The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-07-09
BY FRANCES Will SON.


Just outside hosiery, one might say.
Shoes!" was his neat reply. Involun.
tarily smiled--we all smiled cheerily
until happened to remember the dark
tradition on which all girls are
brought up. concerning strange men
on railroad trains. and retreated to the
platform to recover my dignity. A
man In blue blouse. with face be-
smirched into Rembrandt effects, was
fussing about the wheels.
"Rusted from disuse?" ventured.
Then. emboldened by his smile-"I
promise to keep the secret: but tell
me. now. honestly, does It ever got"
He seemed to consider.
Yes. II always goes. sooner or Ia
ter. You see. Il depends upon the
freisht-whenever the crew with the
freight comes down. It goes"
And when does 1t arrive?"
That depends upon the amount OF
freight and how much switching their
Is TO do"
turned away softly. Then be-
thought me OF the ticket man.
III Is almost eleven" l remarked
with deadly calmness. He looked in
terested. why, so It IL. Oh. well, the
crew'll be along soon now. Scheduled
for nine-forty." he added comfortingly.
All. well, what matter? The sky
was blue and the air electric, and
there was the long stretch OF the sta
ton platform on which to practice
fascinating eccentricities Of gait. could
one but manage II subtly enough to
escape the attention OF the loungers.
II was well on toward noon when
the patient occupants OF the train for
Ozark were startled by q premonitory
jolt that caused a weary mother who
was dezing at full length on one Of the
seats to grab wildly ut her infant.
uncritically asleep on the floor. The
gentleman lust outside hosiery"
Strengthened up alortly, and. while his
colleague smiled genially and indis-
criminately on Va all. murmured. "She
moves!"
II was true. Some engine humble
enough and decrepit enough to draw
the train to Ozark had been found. To
be sure, II was almost time for us to
all but an expression OF a railroads
ideals-statements OF what they fain
would do. rather than what they &c
complish. II my mind still played
about the idea Of making up time, Il
was from the force Of habit. Certainly
the Ozark train never dreamed OF max
Ing such an exhibition OF itself a
would have been necessary to over
take Its fleeing schedule.
II ambled gently through the sunlit
landscape. past cornfieids all nicely
done up In Psyche knots and aglow
with topaz pumpkins: past a distant
farmstead exhibiting an almost holy
propriety. doors and windows primly
closed. and nothing In sight save the
shadows on the lawn. and gradually
came to n complete stop before gen
eral store" where It paused for SO
cial call. Onward II went again.
through more smiling landscape. over
little brooks. beside shadowy wood.
land stretches. but never failing to
stop courteously ut each country
store.
Gradually the charm Of that journey
sank into my heart, never to be for
gotten. II was nm exquisite pastoral
given to Ms ut first hand. lived and not
read. The idea Of n destination faded
from my mind. the desire to arrive de-
parted from me. The trip to Ozark
was like life-to be on the way was
enough. One felt no desire to reach
the other end.
had long since deserted the ele-
giant red plush seat for one ON the
steps OF the back platform. As We
stopped from time to time TO distrib-
ute freight cars or cinders the men
explored the surrounding country.
WAS wlshful. but. being unable to rid
myself entirely of an old superstition
concerning trains-the possibility OF
their careening on at moments no
tice--I remained on the steps. content
eddy watching the fiurr!es Of yellow
and white butterflies that drifted
about. the huge brown beetles that
waddled along the track for all the
world like contractors out on tour Of
inspection. ! smiled back at the land
scape that beamed on us all % genial
ly. and bent my ear to the gaunt
brown weeds. the burden Of whose
message was. Once ! was young. but
now am old" AZ they waved back
and forth In the breeze. At peace with
life and time. thanked God for the
long. sweet dream Of country ways.
Indifferent whether we trundled on
ward or tarried forever by the way.
Verify. had tasted the lotus. reached
the land where It Is always after
noon.
Ozark" shouted the conductor.
There was . proud. ofncial ring In his
voice that seemed to say. Didn't tell
your" and I began to gather up my
possessions. involuntarily exchanging
a glance Of sympathy with Falsta6
and the man lust outside hosiery"
Somehow. In that iS-mile trip We all
seemed to have put out roots. and the