Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-05-22


10 hear horrors she found her
worst tears confirmed. Several OF
the rails were loose, and one ac
tually misplaced, lying nearls
across the ties!
sAnd this is only little piece OF
NJ she exclaimed, tragically. The
opportunity she had longed tor, to
save few hundred people from
railway accident had comel
Madge drew her breath hard,
and felt bold thoughts rise in her
heart. She must stay there, and'
holding the red lantern out, warn
coming trains of their danger. Sac
struck a match. and after several
attempts with her shaking little
fingers. lit the lantern, and sitting
down npon the grass near, waited
anxiously for the expected traln.
She wondered If there we're any
more trains that night. The town
was a retired one, anl only boast
ed of couple day. She hardly
knew if she wished them to come
or not. She beard several engines
whistle. a short distance of. Int
none of them cane that wa>. . =
casioualiy she waved her lAnte'n'
which was some satisfaction, AL
though the red light was not an-
swered by any retarnIng ha-h.
Madge waited at her post tor
what seemed hour-. No train
came along that rack TO be sAv"d.
She began TO be little weary OF
the part of thankleSs heroine. lbe
ground felt cold aud damp. The
place grew darker, aud senSe OF
it's lorrlinrsS began To creep over
her MAIge WAS growing afraid.
At the bottom Of her heart there
was a tiny CONVICTION that there
vas something wrong about TINS
THANKSGIVING business. She looked
aronnd ut the group OF dOsky trees
behind her. and the dim hlll be.
yond. she stood oD. 4 orso'
which road came she thought;
shut 1t must be late. Perhaps l
had better go home!
She drew the shade over the
lantern, and turned around to the
road. AS she did so, something
rose up directly IN front OF her. a
battered, hulkiug creature, ~ho
seemed to spring out of lbe gtound'
Don't scream said gruff voice.
what yer doin' bere''
Aadge gasped, too frightened 10
reply. Tramp, burgler or ogre he
was the embodiment of her worst
tear! She tremblel visihly, ana
perhaps the tramp thought she
was too small game to do any
thing but fIigbten He looked her
over with chuckle.
'P'raps yer wai;ln' for Yer psr
: 'Ye,v broke out AAdge. As u
the word set her tree. and, without
: needing the direction. she sprang
past bin, aud ran. Down the road
she went, and through the cronp
of trees, before she stopped tor
breath. She gave glance behind
fearfull,; but the tramp had dl~
appeared. How pleas tnt the
| sitting room seemed now. If Sht
we're only at home!
Stopping a few 'uoments tO col
+, lect her scattrre" tho ghts, sh'
: chose the road leading toward Ih'
l center of the town. aud walked
Is brlskly along 1t. For a short ais
o. lance SHE went steadily on. IheI
u she came To u group OF no 'ses
e aud, as she drew near, something
made her heart, and then her feet
y stand still.
e Was It a ghost, that whit
:. thing, dutterIng, waving, beckon
d ing, in rne cIump nf bushes nea
@ the road fencei What was III
!, M4dge felt cold chills all oVe
d heli a ghosti This was worS
than the trampl M matter whic
e road she took uOwl
She cllmhe the fence upon th
u other side of the road, and cuttln
4 across fields and around corners
o no matter where, in hernew terro
he at last arrived by a roundabout wa
at the lower end of the familla
of street IN which she lived.
q ID ring her headlong cha'
r. thoughts came thick and fas
ID What an agreeable, desirable pIa'
ID home wasl Suppose mother shon'
v. get there nrstl How late it pn
ly be! How horrid to have had
lis come such a long way aroun
The house was ever so much turth
in down the street than ever beicr
90 And now for the third time
a. sudden stock made Msdge's hea
,, beat fast. What was thlsi