all right, but the baby $
mother never kissed it again. And if he
had stopped to look aftcr them tirSt-Nell,
a good many children on that train would
have been left motheress. and fatheress
too. | suppose that is one reason why
we're all so tender with Joes children.
II remember So tLat is the man.
said Mr.. Therold thoughtfnlly Then he
added: "What was in the paper the child
was so much in earnest about?
Conductor Beck opened the forgotten
scrap of paper and studied the contents of
it. His reading ended in an exclamation
of dismay, and he handed the paper 70
the vice. president 1t was very brief
message that Mr.. Therold spelled out, and
it was scrawled in way that would have
provoked a smile at any other time; not
now. The few words, some of them mis-
spelled, and all of them formed of sprawl
capitals, had been pencilled according to
the little scribe's best scholarship, and the
paper was blistered by two or three Of her
tears. This what little Agnes had written
to her father:
"Plees cum HON rite ava pepper you must
cum bekos baby got lostcd
Yure Lovin Agnes"
"Does she mean the-the baby that was
in the wreck % Mr.. Therold asked
Baby Jesse, yes. Poor little chap!
Lost, in this canon! Oh, if had only
found this out before we left that poor
child crying back there!'
you could have done no more then
than now,'' said Mr.. Therold calmly. 'Of
course your train could not have been held
there while you looked for the lost child.
Where is this child's father? Or where
will he be when we reach Eagle-Nest ~
cat Summit. He takes the 11:i5 run
west from there to-day"
"And we are due at gleNest at II: 05.
Please give orders to make up all the time
we lost back yonder, and to gain little if
pc sible. Then come back here"
The conductor hurried away, inwardly
Tuning at the cold-blooded heartlessness
Of some people. He left the vice-president
calmly writing something on his pocket
tablet. When he came bac'i, a few min
utes later, the writing had been finished.
81 shall send these from Eagle-Nest," Mr..
TheI old said, handing the written slips to
the conductor to read. "You will send
the little girls message from there to her
father at Summit, adding whatever is
necessary. Call his attention to the orders
l have prepared"
The slips Mr.. Therold had written were
orders for a special engine and car to start