The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-02-21
miscellaneous.
A PALACE CAR WAIF.

Strengthened for The run across the Lara
mic plains to Rawlins. Down through
the gap where the North Platte breaks the
barrier of the Rockies the north wind
came sweeping, bearing before it great
drifts Of snow that cddied and swirlod
about the cabs of the two locomotives, but
with no sign as yet of banking up on the
track.
The engines, pulling and blowing, made
brave way against the blizzard, and from
tin cab Of the foremost the engineer looked
out, keen eyed, against the blast, though
the bits of ic; in the wind stung his fase
like the ilickS of y whip. The iiremCn,
swart with coal dust and stripped to their
unGrrshirts, even in that temperature
steadily kept their fires going, and now
and again bent low to the furnace doors
to melt from their hair the icicles formed
of the pcrspirntion which ran from their
open pores ana froao as 1t ran.
In the smoking room of the last sleeper
Of the train little Dicliey Culver dozcI as
the night fell. arousing himself now and
again to look out with a great WEAKNESS
upon the white waste. Little Dickcy
Culver had arrived at the dignity of Va
cation and had takun it in "a trip to Chi
cagu
IFS devilish queer taste. at this time of
year." FcsSrndrn had said TO tho boys at
the club after ii night Of seeing Dickey off,
"but a man must take his vacation when
1t comes, and l suppose we all feel long
ing to get back into the world once in
awhile. know I look forward to u rein
cnrnation myself some day"
Dickey had his vacation, at all events,
III his own way-which is the only proper
kind of way--and now he was on his way
back to San Francisco, finding the road
almost interminabIe in the wintry weather.
You see, there is Nlwars so much 10 look
forward TO for II Californian who comes
back.
Night comes down fast upon the Lar
amiu plains when it comes bearing Il biz
2Grd, and rs the darkness closed in the
wind arose, moaning and shrckin@ the
chorus of, the lost. 1t dashed ice particles
against enc double windows OF the car,
and there was shivcry fecling in its mil
lion voices, though no touch of it came
into the snug smoking compartment of the
sleeper.
The porter came in presently, touched
button and lighted the incande>cont lights.
That shut out the sight of the sweeping
drifts Of the blizzard. but could not shut
out the moaring of the wind nor the beat
ing Of the ice particles against the win
dowS
Its Il bcastly night, porter" Diclsey
said in sheer desperation for somebody to
talk to.
Oats right, boss Hits the wust run
I've had this fall. -
He went out feeling the same human
raving for company in the storm that
1,,,t f;rJiptr f,,h hi. lil--
ing in the porter of the next car forward.
Then Dickey duZed again.
He was the only Passenger in the car, as
it CHANGED, and winter travel over the Pa
cific railroads is drcary business, even
when there is plenty Of company. Present.
" he shook himself together and lighted
cigar. Then he looked out into the dark
ness. There was u curve in the track just
there and he saw the two brave engines
beating their way into the teeth of the
wind, fighting it down, and the long train,
like great serpent of fire Gcfilcd before
him. Then the engines vanished into
cloud of steam, lurid with their own pass
ing fires and the lights wero gone into the
darkness.
The axles creaked and strained, the
wniling of the storm S voices was Uneeas
ing, but tho engines beat their way for
ward steadily. They seemed almost to
bound into the darkness to advance by a
succession of leaps and in the train be-
hind them the passengers were preparing
for he'd rs naturally W. though they had
been safely in their own widely scattered
homCs-all but littio DiCkey Culver, alone
in the last sleeper. He smoked his cigar
and looked out into the darkness.
Overcome presently by nervousness, he
arose from his lounging chair in the
smoker and walked to the rear door of the
car. He could see no more than from the
window of tho smoker, bus it rested him
to get new aspect of the darkness. The
wind was wailing here, too and the rattle
of the ice against the glass was even moro
startling. 1t seemed almost to strike him
| in the face.
As he stood there he CHANGED to glance
down at tho snow drifted into the rear
vestibule of the car, and thon, with an OK
clamation, he threw open the door. 1t
was rs though hundreds of little knives
were cutting tho flesh of his face, but he
had seen that in his downward glance
| which made him careless of bodily pain.
| The little curly head of q child was there,
| buried in the snow, and he could see even
| through the fierce blast of the wind II rag
gcd form huddled close against the door.
| The form almost fell into his arms, but
| there WAS tearing of the frozen garments
loose from the floor of the platform as he
drew the child in and quickly shut the
| door. He lifted the child in his arms,
| stepped back into the smoking cumpart-
ment and rang the bell for the porter.
! The form was that of little girl, possibly
! Is years old, with tear drops frozen upon
| her face, and it was So still and white that,
Us the light fell upon it, Dickey thought
| nc had taken it out of the blizzard only to
! give it into tho hands of an undertaken at
the next station.
He rang the bell repeatedly, and the
porter came. Perhaps he thought it was
time his gentleman was going to bed,
or possibly the other porters were too busy
| hitting. their gentlomen tn bod for fnrthar
gossip. At all events. he came, and there
was "A series of sharp orders given, and
presently Dickey had plenty of company.
There was even physician on the train
there usually is, as you will find out if
| YOU take the trouble to ascertain the next
time you happen to trayel-and the physi-
clan, having no Office hours while he was
travelling, came along, with the con
ductor, and the brakeman, and few curl
Gus and fewer merciful passengers to give
what help he could. The physicians prEc-
tice lying in a cold country he knew pre-
oisely what to do in this emergency, and
. | n;nlo,, c,la1lv ralaacod tho t,rjnciDo1