Year: 1877


consumate skillin controlling
the events so quickly to
crowd upon her, we must
study the construction of the
road at this point. The
main line for more than a
lnile.to the right, or towards
the east, was perfectly straight
and comparatively level. To
the left, or the west, it cross
ed q deep valley by a lofty
stone viaduct, and beyond
the valley it curved toward
tle nqrth and mounted the
hill by a long grade. just
east ofthe passenger station
a branch road entered the
main line and there was, as
supposed, "a cross-over switch.
Beyond the passenger sta
ton, on the west, was a short
siding ending in a small
freight house, and directly
opposite was another siding
with a freight shed and coal
yard


Lydia walked on passed
the freight house. and, eros
sing the side track, found a
large fiat rock beside the way,
and there, under the shade of
an anchient apple tree, she
sat down to wait till her low
er should come.


He comes! she heard the
three long whistles sounding
far down the line, and Il
bright blush mounted to her
face. The train would stop.
There was the signal for the
the station master. Her
brother came ont Of the sta~
ton house, spoke pleasantly
to her, and then walked on
toward the switch at the
head of the siding.


Suddenly the Main Line
track before her began to
sing in sharp metallic mur-
murs. The train had enter
ed that section of the road
and lie was near. Then there
came the sound Of escaping
steam. The engine was slow
ing down and the steam, no
longer employed, was burst
ing with a loud roar from
the safety valve as if impa-
tient of delay.


With jar that shook the
ground the immense freight
engine rolled past her, and
the engineer, leaning out Of
his window, nodded to her rs
he slid past. Then the cars
in long procession came into
sight and moved past with
slowly decreasing speed.
Four brakesrnen busy at the
brakes went past and still he
came not. At last the rear
car appeared, and a young
man swung himself down
from the iron ladder on the
car and sprang to the ground
at her feet.


A scoty man, clad in blue
canvas now black with smoke
and dust. Only a brake
man! No, a trifle better-the
conductor of freight train.
A year ago he had BEEN glad
to take the place ola brake
man, and already he bad
been promoted. Love did it.
He had met and loved Lydia
in the days Of his foolish
idleness, and she bad insisted
that he Go some manly work
or she could not-yes, she
could and did love him but
he must show himself worthy
her love. Already he had
advanced, and she was well
pleased with his progress,a s,and
they had become engaged.


a grlmy, dusty man IN un-
lovely garments; but in her
eyes, he was a man made for
better things. As he stood
beside her one could see in
his clear eyes and sensible
face that he had good stuff in
him and was worthy OF her
love. \


It becomes us not to lin
ger while they talk quietly
together beside the track.
The train moved slower and
slower till, finally, it stopped
witt the last car just beyond
thf witch. The iron horse
wa moved on, the station
master signalled with his
arms in a curious fashion,.
and each of the four brake
man repeated the motion in
turn. White puffs of steam
rose high in the air from the
n IN AH n -