Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-05-22
SAVING A TRAIN.
BY EVA LOVETT.

bouse-Kittie's or B.lle'sp
you cannot gor answered her
mother, decidedly, There will be
Marian, you know, asleep upstairs.
And Marian has clim bed out OF
her Glib several times lately. II
would not be safe TO leave her
alone. She might even get out ol
the house.
'But am afraid of burgIars-oT
besrs' exclaimed Madge, hastily
This was absurd. The small
town was a peaceful one, and
Madge was a fearless girl. Mrs
Grayson looked at her foolish
little daughter, and laughed.
'You are safe enough. We
shall only be gone a few hours. II
you are reading you will scarcely
notice the time pass. Besides that,
dear she laid her hand upon the
girls shoulder, we never see any
thing Orse than our own thoughts
Don't think about itp
Madge felt very angry, as with
a gloomy tace she watched fron.
the window her mother and father
drive away. Then she turned
back to the room and tossed the
book she had been reading across
The table.
TfIt was any thing worth dong
But to stay alone just to take care
of baby! The girl in that story
signaled a train in time TO save
two hundred and fifty lves-and
the passengers gave her a purse o.
gOldp
Madge picked up the book again,
and found the place.
There! She waved her red Ian
tern back and forth! (PrObably
A bicycle lantern, like miue.) TnaP'
worth Will! But to see tramps
and burglars-and ghosts, per
baps-for the sake of baby She
sbut the book with bang.
Sac learned out Of the window
1t was pleasant June night
There was no moon, but in The
half dusk she saw a few stars.
The laughter OF some children III
the street came family TO her ears
Then she heard train whistle.
That's the EIGHT up train The
nine o'clock dowa' has a sharper
whistle.'
Odick as the train dashed
through the night a though'
darted into her mind. Where Ole
It come iroml
The other day, father heard ont
of the conductors say the rail
needed tightening. Suppose on
should be loose and the englnre
not know it, Madge shut th
window and walked quickly acros
the room. Halfway to the 200
she stopped. 1t such a terrible
emergency as this were possible
was il, or was it not her Ouslnes
to stop itf Was 1t pOssible'
A queer jumble Of thoughts c"'
20 through a glr's head In nv
minutes. Madge had been taugl
to obey conscIeutiously and TO l
honorably faithful to any trust
bat the feeling that her task Wal
after all, o foolish one, Conquered
| Her mother had not consldere
that to save, perhaps, 29O iiv'
WAS OF more consequence than
prevent Marian climbing out
bed. Suppose she brought hon
u purse OF goldl
She shut the door declded
fter her, and ran downstairs. III
+ bicycle stood in the entry beIo'
Madge unlocked the lantern ar
stepped quickly ousside of tt
door. Tnen she hesitated agaiI
, hut finally drew the door shut An
/, turned away.
j shall be- back soOD,' d
thought.
Probably she had no plans
doing ANYTHING in particular
= though she felt quite cable OF q
ing the most heroic actions s
had ever heard OF.
AS Madge turned mp the STR
she heard the merry talk OF
group of girls coming toward n'
E,rlier IN the evenlng this wou
. have been pleasant; but she q
not care tor their society no
% To avoid them she ran has;
down a side street. And I
turn out somewhat confused her
k With the lantern swinging
her hand she ran few squa
d and made a few more sharp tur
up one unfamiliar street and do
another. Before she expected
N sbe reached the outskirts OF
e. little town, aud, Just beyond, ca
ly suddenly upOn the railroad trac