Year: 1877

The long summer day had crept slow
ly away, and it was nearly o'clock
The hours at the railway station were
marked as by some gigantic clock that
told the laggard minutes by screaming
whistle and changing bell. The 4:30 ac
commodation had gone east, the west
ern express due there at 4:55 had thun
dered through the village, gone on over
the great viaduct and disappeared round
the vast curve beyond.


So one counted the hours by the trains,
Lydia by name, a girl of the best New
England type, quiet and yet with an
immense capacity for doing and daring
should love and the occasion demand.
The local freight would come next, and
then-then she would see him again.
She laid aside her work, put some split
zephyr vanity upon her head, and went
out towards the railroad. AS she ap-
preached the station she saw her brother,
the station-master, opening the little
freight house on the farther side of the
track. BY this she knew that the local
freight would stop this time. Her heart
beat the faster and she quickened her
step.


On reaching the passenger station
where the village street crossed the
railway, she looked up and down the
line and then crossed over and turned
to the left and walked beside the track
towards the freight house.


To understand all that took place on
this occasion, and to fully appreciate
her consummate skill in 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 mile to the right, or to-
wards the east, was perfectly straight
and comparatively level. To the left,
or the west, it crossed deep valley by a
lofty stone viaduct, and beyond the val
ley it curved to the north and mounted
the hill by long grade. Just east of the
passenger station a branch road entered
the main line and there was, as might
be supposed, cross-over switch. Be-
yond the passenger station, on the west,
was short siding ending in a small
freight house, and directly opposite was
another siding with freight shed and
coal yard. At this point there was also
another cross-over switch.


Lydia walked on past the freight
house, and, crossing the side track, found
a large fiat rock beside the way, and
there, under the shade of an ancient
apple tree, she sat down to wait till her
lover should come.


He comes She heard the three long
whistles sounding down the line, and a
bright blush mounted to her face. The
train would stop. This was the signal
for the station-master. Her brother
came out of the freight house, spoke
pleasantly to her, and then walked on
towards the switch at the head of the
siding.


Suddenly the main line track before
her began TO sing in sharp metallic MUIR
murs. The train had entered that sec
ton of the road and he was near. Then
there came the sound of escaping steam.
The engine was slowing down and the
steam, no longer employed, was burst
ing with loud roar from the safety
valve as if impatient of delay.


With jar that shook the ground the
immense freight engine rolled past her,
and the engineer, leaning out of his win
dow, nodded to her as he slid past.
Then the cars in long procession came
into sight and moved past with slowly
QcCIt}tbluB SDtcu. IOuI DItihtiutu Duby
at the brakes went past and still he
came not. At last the rear car ap-
peared, and young man swung himself
down from the iron ladder on the car
and sprang to the ground at her feet.


A sooty man, clad in blue canvas now
black with smoke and dust. Only a
brakeman Oh; a trife better-the
conductor of the freight train. A year
ago he had been glad to take the place
of brakeman, and already he had been
promoted. Love did it. He had met
and loved Lydia in the days of his fool.
ish idleness; and she had insisted that
he do some manly work or she could
not-yes, she could and did love him;
but he must show himself worthy of her
love. Already he had advanced, and
she was well pleased with his progress,
and they had become engaged.


A grimy, dusty man in unlovely gar
ments; but, in her eyes, he was a man
made for better things. As he stood be-
side her one could see in his clear
ewes and sensible face that he had