Year: 1876

"Dinner ready4" said tho baggagt
master to his wife.


"Of course I" said the wife, in tone
of astonishment.


"Yes, yes" said the baggage master,
"you're afraid of your glass. :"


And then they laughed together.


"You don't know what he means, u
said the rosy little woman to me.


"Why, when I'm in temper I smash
things" said the husband, and went his
way.


In temper" said the wife. "Why,
Tom couldn't be in temper if he tried.
Tom in a temper Good gracious! But
I'll tell You what he means, if you like
for you couldn't get it out of him.
And Us I've half an hour before me, and
my darniug in my hand, and you're
waitingfor the stage, it won't waste time
for either of us. There was q, time
when I didn't think much about that,
but that was good while ago.


my husband was baggage master on
this very line when married him, and
they said he was the most careful one
ever known. No forgetfulness in him.
Never drank drop and never snubbed
the poor, bewildered people who asked
questions. Good natured he was as
could be, and as firm as if he hadn't
been good natured, and I was silly,
irresponsible girl, who had been at
school a month before that of my we'd
ding, and knew as much of housekeep.
ing as mouse.


"He had saved a good deal of money,
and had built a pretty house with only
four rooms in it, besides the kitchen,
but each as pretty as picture, and o
big bow window in the parlor that had
cost ever so much. In the window
plants were set, and an aquarium. Nc
one had a prettier parlor anywhere. II
was the pride of my heart.


"The great road ran just past the cor.
ner; it was at Lilliput Junction that We
lived-and down below was the depot,
and the train Stacked up going through
the town. When Tom ate breakfast al
home, which wasn't often, he kept ten
minutes to get to the cars before they
started, and so was never in hurry.


Well, one morning he had had
breakfast at home, and had fifteen min
utes to spare, when some one came
rushing past the house on horseback,
and cried out to Tom that old Hill, Q
brakeman on the road, had just been
very much hurt by train and he was
going for n doctor. Tom liked old Hill,
and he started to his feet at once.
Bessie, said he, must see the poor
old fellow. / have ten minutes or more
for it, / can run to the depot in three.
Now, take my keys, my dear, and have
them at the door for me when pass.
Remember how important it is.'


"You see the great bunch of keys
was heavy, and he didn't care to carry
them all with him down to where old
Hill was and back. And I didn't won.
der at it as lifted them from the table
checks and chains and all. And I meant
to stand at the door as he came up; but
there was time to spare. So just ra1
into the back yard to tell Mrs. Jones
next door, over the fence, about The
accident to poor Hill-and got talking,
and the time passed as time will in
chat; and ten minutes is nothing, yor
know.


"And our house was on the street
one of row. There was no getting tc
the back door without going around the
whole of them. And the door had 6
patent lock and the big bow window wal
fastened down and while was chatter
ing like a magpie / didn't see my hus
band flying up the road, with gooC
three minutes before him, to get hi
keys and run to the depot in. Bessie,
he cried at the gate but / didn't hen
him. Bessie, he shouted, as he shool
the door-and there were my ears filled
with the story my neighbor was telling
me about the tipsy woman she'd seel
run over, and you see Tom had triet
the window by this time and found i
down, and he had two minutes and
half left ; and a man that misses hi
dnty on "a railroad pays for it, I tel
You and it wasn't temper, mark that