Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-24

No more now until l write to tell you that
I've shipped it." p. S. You'll have the
merriest Christmas you ever heard Of
Frank Parsons and VIII Bill managed the
affair and they bribed the train hands not to
tell Rod that the snow would melt. The
day before he shipped it there was a big
snow fall which made the work of loading
much easier. Roderick and all the boys
helped the workmen and by nightfall there
were fifty cars full of nice, clean, packed
down snow.
And then Rod decided to go with the train.
81 want 10 see the fun myself" he said.
'Ill come back in a week or two, after the
Christmas holidays" The boys were sorry
to have him go and several felt like telling
him of the trick at the last moment, but they
knew the other boys would make it hot for
them If they did. so they refrained.
1t was bitter cold when the train pulled
out of Loudonville, which Is the name of
the Loudon Hill station. Roderick, well
bundled up, climbed into the cab with the
engineer and waved a farewell to the boys.
Thanks, %awfully, boys, fcT your help"
said he.
The engineer muttered something about its
being really too bad" Whats toe 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 blurted out the secret to Roderick, but
viii Bill stuffed his handkerchief into his
mouth and tumbled him over into a drift
and when he picked himself up the train
was moving swiftly away.
Now it happened that the terrible cold
wave that spread all over the country and
did so much damage was just beginning.
You remember that the orange crop through
out the south was ruined and people saw ice
who had never seen 1t 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
up at the Tuscapoosa platform the day be-
fore Christmas. Fortune certainly favors
the brave. Rod had become a great ~fayorite
on the train through his manly and I'M
affected ways and the men were glad to see
that the trick had not succeeded.
The snow was in patent dumping cars and
as the tracks ran alongside OF the place
where Rod wanted it dumped it was an easy
matter to distribute it, particularly as all
the train hands fell to with a 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
TuscapoCsa, and Roderick was thanked in
any number of long speeches.
After the speeches had all been spun every
body repaired to the coasting grounds, where
they found the snow ready Tor them. Sleds
by the wholesale had been made by clever
Jefferson Calhoun. and cid aad young, men
and women and children, united in the new
sport OF c~oasting and snow ball fighting,
while the local sculptor made a beautiful
statue Of summer out of the snow. 1t was
ug~l.g,1I A.F-r, anu ,Na Vhp,,uht 90 IT.
home. And quite a number forgot to hang
up their stockings, they were so excited over
the fun they would have the next day.
Roderick was the happiest boy that ever gave
pleasure TO others. When he left there was
only the enc town policeman left to pre-
vent any one from taking away the snow
that wanted to do so. And while he might
have COPIED with mere men he was helpless
when lack Frost went home at 2 O'Clock in
the morning, Jack Frost had been south
three days and he was tired OF the place,
Az soon as he had taken his departure the
snow began to melt and by sunrise Christmas
morning the whole own 1as afloat
Rod rose with the sun ana looked cut of
the window. He could not bcli-ye his ey-s,
Where was the statue OF summer? Who're
was any of the snow? While he gazed
in wonder, he wa waited on by the mayor
and asked to explain this new and unplgas-
ant development, but he had no answer
ready.
The mayer said that while he was CRATE
full to ROderick for aflording the reop'e a
lot OF amusement, still II was not pleasant
TO feel that half the cellars were fooled, and
on Christmas day, too. II could not have
been worse in the rainy season which had
just concluded the month before.
ROderick, much chagrined, went to The
engineer OF the freight train and asked him
to explain why the snow had gone, and that