St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-12-18

felt good, and he went to sleep sun
making believe
The train stopped suddenly and woke
him and the baby and the Old Maid up,
The Crusty Man jumped to his feet
growing.
as this Forbess Mills, sir2" the little
mother asked him excitedly, leaning
across the aisle over the Twins heads.
"Forbes's grandmother" the Crusty
Man CALCULATED.
"More likely it's a COW, or snow
drift. Why can't they clap on their old
blows and put her through Are they
calculating to leave a man stranded out
here in the middle of where? p
That was just it. No. 10Y, tired out
and powerless, stood snortng and pull
ing unavailingly.
mo use" the conductor called, coming
in with Whit of the snow laden air, and
the powder OF the snow on his shoulder
"No use. We're stalled She can't foot
it another step, sir. We're strandedhi high
and drv-an' not so COMPOUNDED dry
neither! Cot to bear it there amt any
thing else to do"
He walked on down the aisle, trying to
speak checrily.
"Ile won't get home to the children,
after all, the Lonesome Boy thought.
"Theyl be awful disappointed. The
baby'l cry and the boy like nell hide
his pocket handkerchief SOS not to. He
looks real down in the mouth, the CON
ductor does, too Ain'thegame, though,
to keep on a-smiln' an jokin' p
With sudden impulse, the Boy put out
his small blue hand and nudged the con.
ductor's blue-coated ribs. 81 say, I'm
awful sorry, sir" he said.
"Hullo, little kid, what you got to he
sorry for?" the conductor cried, He
doomed up, big and damp, beside the Boy.
Forth children, you know,-the baby
and-and the Boy"
The conductor glanced over at the
Family and nodded. "Oh, that's what,
is it? Well I'm smashin sorry for EN-,
myself, kid" and he passed on.
Out of doors the tumult increased, or
was it the sudden silence of No. 1O7
Snow whirled in powerful gusts against
the window panes and sifted through, to
lie in small white drifts on the slls. And
it was the night before Christmas Could
anything be worse? The whole Family
set up moan of dlsmay, and even the
brave little mother joined in.
The Christmas tree in the little back
parlor at Forbes Mills that grandfather
would set up, straight and beautiful, or
its sprawlng wooden et!-that grand
mother would deck out in popcorn and
rosy apples rubbed to the last degree o
shininessl Wiggles, poor little chap, bur
led his toused head in the Ready Ones
lap and howled The Lonesome Boy
back in his seat, glanced apprehensively
at the Crusty Man to see if he was mad
again. No, not this time. He had griev
ances of his own that softened him per
ceptiby toward Wigges' grief. He go
up and began tuning up and down tn
aisle. The Boy got up, too, and fol
lowed his little fingers interlocked be
hind his back, and taking long, mani,
strides. Back and forth, up and down
they tramped. Every time, at the end @
the car, the Lonesome Boy lodged asid
into one of the seats and waited for tn
Crusty Man to wheel about and star
on his return trip. He looked up at tn
broad back ahead of him with an ode
new feeling of fellowship, for weren't the
two all the men there were to take car
of the others? The brakeman and COT
ductor didn't count, not displaying blu
tickets in their hatbands
After awhile, the monotonous swil
! and swish of the tempest outside lulle
the tired Family to sleep, all but Wig
giles. His round, despairng eyes stare
on, blinking at the lamps and strainin
d, out into the darkness by turns. The Oh
: Maid drowsed off on her shawl pillow
! and the two "mer" walked slower an
= slower through the aisle till they drifte
> each into his own seat, and went
= sleep, too.
The lamps overhead sputtered al
u fickered in the draft and sent out uns
" worry smells and cast weird, waverr
: shadows over everything. A queer mig
" before Christmas!
~ 1t must have been after midnight WHIT
the Lonesome Boy woke up, shiverin
y He rubbed his eyes and uncramped
legs. "Cricky, amt it cold! !" he though
"Ain't it a buster of a storm, thong
. Wonder if we're up to our ears in it yt
VI Hullo, Wiggles-well Pm busted!'
40 saw strange sight across in Wiggl,
~ seat-two long, limp stockings hangir
~, from the shutter and Tapping aimless
against it with every puff OF wind. TIL
~ hung there, empty and forlorn.
. The Lonesome Boys eyes travel
. from them down to their toes, lower 81
to Wigges' little bare feet protrudi
p' from his covering, They looked pinch
d. and blue and altogether cold. Then
On other strange sight impressed itself
st :1l.;,,.l. A., p,,, .o.;o H.