The Opelousas courier., 1896-07-18
SAVING A TRAIN.
BY EVA LOyETT.

NAdoSe, III NlSlldN. WOulu IdtLeI
so to some ones house-Kittie's or
Bellies -
''You cannot go!" answered her
mother, decidedly, "There will be
Marian, you know, asleep upstairs.
And Marian has climbed out of her
crib several times lately. 1t would
not be safe to leave her alone. She
might even get out of the house"
"But [ am afraid Of burglars-or
bears!' exclaimed Madge, hastily.
This was absurd. The small town
was q peaceful one, and Madge was a
fearless girl. Mrs. Grayson looked at
her foolish little daughter, and
laughed.
"lou are safe enough. We shall
only be gone few hours. If you
are reading you will scarcely notice
the time pass. Besides that, DEAR"
she laid her hand upon the girls
shoulder, eve never see anything
worse than our own thoughts. Don't
think about it'll"
Madge felt very angry, as with a
gloomy face she watched from the win
dow her mother and futn:cr drive
away. Then she turned deack to the
room and tossed the book she hud
been reading cross the table.
eff it was anything worth doing!
Bat to stay alone just to take care of
u baby! The girl in that story sig
nailed q train in time to save two hum
dred and fifty lives-and the passen-
geE.-es-.-e her a purse of gold!"
Madge picked up the book again,
and found the place.
"There! She waved her red Ian
tern back and forth!' probably only
a bicycle lantern, like mine.) That's
worth while! But to see tramps and
burglars-and ghosts, perhaps-for
the sake of baby!" She shut the book
with a bang.
She leaned out Of the window. It
was q pleasant June night. There was
no moon, but in the half-dusk she saw
a few stars. gHhe laughter of some
children up the street came family to
her ears. Then she heard q train
whistle.
"That's the eight up train The
mine o'ol0ob down has a sharper
whistle"
Quick as th,f train dashed through
the night a thought darted into her
mind. Where did it come from?
"The other day, father heard one
of the conductors say the rails needed
tightening. Suppose one should be
loose and the engineer not know it."
shut the window and walked
quickly across the room. Halfway to
door she stopped. If such a ter
rible emergency as this were possible,
was it, or was it not her business to
stop it? Was it possible?
A queer tumble of thoughts can go
a girls head in five minutes.
had been taught to obey con-
,cientiously and to be h%onorably faith
Ful to any trust; but the feeling that
her task was, after all, a fool
sh one, conquered. Her mother
lad not considered that to save,
perhaps, $50 lives was of more
consequence than to prevent Marian
climbing. out Of bed. Suppose she
brought home a purse of gold!
She shut the door decidedly after
Ter, and ran downstairs. The bicycle
TODD in the entry below. Madge un-
looked the lantern and stepped quick
y outside of the door. Then she
lesitated again, but finally drew the
loor shut and turned away.
81 shall be back soon," she
bought.
Probably She had no plans of doing
,nything in particular, although she
cit quito capable of doing the most
leroic actions she had ever heard Of.
As Madge turned up the street she
leard the merry talk of a group of
iris coming toward her. Earlier in
he evening this would have been
'leasant; but she did not care for
heir society now. To avoid them she
an hastily down a side street. And
his turnout somewhat confused her.
With the lantern swinging in her
and she ran a few squares and made
few more sharp turns up one unfa-
1iliar street and down another. Be-
pre- she expected it she reached the
utskirts of the little town, and, just
eyond, amt suddenly upon the rail-
Dad tracks. By this time it was as
ark as a June night can be. She felt
81 don't see how the tracks came to
IN around here she muttered. "But
m glad I didn't come out neal the
.E
anyway I"