Year: 1873

turned into something childish an unin-
teresting-a worn on. amusement, that it
was time to put aside with her discarded
dolls. And so she sadly prepared to give
it up, in the first fit OF genuine blues she
had indulged in but, few evenings
afterward, she fingered at the garden
gate little after her return from Aunt
Betsey's, to see the night express go flash
ing by. 1t was a grand sight when it
came, incomparably more interesting and
mysterious in the darkness than ever in
the day, and Katie wondered that she
had never thought so before but she al
most unconsciously raised her little Ian
tern, and swung it around her head as
she had used to wave her handkerchief.


Could she believe her eyes?


She almost refused to give them any
faith at first, but then there followed a
quick flush in her cheek and warm
glow at her heart for she was sure there
had been an answering light, and she
could almost picture tall form in dark
blue clothing, standing on the platform
between two of the cars.


She knew very little OF railway mat
ters, but was not so dull that there was
any special mystery in change of trains
by conductor. She did not let Grand
father or Grandmother Crowninshield
see her, however, the next evening when
she again crept out to the gate, almost
smothering her little lantern for she had
half huttering sort Of dread that this
second experiment might fail.


Fail? No; the greeting from the train
was us ready as was Katie's own "good
evening"" and the little lantern was like
ly thenceforth to be the very foremost OF
prime iavortcs with its mistress. And
now the October days grew cooler and
the glorious evenings longer, Grand
mother Crownnshield began to grumblc
little at the disposition her darling
evinced to pay SO many visits to Aunt
Betsey.


ats long walk for you child" she
she said land it's through the cut, too,
What If railway train should come along
before you could get out?'


"Oh grandma, that will never hap
pen," laughed Katie !" the railroad and
| are very good friends"


"You ought to be-" said grapdmother.
81 never saw any living being care more
for dumb thing than you've always
done for that there train"


But grandfather was nearer right than
Katie for only night or so after that
it must have been that Aunt Betsey' IS
clock was slow-for Katie was in the
middle of the cut when her ears were sud
denly filled with the shrek and roar
with which the train dashed in at the up
per end.


Her heart beat quickly for moment,
but not with fcar for, as she sprang
lightly upon projecting rock that she
had often before noted as very available
perch, she gathered her fluttering dress
more closely and exclaimed


"There, Pm safe enough but to think
of its coming so near ~


Near enough, indeed, and Katie leaned
back hard against the crag behind her /;
for it seemed as if she could feel the
breath of the iron monster on her cheek.
In one hand she clutched more tightly
the folds of her shawl, and in the other
she raised her lantern, as if its feeble star
could be of some protection, and then her
grasp grew very tight, indeed for, lean
ing out little from the platform of car
and looking forward, rs if impatiently
for the train to clear the cut, stood tall,
handsome, bearded man, in dark blue
clothes, with lantern in his hand, and
his eager watching, expectant face, came
so very close to her own


1t was like flash of lightning but
Katie knew the face, and she knew also
that she herself had been seen, and she
had even marked the swift paling of the
bronze visage as it recognized her and
then swept on in the darkness beyond.


/" lie was afraid | would be hurt" she
thought and then she said aloud " But
he must have seen how safe L was up
here on the rock. don't believe he swung
his lantern at our garden gate tonight"


Katie did not relate her adventure even
to her grandmother. and on her next visit
to Aunt Bctsey she was careful TO come
away in time.


81 don't want to get homo so very
much too carly" she said to herself as
she finished her visit and hurried her de-
parture !" but | don't like being caught
in the cut at all. I'm glad I'm so sure
not to meet anybody. | belisge I'd want
to hide away from stranger tonight,
almost as much as from railway train"


1t was indeed an unusually dark and
gloomy night, but Katie was destined to
be disappointed in her hope of getting
through the cut without seeing anybody.
As has been said, the granite ledge had
been pierced on II curved line, SO that no
one standing at one end of the cut, mod
crate as were its Dimensions, could see
more than half way through.


Aunt Bctsey's house was some little
distance from the upper entrance, and
the approach to the latter was gloomy
that night, even for one who
knew every inch of the way as well as
Katie did but her little lantern shono
out eheerily against its bright reflector,
throwing its radiance ahead, as if it were
trying to tell her, "There, there, that's
it; don't be afraid, I'll show you the
track" But Katie remembered just then
that it was getting later every minute,
and she tripped briskly into the cut.
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