The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-24

1t was bitter cold when the train pull
ed out OF Louisville. which is the
name of the Loudon Hill station. Kod-
erick, well bundled mp climbed into
the cab with the engineer and waved Il
farewell to the boys Thanks, awful
y, boys, for your help" said he.
The engineer muttcred something
about its being really too bad.
What's too bad?" asked Rod, but the
engineer said he was talking to the
fireman. At the last moment, Frank
was seized with remorse and would
have blurtcd out the secret TO R0dcrlck
but Will Bill stuffed his handkerchief
into his mouth and tumbed him over
into drift and when he picked him
self mp the train was moving swiftly
away.
Now it happened that the terrible
cold wave that spread all over the coun'
try and did so much damage was just
beginning. You may remember that
the orange crop throughout the South
was ruined and people saw ice who
had never seen it before.
SO that instead of losing all the snow
when the train entered the South not
a bit OF it had melted even when the
train pulled mp mt the Tuscaloosa plat
fern the day before Christmas. For
tune certainly fayors the brave. Rod
had become Il great fayorte on the
train through his manly and unaffected
ways and the men were glad to see
~hat the trick had not succeeded.
The snow was in patent dumping cars
md as the tracks ran alongside of the
place where Rod wanted ii dumped, ii
was an easy matter to distribute it.
particularly rs all the train hands fell
70 with will and gave their services
to the boy.
The train was met by the mayor and
Rods father and most of the leading
men of Tuscapoosa and Roderick was
thanked in any number of long
speeches.
After the speeches had all been spun,
everybody repaired to the coasting
grounds where they found the snow
ready for them. Sleds by the wholesale
had been made by clever Jefferson Cal
houn and old and young, men and wo-
men and children united in the new
sport of coasting and snow ball fight
ing, while the local sculptor made Il
beautiful statue of summer out of the
SHOW. 1t was nightfall before any one
thought Of going home. And quite a
number forgot to hang up their stock
.ngs they were SO excited over the fun
they would have the next day. Rod
erick was the happiest boy that ever
gave pleasure to others. When he left
there was only the one town policeman
LETT to prevent any one from taking
away the snow that wanted to 90 81.
And while he might have COPIED with
mere men he was helpless when Jack
Frost went home at two o'clock in the
morning Jack Frost had been South
three days and he was tired of the
place. As soon as he had taken his lie
parture, the SHOW began to melt and
Dy sunrise Christmas morning, the
whole town was attoat.
Rod rose with the sun and looked out
If the window. He could not believe
his eyes. Where was the statue of
summer? Where was any of the snow =!
While he gazed in wonder, he was wait
ed on by the mayor and asked to ex-
pain this new and unpleasant develop
ment, but he had no answer ready.
The mayor said that while he was
grateful to Roderick for affording the
people a lot of amusement, still it was
not pleasant to feel that half The Gel
bars We're flooded. and ON Christmas
lay too. 1t could not have been worse
in the rainy season which had just
concluded the month before.
frederick, much chagrinned went tt
the engineer of the freight train ana
asked him to explain why the snow
had gone and that good man did so in