Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-04-15

he reached the keepers house on the
hill.
"Yes, sir: will you walk in?" asked
the rosy-cheeked givl who came to the
door.
He stepped into the neatest OF little
sitting-rooms. There were flowers III
the windows and a CHEEKY fire on the
hearth, in front of which n lazy tabby
cat yawned a good-humored greeting.
.'Afv name is Baxter, the new in
spector. and wish to see L. c. Dolby.
the keeper of ~ he said.
The girl flushed slightly. He OBJ
served that her hair was cut short like
a bows. and that her chin was firm and
sharp.
"I am the keeper" she answered;
INV name is Lettie c. Dolby, and I've
had the place since father was injured
last winter"
That's right, and as good as man
che is, tool" came gruff voice from
the inner room.
"It's father" she whispered; won
you step in and see him? Hes very
glad to have visitors"
Baxter had not yet recovered from his
shock of surprise at finding that the
slim, blue-eyed girl who stood before
him was really keeper OF Cragle cut
and he allowed himself to be led INTO
the other room. There, at big, bright
window, sat a man in rockir S-chalr,
His face was of the chalky whiteness
that comes from being always indoors,
rxlf
comforter. He looked prematurely ola
and worn.
"How are you?" he asked. I'D get
mn. only" and he motioned to MS
crippled legs with faint smile.
THAT'S all right" responded Baxter
sympathetically; "'keep your seat
And Baxter, sitting there, heard Let
tie explain the condition of Section ~
and make her report as promptly ana
very much more clearly than any OF
the keepers he had met. She spoke In
frank, almost boyish way, and she un'
derstood her work as well as Baxter
himself did. Her father sat watching
her quietly, adding a word here and
there Presently the clock in the fur
ther room struck three, and Lettie
started to her feet
ITS time for me to make the rounds
of the section" she said, and moment
later BaXtersa her 1.-THE eorm, wrapped
In a stout, dark cloak, disappear over
the brow of the hills toward the tracks
AS he Looked back he found Dolby
watching him intently. When he
caught his eye, the cripple leaned for
ward and touched Baxter's knee.
There isn't a pluckier girl between
St. Paul and the Montana buttes," he
said, "even if do say it who shouldn't
II don't see how she can manage the
section" replied Baxter.
That's what l say" exclaimed
Dolby; "it's wonderful" and his
pinched face lighted up with smile that
was beautiful to see. 1T would &c
lard with us all il it wasn't for Lettie.'
How did the girl happen to be ap-
pointed 10 such place, anyway"
"She deserved It," Dolby answered ell.
ergetically; ''she deserved it. There
amt many people that knows all the
facts excep' the superintendent. He
hAOWS, anu lC . i<S''iN NAAA ~ 49, r.
as long as she wants to.
Course you remember the big bliz-
Zard that we had last winter-the one
that showed in Evansburg and Rrock-
ton and Collinville, and killed all the
cattle on the Puddin' Bottom ranch
Well, it struck the Cragie country, too
Came up over the hill from back of the
house early in the morning, and long
before ten o'clock there wasn't fence
to be seen in the county. Lettie's moth
er said / better not go down to the cut.
She was afraid l might get lost. But
I'd been at Cragie's off an on for more'n
eight years, and | thAlght I'd seen the
worst weather could do. So | went
down the hill, and before | was ten rods
from the house the snow had wiped il
out, and all | could see were the whirl
ing drifts and the path for dozen feet
ahead of me. And when / reached the
cut there wasn't any cut there. 1t was
filled to the topwith snow. WONDERED
what the limited bound down for Cragle
would do. 1t was pretty sharp and cold
when | reached the track this side OF
the bridge. and I had to get down on
my hands and knees and crawl along
from tie to tie just like baby. was
strong in those days, too, only the wind
and the snow was so terrible that ]
couldn't stand up. And the first thing
] knew | had crossed the bare knoll at
the bridge approach and there T was
hanging over the edge of the ernbanl.
ment like a bat to rifter Slipped be.
fore / knew II.
pretty soon ! heard the limited
suuealing down the cut. ! knew that
Jim Crosby, the engineer, was fioun-
dering in the snow. l said 10 myself
thatif Jim succeeded in roofing through
with his engine might be saved, but
knew well enough that he wouldn't sue
ceed. 1t would take four engines and
two rotary plows to drive tunnel dur
ing such n blizzard. And there she
squealed and shrielled for hours, it
seemed TO me, while my hands and arms
grew as numb as clubs.
"And Lettie-what was she doing all
this time? When the snow covered the
woodshed and began to creep up on the
windows, she was frightened. I'm
afraid father II never get back she
told her MOTHER heard all about it
afterward-and her mother, who's al
ways been fidgety and nervous like,
began to walk up and down and wiring
her hands, not knowing what to do.
Twelve O'Clock came, and then one. Let
tic started up and said: Mother, I'm
going out to see if can't find father
and in spite Of all her mother could do,
ehe bundled into her cloak and hood
end opened the door
"The snow was up to her waist. but
the wind had mostly gone down. In
the cut Jimmie Crosby's engine was
calm and screechin' for mercy, and