, 1922-03-02
Ralpha and the
Stop" Sign
BY MYRTA A. LITTLE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

t2ikit6o.
Ralpha Thomas-the girl through
school, and home in Brenton, living on
the sleepy, beautiful street with colo
nial houses on both sides, had been
wishing for two things with a venge-
ance.
The things hadn't come, but the
Eastern Branch railroad had, sud-
denly. 1t had also bought n paid
for Its right to cross Brenton's aristo-
cratic thoroughfare, staid old families
notwithstanding, and in so doing had
tied Itself up with Ralpha Thomas
two wishes.
First. Ralpha wanted something to
happen, anything most, from a bal
l99n I9scslslon e a new kind Of
cereal; and second, Ralpha wanted to
prove somehoY that she could do
something besides eat, sleep, look
pretty, and play lady for her doting
father and mother. So. she went
unusually interesting-made plans,
and put them up to her father. with
results as follows:
Its preposterousi A Brenton
Thomas doing such a thing Why, It's
worse than your last threat to act
for moving pictures |" said father, his
fingers meeting precisely over patched
knees. Ralpha pumped herself on the
patches.
Its not fair to lose all the fun Oh
earth because you're n Brenton
1rhnnnoo loA - chn nIaodal
"Have you spoken to your mother
about lit"
Mother said it was a Joke. and I'd
soon get over 1t. She said nobody but
men-er-tended railroad crossings,
anyway. won't get over 1t, though.
Henry Jones, the crossing man. can't
-work-any longer, men are scarce
-apd-"
Here I have looked forward to your
marriage to some prosperous-let us
say. writer, and now you're daring to
groaned 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,"
"Stopw said Squire Thomas.
Exactly" said Ralpha. "Stop every
thing that's likely to get in the trains
way. 1t isn't as II 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
...-II A- kA ---,n e.
blush. though at the time her father
did not know why she blushed.
Father tried another tack. You dc
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 p said
Ralpha Thomas, emphatically.
what did he leave his crossing job
for. then1 Good job-for him What
did he come to Brenton for In the
first placer Where did he come FROM
Ralpha evaded the question. "Oh
please, dad" she pleaded. Let me
just try"
mo, Ralpha, no!"
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 1t would be an Interesting ex.
pertinent, the authorities considered
her dependable, a godsend as 1t were.
and SON INT on. So all Brenton
was converted, thought 1t was IA jolly
idea, liked to see the brlghtlhaired
girl holding the black and white
stop" at the little crossing, and
called at the little gray house and told
her so.
Ralpha 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 a great ~sunburst
out of nowhere. the tnpering threads
of track, the pulfs of SMOKE and steam
with the sunlight playing ON them,
the shrieks OF the whistle. the big
healthy rumble and rOir. the hurry
ing folks. waving their hands. maybe,
from hundreds Of passing windows.
oh. II was great! IL got into Rulpha's
blood, Just Inc way 1t had been in
tended thai II should.
And, at the very start, the man APP
peured. lie had a brand new ofncs
in the city i've miles from Brenton.
and a home in the country. three miles
north. lie drove n brave. rusty eur
that sid through the snow like a
friendly bob. and from the day Ralpha