The Press., 1922-04-27
Ralpha and the ''Stop'' Sign
By MYRTA A. LITTLE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS s

! @&l houses on DOLn SlQeS, naU Decn wishing for two things with venge- ance.
 The things hadn't come, but the Eastern Branch railroad had, sud denly. It had also bought and paid for it's right to cross Brenton's aristO- cratic thOrOuRhfare staid old families notwithstanding, and in so doing had incidentally and quite uncOnSciOusly tied itself up with Ralpha Thomas two wishes.
 First, Ralpha wanted something to happen, anything most, from a bal loon ascension to a new kind of cereal; and second, Ralpha wanted to prove somehow that she could do something besides eat, sleep, look pretty, and play lady for her dotlng father and mother. So, she went hunting, found something interesting unusually interssting-made plans, and put them up to her father, with results as follows:
 Its preposterous! A BrentOn Thomas doing such thing! Why, it's worse than your last threat to act fer moving pictures '" said father his fingers meeting precisely over patched knees. RRlpna pumped herself on the patches.
 'It's not fair to lose all the fun on earth because you're a BrentOn Thomas, dad" she pleaded.
 Have you spoken to your mother about it!"
 Mother said it was a joke, and I'd soon get over it. She said nobody but men-er-tended railroad crossings, anyway. I won't get over 1t, though. Henry Jones, the crossing man, can't -work-any longer, men are scarce --and-"
 Here have looked forward to your ! marriage to some prOsperOus-let us say, writer, and now you're daring to think of being a-crOssing tender" SrOaned the squire.
 "Exactly!" beamed Ralpha. "A crossing tender. Sit in the dinky little crossing house by the hot little stove. \ Then when the train whistles, dash out and hold up the sign with Stop on it."
 ''Stop!' said Squire Thomas.
 Exactly" said Ralpha. "StOp every thing that's likely to get in the trains way. It isn't as if there were lots of | trains, either, I'd be on duty at seven, ! of at seven at night. Time off at noon. Nice salary. Bigger later, maybe, if I we'll if" RaIpha had the grace to blush, though at the time her father did not know why she blushed. Father tried another tack. You do not consider the lives that would be in your hands, Ralpha. You are flip pant. You'd have to do more than listen for whistles. What that young Jones put such notions into your head for--''
 Henry Jones is all right 7" said | Ralpha Thomas, emphatically.
 What did he leave his crossing job for. then? Good job-for him! What did he come to Brenton for in the | first place? Where did he come from"
 Ralpha eyaded the question. "Oh, ! please, dad" she pleaded. "Let me Just rry.'
 No, Ralpha, mel"
 But, being Ralpha, she did, of course. In fact, in a couple of days Squire Thomas found himself telling two of his friends that daughter thought it would be an interesting ex- pertinent, the authorities considered her dependable, a gOdsend as it were, and sO-on and on. So all Brenton was converted thought it was a jolly idea, liked to see the bright-haired girl holding the black and white "Stop,'' at the little crossing, and called a the little gray house and told her so.
 Ealpha was happy ~as a June day. The signals were magic things, the green and red and white lights that pricked the darkness, the round flare of the engine like great sunburst out of nowhere. the tapering threads oG track, the puffs of smoke and steam with the sunlight playing on them, the shrieks of the whistle, the big healthy rumble and roar, the hurry ing folks, waving their hands, maybe, from hundreds of passing windows. Oh, it was great It got into Ralphas blood, just the way it had been in- tended that it should. 1
 And, at the very start, the man ap- peared. He had a brand new office in the city five miles from BrentOn, and home in the country, three miles north. He drove a brave. trUsuy car that slid through the snow like irie1d!y bob, and from the day Ralpha I ru0i; up her new work, he always waited at that Brenton crossing, in tIte morning for the up accunn0d;l- tinn 10 pl0d by, and in the evening for the down accommodation. Naturally. he talked with RaIpha, while she held rhe Stop" sign, and afterwards. Grad naIiY they made astonishing plans. ls had also been intended. The mans nHI.se>~ was Norton. He was large dark. rich, had fascinating business c"nne, tinns and was obviously inter- n.<'n.' n RaInha Thomas He brought hei' h""&S to read. RaIpha was thrilled: read them from cover to cover 1; wasn't all she did. Among "ttFr a@s she signed contract. Oh, I hn.:~ gre happening, all right
 "t;Hod york; said the station "s.n1 |" fealDha. after the first month
 n,. ..'Et Norton" 'rlIns. but about ! the way KaIpha tended the crossing 1 Fine you got permission for this other business, tool"
 ''Sh-h!" warned Ralpha. Mum! It's | awfuIly good of the railroad, of course, hut think of the boost it'll be | for Brenton. And I'm not neglecting my crossing
 The test-day came. It was after noon, one minute before schedule time l for the 5:16 express. It always passed the down accommodation at Brenton or between -BrentOn and the first sta tion down the line. It would pass at Brenton tonight. Ralpha was ready for it standing erect. alert, the black STOP" held firmly in her hands, new jingle in her fingertips