'.1-
,lf!
t : ,
COLL-ALB.VNT.
OREGON.
THIS FOOTBKIIXJK.
BT MAR1K 8. LAOD.
Throughout the long hours of the day,
How many tread its yielding plank.
That safely bear them on their way
Across the stream, to either bank.
A motley throng in eager haste
To chase their phantom; though it flies ;
Once grasping it, they hope to taste
The blissful joys at Paradise.
And yet, what thoughts best through the brain
In time with footsteps, fast or slow ;
What hopes they carry in their train, .
Or what unrest, we may not know. '
Cfiuld all their fancies take dim form
And hover in the ambient air, ' . '
Bow' strange or sad an outward charm
That little quiet bridge would wear.
But to that bridge who will repairs, 1
And, passing, leaves no other trace
Than that which constant treading wears :
Cpou its hard, enduring t ace.
Yet sa the varied way in life.
We leave the marks where we have been,
Disclosing, in the restless strife,
The silent path we tread within. .
An Electro -Mechanical Ro
mance. "
. CUAPTEB I. -
. THE F-NOLNK. .
She was a beauty. , From head-light
to ouner-casnng, irom spam-arrester to
air-brake coupling, she shone resplen
dent, i A thing of grace and power, she
seemed instinct with, life as she paused
upon her breathless flight. Even while
resting quietly upon the track, she trem
bled with the pulsations of her mighty
nam. Dnuui wonaer max tne passen
gers waiting upon the platform came
down to gaze upon the feat express en
gine, No. 59. She seemed long and slen
der like a greyhound, and her glistening
sides, delicate forefeet, and uplifted
head were suggestive , of speed and
power.
The engineer stepped down from his
high throne with his long nickel-plated
oiler in hand, and the fireman clambered
over the glistening heap of coal, and
swung round the great copper water
" pipe that the magnificent creature might
have a drink of pure spring water. The
engineer looked eagerly up and down the
platform as if in earch of someone. Two
or three tourists of the usual type and a
. Stray idler were all to be seen. A group
: of big fellows were unloading mail bags,
' and beyond them the busy throng down
the platform was lost to view. How lov
ingly he touched the shining arms of his
great pet with, the smooth, clear oil,
, golden and limpid. , Here her great
cylinder, seventeen inches wide, and with
stroke of twenty-four, safely rested be
7ind the sturdy buttress that held her
forefoot so daintily thrust out in front.
The head-light gleamed in all the sparkle
of plate-glass, and her shapely rods fairly
glowed in polished beauty. On one side
lay her boiler-feed pump, a finished bit
of mechanism, and on the other was
: hung a steam . injector for forcing water
into the boiler without the aid of the
pump. How perfect everything ! . Even
the driving-wheels were works of art.
from balanced throttle-valves to air
brake she had every device that Ameri
can skill had produced, or that such an
engine could demand, and her thirty-five
tons of chained-up energy seemed the
perfect expression of the highest mechan
ic art. r-':y. y-.-.--. --..;. . -':
With a loud roar her safety-valve
yielded to her pent-up vitality, and filled
all the air with clouds of steam. . The
engineer gazed proudly upon his noble
wteed, and then looked anxiously down
the platform to see if any. came whose
presence would be welcome. : - (
The fireman swung back the great
copper pipe, and the idlers suddenly
withdrew. The last trunk was thrown
in, and the engineer climbed slowly -up
into his house. He looked , anxiously
about the long platform. It was nearly
clear, and he could see the gold band on
the conductor's hat glistening in the sun.
1 WVhere, can she linger? v "Why" does
she not come? Tliirty-nine is here,' and
still she comes not. The gold-banded
cap is lifted in the air. "With one hand
' on the throttle-valve, the engineer glances
down the long empty platform. The
bell rings ; there is a hissing sound
beneath-, the giant's feet ; . the house
trembles slightly ; the water-tank seems
to move backward ; the roar of the saf ety-
' waive - suddenly stops ; the fury of the
v great iron monster -vents itself in short,
deep gasps ; clouds of smoke pour down
on everything. They almost hide the
platform from
All 1 A dress fluttering in the door-
-way. -'Some one appears abruptly upon
the platform. With both hands on the
throttle-valve, the engineer leans out the
window. A handkerchief is quickly
flirted in the air. He nods, smiles and
then iturns grimly away, and stares out
ahead - with a fixed look, as if the world
had suddenly grown very dark, and life
was an irog road- with dangers every
where. f .Tne fireman shovels coal into
the fiery cavern at the engineer's feet,
sad then stirs up the glowing mass till it
torts and flames with fury. The steam
gauge trembled . at 120 degrees, and
quickly arises -t tar 125 degrees. The
wasfcn engine -f trembles- and throbs
i ss it ; leaps forward. ' The landscape
woods, houses and fields seem to
take wings in s wild Titanic waltz. The
engineer gazes ahead with tight-set Hps,
but his heart can outrun his locomotive,
sad lingers behind at the deserted way-
. station. " ' . ''"
" ' ' chapteb il;.;,.' , , . : .
, , . TJtt STELWJBAPH OPERATOR, , '
11 ' With that T' perversity for which rail
roads are famous, the line did not enter
the town,- but passed along its outermost
edge, among the farms' and woodlands,
'; This affected the life of the place curi-
ously. ' At one hour the station i was ani
mated and thronged with people; at an
other it was dull, quiet and, deserted, by
all nave the stationmaete.and his daugh
ter. a She it was who guarded the little
: telegraph ofScej received ; and sent the
telegrams of the town and did anything
Laa that pertained to her position. She
bmd a little box f place portioned,' off
in one comer of the ladies waiting-room,'
.-where therewaa a sunny window; that
looked far up the line, and a little" open,-
- friav -s-hei-e she, received the messages,
f ,e viewed life through this scant out-
j3k, andthorJght'it very queer s,Wre
people always in state -of excitement
3 everybody have trouble in the fam
xirtVit demanded such breathless, heart-
1 tl-i-llzg messages t Was it in every life
toLsve these awful,' bidden things: hap-
' ren f life from her point ' of view was
y-we tragic than joyful, and, ehe some
l z,'is thought it relief to j-eceive a
jsxi -" order to "tell Jones to bring back
f soc'i and have mower mended. Some
t '"tea between the. trains the station was
quite deserted, and were it .not for the
ticking of .the clock, and , the incessant
rattle of the fretful machine on her desk.
it would be as still as a church on Mon
day. At first she amused herself by lis
tening to the strange language of the
wires, and sbeevenmade the acquaintance 1
of the other operators. With one ex
ception they all failed to interest her.
They were a frivolous set, and their chat
ter seemed as empty as the rattle of a
brass sounder. One girl she knew must
be a lady. Her style of touch, and the
general manner of her work, showed that
plainly, and between the two a friend
ship sprang up, though they lived a hun
dred miles a part, and had never met.
Finally she took wisely to reading books,
and the sounder chattered in vain, ex
cept on business.
Then there was John. She saw him
for one hurried moment every day, and
the thinking of it filled many a weary
hour. He was the engineer of the ex
press, and stopped at the station every
afternoon at 5 and just before, daylight
every morning. She met him at the
water-tank by day, and by night she
awoke to hear his train thunder through
the valley. She heard it whistle as it
passed the grade crossing, a mile up the
line, and as it pulled up at the station.
If the night was calm she heard the faint
rumble as it flew over the resounding
iron bridge at the river. Then she slept
again. He would soon reach the city,
and on the morrow she would see him
again. - ' - ' " ' .
The happy morrow always found her
at her post, busy and cheerful as the long
day crept away, and the time drew near
for his train. Oh! if her window only
looked the other way, that she might see
No. 59 come round the curve in the
woods! , The station was always full at
that . hour, and messages - were sure to
come in just as she wanted to close her
little office and go out to the water-tank,
where John waited, oiler in hand, to see
her. ' Strange that he should always be
oiling up just there. .
, This time she waited with calm face
and beating heart to see if any stupid
passenger had forgotten anytbing that he
must telegraph home.' Fortunately none
came, and as the engine rolled past her
I window, she hastily put on her pretty
hat and ample cloak and went out on the
platform. A few quick steps, and she
was beside the noble 59. '
The fireman smiled a grimy smile, and,
while he swung the water-pipe over the
tender, he gave a lively whistle. The
engineer tipped up his oiler with a sud
den jerk, as if the piston-rod had quite
enough, and then climbed hastily into
the! cab. There she sat on the fireman's
perch, radiant, blushing and winsome.
" She's a beauty perfectly lovely,
and a Westiu ghouse, too ! I tried to see
you yesterday, and aren't you very proud
of her V . ,
John thought he was rather proud of
59. , She was perfect. , Han her one hun
dred and fifty miles yesterday, for the
first time. The little electrician was
charmed. To think ' that John should
be appointed master of the oompany's
new express engine. Dear fellow, he had
run that old 13, till she was ready to rat
tle to pieces. And now, what a magnifi
cent machine he had beneath him !
And everything is so bright and
handsome, i know you're proud of
her." '
John thought he was also proud, of
somebody else. Then they smiled, and
the firearm whistled softly as he pushed
back the water-spout. How brief the
precious moments !
John pulled out a little blank-book and
began hastily to tell her about the new
prize the directors had offered to the en
gineer who should travel 5,000 miles
with the least expenditure of coal and
oiL It would take about twenty-seven
days to decide the matter, and then the
books would be all banded in, and the
records examined and the prize awarded.
And if we could get it !"
-. " It would come in very convenient
for "
' She blushed a rosy blush, and clasping
his arm, she laughed Boftly and said :
" My dear, you must win it. We shall
want it for our -"
" Liively, now ! Here comes the Con
due. ;
What a friendly fireman !' How sharp
he watches for the lovers ! The girl pre
pared to spring down from the engine
when the gold-banded cap of the con
ductor came in sight.
Hun up to the siding, Mills, and bring
down that extra car."
Aye, aye, sir. Cast off the coup
lings, Dick." Then, in a whisper:
"Wait a bit Kate. Ride up to the sid
ing with us."
The girl needed no invitation.
' " Oh ! I intended to. Here, let me
tend the bell." 3 v i
'Good! Do. Dick -must tend the
couplings." , '
With a hiss and a jar the monster
started forward, while the girl sat on the
fireman's high Beat with her hand on the
bell-rope and one little foot steadied
against the boiler. ; Suddenly, John
turned the valve for the air-brake and re
versed his lever, and the monster stop
ped. A deafening blast , from the
whistle. . . . . .
," Where is the signal man ? Why don't
he show his flag ?" r .
Again the whistle roared in short, quick
blasts. "" ' ......
"Ohl Why didn't I think of it
before?"
, "Think of what?" , "
""That whistle. You could use it to
eall tne." ' ' ; .
"When?" ' .
: Why. ' yon see. I never exactly know
when yoa are coming. ) I cannot tell your
whistle from any other, and so, I some
times miss seeing you. " ,
-"It have noticed-that ", said
John, pulling at the throttle valve. " But,
what can I do ?, If I gave two whistles or
three,", they would think it meant some
signal, ana it would make trouble." "
Y.Yes, but if you did this, I should
know you? were coming, and nobody would
think anything of ifcf?,--, .! f ;
. So saying, she stood np, leaned over
the boiler, and grasping the iron rod that
moved the - whistle, made it speak in
long and short blasts, that may be repre
sented as follows : - '
""I see. - Like a sounder. Morse's
alphabet. ' But what does it spell ?"
" K - - - A T E
', "Oh! Xiet me learn that by heart,",
. -: ',' You' must, John. ' And will it not be
amusing to hear the, folks talk ? What
on earth can that engineer be roaring
about with his ' - ...
The signal-man looked indignant as
59 rolled past him.' - What was the good
of such a din on the whistle ! Was the
man crazy i
' Yon mast write it down,' Kate. It
won't do to practice now. See how the
people stare on -the platform."
Th! sentence was broken np by J ohn's
efforts "over ; the reversing bar, - and
the deep-toned gasps of the ; engine
drowned further conversation. The
monster backed into the siding, where
Dick stood ready to couple on the extra
ear; : . Then he climbed, up into the cab,
and the lovers were silenced. , The en
gine, with the three, rolled out upon the
main line, stopped, and then backed up
to the train. Kate, with a pencil, wrote
some marks on the edge of the window
frame, and with a bright smile she shook
hands with the burly engineer, nodded
to the fireman, and then sprang lightly
to the ground.
; The safety-valve burst out with a deaf
ening roar. The smoke belched forth in
clouds, and while white fairy rings of
steam shot into the air, the train moved
slowly away.
Presently,' the girl "stood alone upon
the deserted platform, with the ruddy
glow of the setting sun gilding her
bright f aoe. .....
The roar of the train melted away on
the air. Still, she stood listening in
tently. She would wait till' she heard
him whistle at the next crossing. Then,
like a mellow horn softened by the dis
tance, came a strange rhythmic song.
A smile and a blush lit np her winsome
face. ,
'How quickly love can learn, !
That night the waning moon sank cold
and white in the purple west,' while the
morning star came out to see the sleep
ing world. ! Kate awoke suddenly and
listened. Wan that the roar of the train ?
"How soft and sweet the notes so far
away ! There ! He has crossed the
bridge. Dear John!"
Then she slept again.
, CHAPTER IIL
THK OTHER OPERATOR. .
The Ipst local train to the city left the
station. The gray old station-master
put out the lamps on the platform, rolled
the baggage trucks into the freight house,
and having made the tour of the switches
to see that all was clear for the main line
night mail, he returned to his little ticket
den. - .
His daughter still sat reading like a
demure cat in her little corner. - The old
man remarked that it was 10 o'clock, and
time to go home. ,
"Leave the key, father ; I'll lock up
and return home as soon as I have fin
ished this chapter."
The old fellow silently laid a bunch of
keys on her desk and went his way.
The moment he departed she finished
her chapter in a flash, and laying the
book down, began to operate her tele
graphic apparatus;
No reply. Middleboro had evidently
gone to bed, and that office was closed.
: No response. Dawson City refused to
reply.; r Good. Now, if the operator at
the junction failed to reply, she and
Mary would have the line to themselves
with none to overhear.
Allston Junction paid no heed. Good.
Now for :
Mary replied instantly, and at once the
two girl friends were in close conversa
tion with one hundred miles of land and
water between them. The conversation
was by sound in a series of long and
short notes nervous and staccato for
the bright one in the little station ;
smooth, legato, and placid for the city
girL . . , ;
Translated, it ran as follows :
. Kate : "I taught him my name in
Morse's alphabet, and he sounds it on
his whistle as he comes up to the station;
but I am in daily terror lest some imper
tinent operator should hear it, and,
catching its meaning, tell of it."
The other operator was all sympathy,
and replied':
" I see the danger. At the same time,
my dear, I think the idea is worthy of
your bright self. It is perfectly jolly.
Think of hearing one's name for miles
over the country on a steam-whistle. I
never heard of anything so romantic in
vny life."
Kate "And when he passes in the
night he sounds my name all through
the valley, and I can hear it for miles.
How people would laugh if they knew
what it meant."
Mary " They would, I'm sure, and it
would be very unpleasant to be found
out. Why don't you fix up some kind
of open circuit and let him telegraph to
you from the line as he approaches your
station?"
Kate " My love, your idea is divine.
If I only had a wire." . .
Mary "It would take two wires, you
know, and a small battery. At the same
time, it would not cost much, and would
be perfectly safe." -'
Kate "Would not some one find it
out and be ringing the bell out of mis
chief?" Mary " No. You could hide the con
nections in the bushes or trees by the
road, and his engine could touch it as it
passed." -' I. -.-
s Kate " Yes, but wouldn't every engine
touch it?"
Mary " Then you could fix it so that
a stick, or something secured to the en
gine, would brush it as.it passed. ' No
other engine would be provided with
the stick, and they would all pass in
silence."
" The idea was almost too brilliant for
contemplation, and the two friends, one
in her deserted and lonely station in the
far country, and the other in the fifth
story of a city block, held close converse
over it for an hour or more, and then
they bid eacn other good night, and the
wires were at rest for a time.-; ';-
About 6 one afternoon shortly after,
Kate sat . in her office waiting for 59 to
sound its Titanic love-signal. ; . Presently
it came in loud-mouthed notes: , .
' She closed her little office hastily; and
went out on the platform. As she
opened the door two young men laughed
immoderately, and one said aloud:
" Kate ! Who's Kate ?" -Found
but ! She hastily turned away
to hide the blush that mounted to hex
temples, and walked rapidly up the plat
form to the water-tank.
No. 59 rolled up to the spot, and the
lovers met. "With one hand on the iron
front of his great engine, she stood wait
ing for him, and at once began to talk
:rapidly.v--,:,;.;.:;;t :..,-,,;,,. : .
"It will never do, John ! They have
found it all out.'
" Oh !" I was afraid they would. Now
what are we to do?'1 If 1 1 could only
telegraph you from the station below,' .
"It wouldn't do.r It is too far sway.
Besides, it would - be costly, and some
body would suspect." ' I . it,,;,
" Conduc V shouted the 1 fireman, as
he swung back the great water-pipe. 11
"Good-byt dear; , : I'm sorry we must
give itup.'r.r, , . i. : -sf ;
" So am T. And, , John, oome and
spend next Sunday with us."
" Yes, I wilT . Good-by, good-by.
Fifty-nine hissed out her. indignation
in clouds of steam from her cylinders,
and moved slowly forward.; Then Kate
stood alone again on the platform. The
sun sunk in angry clouds, and the wind
sighed in the telegraph -wires with a low
moaning sound., fitful, sad. and dreary. -
Ine next morning the express, tore
savagely through the driving ram, and
thundered over the iron "bridge till it
soared again. - The whistle screamed,
but love no longer charmed its own
voice. . , , . .
, , The electrician listened in silence,
and then, ' after a tear or two, slept
again.
CHAPTER IV.
LOVE AXD LIOHTSrSO. .
It was a ' lovely autumnal 'afternoon,
and the lovers went out to walk in the
glorious weather. " f ;: ,
To escape observing eyes, they wan
dered down tne railroad track toward
the woods, where the line made a great
curve to avoid a bend in the river.
- After a while they reached a shady
dell in the woods,, and, taking down a
bar in the fence, they entered its depths.
Just here the various telegraph wires
hung in long festoons from their poles.
With a sudden cry of delight, she seized
his arm and cried : '
"Look, John. Just the thing. An
abandoned wire."
"Well; what of it?"
. My dear, can't we use it ? Come,
let us follow, it and see where it goes.
Perhaps we may make it useful."
John failed to see how that might be.
Kate was all eagerness to follow the wire,
and returned to the track, and began to
trace the wire up and down the line as
far as it was visible. John replaced the
; fence rail and joined her. Then she be
gan to talk in that rapid manner that was
so' becoming to her.; He was fairly
dazzled by the brilliancy and audacity of
her ideas. They both walked on the
sleepers toward the bridge over the river.
The wire was still continuous, but after
walking about half a mile, they found it
was broken, and apparently abandoned.
Then she laid down her plan. This wire
had been " put up by a certain company
some years since, but as the company
had failed, the wire had been abandoned,
and here for perhaps a mile it was still
hanging on its insulators. At the bridge
it came to a sudden end.
" Now, if we can manage to rig up an
other wire from , here to our station we
can make an open circuit, and as you
pass this point you can join it and ring
a bell in my office !'
The two sat down on the iron bridge
and fairly laughed at the splendor of the
idea. Suddenly she looked very grave.
" The expense !"
"Ah! yes. Well, I'm willing to pay
something for the advantage of seeing
you every day. It's worth "
"How much?"
"About 85,000,000."
. "John!"
Two days after, a package by express
from the city, and Kate stowed it away
in her telegraphic den till the evening.
Then, when the day had passed, and she
had some leisure, she carefully opened
it and found a neat little. Wooden box
with a brass gong or bell attached to the
bottom. A slender liammer hung be
side it, and there were places for secur
ing, the connecting wires, an electric
bell, and 3,000 feet of insulated wire,
and a bill for the same. Eleven dollars.
" Not half so bad as I expected.., As
for the battery, I- fancy I can make one
myself.. A pickle jar, some zinc and
copper, and a little acid will answer, and
John can arrange the rest. Fortunately
I selected insulated wire, as we shall
have to carry our wire through the woods
to cut off that bend in the road."
- Thus talking and planning to herself,
she examined her . purchase, and then
carefully placing the bell and the wire
in a closet under her desk, she closed up
the station and went demurely home,
conscious of the . innocence of all her
dark plottings.
The third day after seemed like the
Sabbath, and was not. It was Thanks
giving day, and all the very good people
like Kate and her lover did nothing of
the kind. John Mills engineer, did not
ride on No. 59 that day. He had a holi
day, and came to see Kate quite early in
the morning. : .She proposed a walk in
the woods, as the day was fine.
. " Did you bring the boots?"
",I did, my love, spikes and alL I
tried 'em on an apple-tree, and I found
I could walk up the stem as nicely as a
fly on the ceiling." -
"That is good; for, on the whole, I
think we must shorten the line, and cut
off that great bend in the road."
" And save battery power V
" Yes. My pickle-jar battery works
well, but I find that it is not particularly
powerful. It rings the bell furiously
when I close the circuit, but the circuit
is not two yards long. What it will do
when the line is up remains to be seen. "
" Where did you place the bell ?"
"Oh,' I hung it up in the cupboard
under my desk. I can hear it, and no
one will be likely to look for it there.
But that is not the great difficulty. How
are we to hide the wires that enter the
station?"
"I wouldn't try. Let them stand in
plain sight. . Not a soul will ever notice
them among the crowd of wires that pass
the station." .
By this time the two had reached the
railroad station, and opening her little
office, they both went in. ; Presently they
reappeared, each with a brown paper
parcel, and with the utmost gravity
walked away down the line toward the
woods.'- ' ; -
In a few moments they were lost to
view round a curve in the road, and they
turned off toward the bank and sat down
on a large, flat stone.
""The boots, Kate." a
; - She opened the bundle she had in her
hand, and displayed a pair of iron stir
rups having an iron rod on one side and
a snarp steel point on the bottom. There
were also leather Straps and buckles,, and
John, laying aside his burden, proceeded
to strap them to his feet When ready,
(he iron , rods or bars reached . nearly to
the knee, and the steel points were just
below the instep. - Kate, meanwhile, took
a pair of "stout shears from her pocket
and began to-open- the other, bundle. It
contained a large roll of insulated copper
wire, some tacks, and a hammer. -
Then they started down the track, with
sharp eyes oh the abandoned wire hang
ing m long festoons from its insulators.
All. right so far. Ah 1 a break; they must
repair it. Like a nimble cat J ohn mount-,
ed the pole, and Kate unrolled the wire
as he took it up. In a moment or two
he had it secured to the old wire. Then
up the next pole, and while Kate pulled
it tight he secured it, and the line was
reunited. "..; ' i;
' Then on and oh they walked, watching
the wire, and Btill findfag it whole. At
last theyreached the great iron bridge,
and anxiously scanned the dozen or more
wires, to see if their particular thread was
still continuous. ' - v'.r -.;.
"We must cross the river, John. The
line seems to be whole, and we can take
our new line through the woods On the
other shore till we reach the town
bridge." i
It was a relief to leave the dizzy open
sleepers of the bridge and stand, once
more on firm ground. ,
; f This must be the limit of our circuit.
I wish it was larger, for it will not give
me more than three minutes' time. Now,
if youH break : the line on ' that "pole.
John ; - At-.rr-rv-.w "
- There was a sound of fallinc crlaM. n1
then the new. insulated line was secured
to the old line ; the broken end fell te
the ' ground and was abandoned. For
naif an hour or more the two "were busy
over their .work, and then it was finished.
It was a queer looking affair, and no one
would ever guess where it was or what it
was designed to do. A slender maple
tree beside the track had a bit of bare
copper wire (insulated at the ends), hung
upright in its branches. Near by stood
a large oak tree, also having a few feet of
wire secured horizontally to its branches.
From the slender maple a wire ran to the
old telegiaph line. From the old oak our
young people quickly Tan a new line
through the woods by simply tacking it
np out of sight in the trees.
Then they came to the wooden bridge
where the town road crossed the stream.
It took but a few moments to tack the in
sulated wire to the under side of the
string-pieces well out of sight, and then
they struck off into the deep woods
again. ? - -- ;
Three hours later they struck the rail
road, and found the old wire some dis
tance beyond the station up the line.
Again the two legged cat ran up the pole,
and there was a sound of breaking glass.
The old wire fell down among the bushes,
and the new one was joined to the piece
still on the line. A short time after two
young people with rather light bundles
and very light hearts gravely walked into
the station and then soberly went to their
dinner. That night two mysterious
figures flitted about the platform of ho
deserted station. One like a cat ran up
the dusky poles, and the other--unrolled
a bit of copper wire. There was a sound
of boring, and two minute wires were
pushed through a hole in the window
frames The great scientific enterprise
was finished.
. CHAPTER V.
AtiSIOST TELESCOPED.
It was very singular how absent-minded
and inattentive the operator was that
day. She sent that order for flowers to
the butcher, and Mrs. Robinson's mes
sage about the baby's croup went to eld
Mr. Stimminsy the bachelor lodger at the
gambrel-roofed house. . .
No wonder she was disturbed. Would
the new line work ? ' Would her pickle
jar battery be strong enough for such a
great circuit? Would John be able to
close it ? The people began to assemble
for the train. The clock pointed to the
hour for its arrival.
"He cometh nut," she said. Then
she began to be a little tearful. The
people all left the waiting-room and went
out on the platform, and the place was
deserted and silent. She listened in
tently. There was nothing save the
murmur of the voices outside, and the
irritating tick of the clock.
Suddenly, with startling distinctness,
the bell rang clear and loud in the echo
ing room. With a little cry of delight
she put on her dainty hat and ran in
haste out upon the platform. The idle,
people stared at her flushed and rosy"
face, and she turned away and walked
toward the water-tank. - Not a thing in
sight? What did it mean ?
All! The whistle broke loud and clear
on the cool, crisp air, and 59 appeared
round the curve in the woods. The
splendid monster slid swiftly up to her
feet and paused.
" Perfect, John ! Perfect ! It works
to a charm."
With a spring she reached the cab and
sat down on the fireman's seat.
" Blesse'd if I could tell what he was
going to do," said Dick. " He told me
about it. Awful bright idea ! You see,
he laid the poker on the tender brake
there and it hit the tree slam, and I saw
the wires touch. It was just prime 1"
The happy moments sped, and 59
groaned and slowly departed, while Kate
stood on the platform, her face wreathed
in smiles and white steam.
So the lovers met each day, and ione
knew how she was made aware of his ap
proach with such absolute certainty.
Science applied to love, or rather Llove
applied to science, can move world."
Two whole weeks passed, and then
there suddenly arrived at the station,
late one evening, a special with the direc
tors' car attached. The honorable direc
tors were hungry they always are and
would pause on their journey and take a
cup of tea and a bit of supper. The
honorables and their wives and children
filled the station, and the place put on
quite a gala aspect. As for Kate, she
demurely sat in her den, book in hand,
and over its unread pages admired the
gay party in the brightly-lighted waiting-,
room.
Suddenly, with furious rattle, her
electric bell sprang into noisy life. Ev
ery spark of color left her face, and her
book fell with a dusty slam to the floor.
What was it? What did it mean? Who
rang it ? . , -
With affrighted face she burst from
her office and brushed through the as
tonished people and out upon the snow
covered platform. There stood the di
rectors' train upon the track of the on
coming engine.. . -
" The conductor ! Where is he ? Oh,
sir ! Start ! Start ! Get to the siding.
The express ! The express is coming 1"
With a cry she snatched a lantern irom
a brakeman's hand, and in a flash was
gone. They saw her light pitching and
dancing through the darkness, and they
were lost in wonaer ana amazement.
The girl is crazy.. No train is due now !
There can be no danger. She must
be
An i liiai norrioie wnisue I ouctr a
wild shriek on the winter's night ! The
men sprang to the train, and the women
and children fled in frantic terror m ev
ery direction. ;
'Bun for .your lives," screamed the
conductor., "There's a smash-up com
ing I
A short, sharp scream from the whistle.
The head-liirhfc gleamed on the snow-
covered track, and there was a mad, rush
of sliding wheels,' and the ' gigantic en
gine reared like a demon. -: The, great 59
slowly drew near - and stopped in the
woods.- A hundred heads looked out.
and a stalwart figure leaped down from
me engine auu ran on inio we Drignt
giow oi me neaa-ngnt. -"Kate!"
'
"Oh! John. I- "
She fell into his arms Benseless and
white, and the lantern dropped from her
nerveless nana. ' . . . :- ;a
They took her np tenderly , and bore
her into the station-house, ' and, laid her
upon the sofa in the "ladies' room.
With hushed voices they gathered round
to offer aid and comfort. Who was she ?
How did she save the train? How did
she know of its approach ? . V .
; "She is my daughter." said the old
station-master. "She tends the tele-
graph." , ,r
The President of the railroad, in his
gold-bowed spectacles- drew near. One
grand . lady in silk and satin pillowed
Kate's head on her breast. ; They all
gathered near to &ee if she revived. , She
opened her eyes and gazed, about dream
ily, as u m searcn of something. '
; i Do you wish v anything, .my dear?1
said the President, taking her hand. ' y!
"Some water, if you please, sir ; and I
want--I want " - 1 - ' ' ' -:
They handed her some wine in a silver
goblets he sipped a little, and then
looked among the strange faces as if in
search oi some one.
' " Are you looking for any one, Miss ?
" Yes no it is ' no matter. Thank
you, ma'am, I feel better. I sprained
my foot on the sleepers when Iran down
the" track. It is hot severe, and I'll
Sit UP.",- -.,o; - .
They were greatly1 pleased to see iier
recover, and .a quiet buzz of conversa
tion filled the room. How did she know
it ? How could she tell the special was
chasing us ?; Good Heavens I If she
had not kndwh it, what an awful loss of
life there would have been ; it was very
careless in the Superintendent to follow
our train in such a reckless manner.
" You feel better my dear," said the
President. ''---''-;':
" Yes, sir, thank you. I'm sure I'm
thankful. I knew John I mean the en
gine was coming."s:5 ..ris;4:s9,.
"You cannot be more grateful than
we are to you for averting such a disas
trous collision."
, : "I'm sure I am pleased, sir. I never
thought the telegraph " '
She paused abruptly.
" What telegraph ?" u ;r.
" I'd rather not tell, sir.
jRnt von will tell ns "how vn t !
the engine was coming ?" c?lfc "'as feeding-Tha rooting
" Must you know V - ! 1 about approached the cwlt and touched
" We ought to know in order to reward ! Ler. 8n,oufc1 its-jela The colt
you properly " " ' -' - " - '' ' ' lustently kicked out ' fiercely and ac-
' She put up her hand in a gesture of 1 curatelvnd, struck porker squarely
refusal and was silent. The President ! ,n tb-e,rib,8-1 As the boofs rattled against
and Directors consulted together, and I ?le Blde,ot thaogtomt Qmethimdev
two of them came to her and briefly said l-"1?,1?10? 8Tx2H ,the ene
that they would be glad to know how Sbboihood. JTheolt Jaued over the
she had been made T aware of; the ap- nd a neighboring field,
preaching danger. , a total wreck. , ,The, sow And pigs were
Well? sir, if John is willing, I will f once m epace, but,,since the affair
tell you all. ; people have gathered Sausage meat in
John Mills, engineer; was called, and I "rt5 r,anA ialo,nfI' e road-side.'
he came in, cap in hand, and the entire i L u.f tif re 18 of theecent account
company gathered round in the greatest omglyf1U ?lo,n Du;
eaeerness. ' f buque, and while it is out of place, of
Without the slightest affectation, she'l r.; hjbout sucU
put her hand on John's irrimv arm. and tie tlu"?S' it doesseem as if some por-
Jaia .. , " ' j
" Shall I tell them, John ? They wish
to know about it. It saved their lives,
they say."
"And mine, too," said John, rever
ently. -- " You had best' tell them, or -let
me.
- She sat down again, and then and
there John explained how the open cir
cuit line had been built, how it was used, ,
and frankly told why it had been
tad been erected, i
Never did story create profounder sen
sation. The gentlemen shook hands
with him, and the President actually
kissed her for the company. A real cor
poration' kiss, , loud and hearty. ? The
ladies fell uppn her neck, and actually
cried over the splendid girl. Even the
children pulled her dress, and put their
arms about her neck, and kissed away
the happy tears that covered her cheeks.
Poor child 1 She was covered with con
fusion and knew not what to do, and.
looked imploringly to John. He drew
near, and proudly took her hand in his,
and she .brushed away the tears
and i
smiled.
The gentlemen suddenly seemed to
have found something vastly interesting
to talk about, for they gathered in a knot
in the corner of the room. Presently
the President said aloud : ' ' ' !
" Gentlemen and directors, you must
pardon me, and I hope the ladies will do
the same, if I call you to order for a brief
matter ot business." . ,
There was a sudden hush, and the room,
now packed to suffocation, was painfully
quiet.
" J. he Secretary will take minutes of
this meeting." ,
The secretary sat down at Kate s desk,
and then there was a little pause.
"Mr. Jfresident!"
" Mr. Graves, Director for the State,
gentlemen."
" 1 beg leave, sir, to offer a resolution.
Then he began to read from a slip of
paper : . .
" Whereas, John . Mills, engineer of
engine No. 59, of this railway line, erect
ed a private telegraph ; and, whereas, he,
with the assistance of the telegraph oper
ator of this station (1 leave a blank for
her name), used the said line without the
consent of this company, and for other
than railway business :
" It is resolved that he be suspended
permanently from the position of engin
eer, and that the said operator be re
quested to resign
A murmur oi disapprobation tuieu the
room, but the .President commanded si
lence, and the State Director went on :
" resign her place. ;
" It is further resolved, and is hereby
ordered, that the said John Mills be,
and is, appointed chief engineer of the
new repair shop at Slawson."
A tremendous cheer broke worn the as
sembled company, and the resolution was
passed with a shout of assent..
ilow it all ended they never knew. . . it
seemed like a dream, and they could not
believe it true until they stood alone in
that glorious 59. .,. The few cars the en
gine had brought up had been joined to
the train, and 59 had been rolled out on
the Biding. With many hand-shakings,
for John, and hearty kisses for Kate, and
a round of - parting cheers for the two,
the train had sped away. The idlers
had dispersed, and none lingered
about the abandoned station save the
lovers.- Fifty-nine would stay that night
on the siding. -.
For a few. moments they stood in the
glow of the great lamp, and then he
quietly put it out, and left the giant to
breathe away its - fiery ' life in gentle
clouds of white steam. As for the lovers,
they, had no need of its light. . .The win
ter's stars shone upon them, and the
calm cold .night seemid a paradise be
low. An Extraordinary ' Decision.
'A' most extraordinary decision, even
for the .latitude of New , York, was that
rendered in the Court of Special Ses
sions, the other morning, when Thomas
Sprott was sentenced to five days in the
city prison for having boxed his nine-year-old
boy's ears,' in punishment for
some act of disobedience. Thomas, "Jr.,
in his indignation at the indignity,
rushed off to a police court, and secured
a warrant for the old gentleman's arrest,
on the ground that he had been brutally
beaten by him; and, though there was
nothing in the boy's appearance to in
dicate that he had been disciplined any
more than he deserved,'- and , though, . his
mother appeared to testify that he hadn't
been ill-treated, this astute" Justice sent
the father to prisonr" Next thing, we
shall have, infants getting out injunctions
against their pa's and ma's spanking them
at alL Springfield Republican. ,
The Sea-Mouse, v
The sea mouse is one of the .psettiest
creatures that lives under waters It
sparkles like a diamond, and is radiant
with all colors of the rainbow, although
it lives in mud at the bottom of the
ocean. : It should not be called a mouse,
for it is larger than a bur rat. It is cov
ered with scales that move np and down
as it breathes, and glitters like gold
shining through a fleecy down, from
which fine silky bristles wave that con-
stantlv chancre from one brilliant tint to
another, so that as Cuvier, the great tiatN
uraiiflt, says, the plumage of the hum
ming birds is not more beautiful. Sea
mice are sometimes thrown, up on the
beach by storms. Home Guardian. -
It does seem as though a little re
flection must convince any reasoning
person that Dubuque newspapers are
sometimes guilty of exaggeration. Not
that'the journals mentioned wilfnlly con
struct outrageous tales, but that journal- .
ism there is sufficiently peculiar to allow
of temporary aberrations of mind in
regard to one of the commandments.
Take, for instance, the account of a re-
cent nitro-glyoerine explosion near the
city naoaed. . .The substoucef . the story
is as follows: "Some miners near the
town, ;whq liad fbeen using ) nftro-glycer-ihe,
set some of the liquid in an open
crock where the sun would fafrupon it,
in order that it might thaw out. An old,
motherly sow, with a piggish progeny of
six, came nosing about, end stumbling
upon ,the crock, upset it I Theivhe sow
and her Utter ate up all the niCtoglycer
ine. Continuing their explorations, the
family of porkers : went.,into a neighbor-
m? barn-yarn, where - a ! three-year-old
turns oi the story might l6 'incorrect,
There appears to be, as it were, a modest
j,garb pt fancy .delicately, covering the
! naked, truth from leeiiaijlookers-on.
' eti -r t. ...
oi. outs jcepuucican.
st-n t-T" '-f ?-
Spare the Crow.
Talking of crows, a BeTair Vi'&gi driver
says that the country people are poison-
f mS them with . strychnine Sjmtfding to
a time-honored religious custom at t.
this
season of the year. The fatal dose is
administered by being sairatiid in corn,
which is scattered around IreelyT Some
of the crews die on the -pot, others fly
away and somersault in the sky, and
others go blind and die of staryaon and
the stomach' ache. An instance is cited
of one worthy but wicked countryman
gathering up 1,200 crows he had poison
ed, taking their scalps cd reaping his
reward from ? the county! aatlkotfties, 6 J
cents apiece, 75. Crows, no doubt,-per-'
form' a better part for f annexe than they
are given credit for. Nature furnishes
scavenger birds and animals adapted to
the wants of every climate. In South
America the condors perform this part,
aided by the buzzards, which latter birds
are also an important feature in preserv
ing the sanitary' equililwium in the
southern portions of the JfJnited States.
Jji Charleston, S. C, the- buzzards are
protected by wise laws, which impose a
fine of $5 for eyery one slain. The birds
are so tame in Charleston tliat they sit
on the roofs of the mai-ket-hous$ on the
watch to grab up every, bit of offal that
is thrown out from the -butchers' stalls.
In tbe summer time the birds, being
very numerous, do a large part of the
city's scavenger work. In;the same way
crows," no doubt, are beneficial to the
country in this latitude, as their name of
"carrion crows" would indicate, besides
making themselves ' generally useful in
rooting out the grubs that hatch insects
to destroy the labors of the farmer. No
doubt if the crows wpre properly en
couraged to do so, they would be useful
in destroying the potato bug, lately so
destructive in all parts of this country.
Who knows until we have tried'them 1-
Baltimore Sun.
Apprentices Who Became Great Men.
Shoemakers' . apprentices . read with
pride tbat Roger Sherman, of Connecti
cut, one of the signers of the Declara
tion of Independence,' learned their,
trade, and that Henry Wilson, Vice
President of the United States, was work
ing as a journeyman shoemaker when
first elected to the Lecrislature of Massa
chusetts. Aid lard J: dunore, a late Vice
President and President of the United
States, was an apprentice in a country
clothier's estabhsh men t.' 4J Andrew John
son, another late Vice-President and
President of "the United,, Statfijfi learned
and worked at the tailor's tra.)4 Simon
Cameron, formerly Secretary of War,
and now. United iSltate .Senator, was
originally a printer. David it Carter,
formerly a member, of.ohgwps from
Ohio, now Chief Justice oi ihe.court in
the District of Columbia,-ww t my ap
prentice at Rochester. Several mechanics
have , been Mayors of the city of New
York , prominent amqng. ,w)if)raa were
Stephen Allen, Gideon Lee, and James
Harper. Daniel Cady, for more than
thirty years one of" the most distin
guished lawyers our State ever produced,
served his apprenticeship and brked as
a journeyman shoemaker untu , he was
twenty-four years old. Thur. Weed.
- Jfodical Properties of Eggs.
The white of an egg has proved of late
the most efficacious remedy.-for burns.
Seven or eight successive-applications of
this substance soothe pain'juid effect
ually exclude the burn from., the air.
This simple remedy seems to be prefera
ble to colodioh or even'cottotiv Extraor
dinary Btories are-told of that healing
properties of a new oil which ; is easily
made from the yolk of hen'a eggs. The
eggs are first boiled hard, and 'the yolks
are then removed, crushed, "nd placed
over a fire, where they are. carefully
stirred until the whole substance is just
on the point of catching . fire, when the
pi! separates and may be poured off.
One yolk will yield nearly two teaspoon
fuls of oiL It is in general use among
colonists of South Russia as a means of
curing cuts, bruises and scratches.
i-hvr-o " i rir-a ... :-
, Hermann, the celebrated magician,
was married recently., 'And Bis wife
doesn't have to get up at daybght to go
to market. When she wants a dozen of
eggs she simply hands hep husband the
empty egg-bag, and he ; produces them
by sleight-of-hand ; ; then b tjsooka an
omelet in a borrowed hat, ,aa4 Converts a
can of sawdust into that cauch white
sugar and similar cups filled with
chipped paper is changed into hot coffee;
then be takes the same hat, stirs up
its emptiness with. nlagio wand, and,
presto, , change ! . out oomw a loaf of
bread, a fresh shad, fco pitttM one pie,
a bucket of coal, a dish of hash, with
natural hairs in it, and half-a-dozen
knivesand forks.;, flfw isjutjuk cheaper
than going to market. But Mrs. Her
mann is not happy. When her husband
, wants a gold dollar he,iny8teppusly picks
it off the end of his,, wife's, rope. And
she is dissatisfied because she can't per
form that ... trick t er-NorrisUnoth
Herald. ' '
NbakLx one-third of'fii revenue' of :
Italy is collected at Genoa. The imports
of he kingdom for 1873 were 4,279,000
francs and the exports 1,129, OCO.000.