The Conductor's Story

Yes sir ; ni vi ifyou I til in th sray of seehëry, tt's aa pretty a bit of luml as yuu'i! iin.i in Kent county. That stretch now atoad'; By tho ■ ;■ tfiiag háppened .11 tiic track ju.-r th -;v thíett yea ago, ■":iin,' 'i i' .---as qüeéf as :vcr odme ín m] ■ befen rail■oadiuif. Jt ooettiTed i:i this rny; I'll í tfell it, I rocfcoft. B have to switob off foï tho cxprc-s :it he nextBtatior by fura v,!vllo. Tiiis lj;-,.'.i.:h rofld, yon see, Was l'iiilf 'Ot tb' . I W;1S put m ns conductor of the firsi train that was ■un. I i! how th 'cinu woke he country up! The Delawareans are eiiuiiio Bouthemera - luzy and hospita)t. They vr'&ce hos] ia a way coniiucrcial pooplo co:: inderstand. li wasn't :i matter of ií was a honií; illair to them, likc heirchurch or their darkies; soinething tokle.and gossip ovor and I iifout. The 8tatíoD8 used to bo crov.-.l. d vit 1 youag fellows in flasby necktee and heir Érwoethcarts, nice, modest little girls, oaded with cheüj) finory, wh i I ome down from the into see the train go by. Evory oíd "ii the í'outo thought ho"o,vnl ■ j,-ine, (it wns tlio General .Tacköon), ind know each separate car as vtll as ho lid liis own bulls and gheep. They'd ívüt theii wives to a fe.w miles1 ride, thte samo asyou town people would rum over o Europo with j Ofodurse, .. at homo here on he road in fcwo weks. Evérybódy c;illed me Dick. Th: re rere ácoros 6f places vheie 1 oonld dicp ittfor an odd incal. d to doubt wl.cther they wers iny nicles ; ml oousfns oí oot. Besid nao hfiTS] ttftar íü'ly, has no other bu.-iíess but loafhi. All the ald fellows gofc VoC püüsr.-S cwr th husir comer by thé taTern-fife ibr tbo ■ thoy wnoked day day, and told qu oí their leighbors1 I Stofany10 ly U the , by heaxt direotly. It was just when (lio ponches wi n jm; too, when 1 wfiíton tho road, w i )ixnohing opea buds with tu; thumbnail, nul tulkiii; leamedly ot'J h and Slorris Whiteg with tile resl. Its a curi0U6 Bight to see thut pink flush, pritig unid, i'rom ono end of the to the otlicr, and to think thal s the one matter of lit'c and death to tho )eopli'. TlnijK-achcshad come and gone, thougli when onii day, abcrut a moiith boforc rhankfjiiving, an old fëllow came OU oard with his family, who had a i'ur two down to Bt, George's. I saw at a ílanro that he was none ot' my usual ieadhead squad. A tbin, wiry old man, whit -hoadi -d, luit as active as a boy of ibcteen, and with the truc Delawarcan mack offindiogfnendsand showing himselt' fri mdly. He was a reporter 0:1 'lii adelphia penuy-paper, and had his lote-book on1 every-minute, pumping me about tho AVilmington whipping-post, Sloan's fiahbreéding expcihncnt, und about iha condition of the freíd neg "Makes items, malies items ! " bc said. ' Pushes the paper wonduïfully into local circulalion." had been a doctor c r lawyer, I for;et which, in New York, and w;is Btarved nt, he told me, so took up journaü :Ie did not impreBS me as a man of abili;y ; and bendes, the poor old fellow wa? worn out. It was high fcnrifefor hint to io by and loaf with tho others in tho )aggage-oaf. "Nowspaper work," he said, " pays landsomely, comparecí to my own pron. We get on quite conrfoytably on mysalary; quito comfortábly." I noticed npwevet, that bota he his wömen folks were thinlyand shabbily l. I did not pay niuch attei to the womon, but tliere w;is a boy, the old man's grandson - a little chap 01 bour, thát I tdólt a:x odd fafacy to from the flrst. He had as ugly face, but I think ono of tho most hó'n-st and lövablè 1 over savv. Tatrrrer tHat was the old man's nainc - I a llni.i he had brought his wife and ïaughtèr to keep Chanksgiving m Unge, whuro thoy had livéd years before. " We wafe ftllyqungev and cheorfullor then tliuri ïunv," he said, '-and I thought, may lic, with the old place would i back soinc of tbc old fëeling. Then sther ways of keeping tlio feasts tlnm with slutKng the stomaoh you know." I thought to myself it would bc as woll if the stomach liad its share of rejoicing. ranncr, cheerful and chirrupy as ho was, lookod ineager and hungor-bitten. Four pcoplc could nul on eight dolLu-3 a woek, wnich 1 found was his s.ilary. Ho hired a vacant house for n in.inlh. There it is - thatonebeyond the hill. ')vln' fuuiily went to hoosakeeping in Borne a rt of wayiu it, and xe ■." ■ l f run down Friday evenings to stay with them uviT Süiun'.ay, whicli is the newspapi men's Sunday, as you know. We êrew to be very friendly. I feil into habit of watcliing with liim for Dan, who always oame out on the porrh tt wait for him, liis motlier holding iiim by the hand I uscd to wonder if the, littlfi wiilow over lot go hur hold of the child, day or night, and once 1 remembei thinking what s'au would do it the child should die. Om; lias tiiosu quoer, idlt fancies, yoo know. But Dan'i in was one of those women who Beemed to have no lite outisicli; of one or twu peopli Ühey love. Wéll! Thanksgiving eve oame, anc Talmer was aboard ■i'in:; home, but 1 had no time to talk to him, as the waê cri.wileil wiili people wbo had np in Wilmington layingiu Buppli th; holiday. Kveu the passengerM3ara were heaped with baskets and pui Tanner had lus little packa - Bomething for Dan [ saw hij into it with hia eyee lui1 twicc. 1 remember b : n I brough) hira a monster tork Mrs. Tmucí. ïho old lady, although r b 911 mo on tho train whisked by, had taken au anxüms int rI bottle of n üy tho old g man. I doii'i know 1,113e I mntry giviugj br ■ rroi' ili:it Ebli IV1II' . ,.;, .. Of 1!,,. lvili(. M and eheerfuilesl ofmy 1 ■. i' ■ . The air wasoold and orisp. Thero was o rad Qg; in the ca and sta'i. iv was notbing lmt good-hnmor and friendly good wiabea. 1 don'i I rioua things, yot it laem uit lay thvi tb !■■;■■ oamb .with one acoord noin er to öod I [sgiving. One old gentleman on idea, I suppoao; for, ', hiui to OOimt niy change, 1 saw hiru watching the : 1HI!;,ile, and, turning to bis coinjpanion, he sai'l : "Tb ' thrng reír wtoíesomo in tho eifect of thesfr holidaya." Colono]. They awaken men to a Bense of di lonco and gratitude, as a year'i oanaot do.'' TRo otber was so long in replying thai 'il ap athim. " W . :i a mini hoi n. home or ho::ic tics to givi! tiuuss l'or, ilu: h..!i,l;iy U i no doubt.' It was so quecr and cold au answer ili:it f feit ;i ourii t. He went back to hiS nowapa :lisli onl', I notici il , and began to ly about the d si'lks and lincas. Ispon found tbat he as lafgcly infcrèsied in botli ; vci :i gdo3 pari öfthp world, : i, and, as 1 supilly. Ho ad tlie :iir ofa : to oommand, and to a ifo of i Sei stouty built man, wil h a 'i m-sha . irful i ' s. I id that througb al] liis oonvewe 1 to uvuid seeing the ofpeople wlio wereinc oroLf the train ; and once, when a c in pass-'ng puDed at his cano, he tnrnod iiis back ronghly on it. Yut, [ had a fancy- Idon't Itnow why- tha1 the ple and Thanksgiving mattered mo iiini than ny of us. Ilis friend said to hjjn ürcscntly, " ToüVü not well Colonel 'i " " Ñevei . But tho truth is, Venn, tuis country i all familiar to me, anything which reoalls oíd times makes me narrous and ■le. It's a weakness which I will outgrowpvolKil.lv. ïfyou'll excuse mo, '11 go forward." JIc saw mo just then, uching his hatj askod loave to on the r to see th Now of tho road Téere hod enouh, but tlmt was n thing I never illowed. IIoAvcver, I had taken a mis interest ui tí man, and I liked iis oourteous mannor, so I nodded and vent befofe Kim into the baggago csir, irid over the tuiidor to soe nim wross. To iny surprise, Joc Fenton, our nginecr, methim ns as oíd aoquaini oís had been a private in iinent tho war. lokhandsa . ïury to I.'ll that he wa , thathe stamraerod. The Jolonel laughed, and looked as pleasod as Toe. lic was a different man trom the oneïhad seen in tho car. I wai( moment to point out Broek's niodel farm .o him, vhen Joo said : " You used to come down to tlicso parts fisbing olten, I i-etuciubor, Coloncl ! " "V " hero is your good lady now, Vnd the child ': He was as puit n youngd." Tlie gentleman replied luit by a gesuro witli his hand. " What, both ? " gaspod Joo. " Botli ? " The Colonel did not speak for a minute, and t!. ' quietly: "Mywifè iraswith me in China. Sheeailed with tlie ihild for home on the BetreL I w;is to 'ollow six montlis later. Xhe Petrel went down. There wasno ono aaved." Joo said nothing; but pi'esently ho 3iit out Iris hand nndsmoothid the old aa'n's sleevo. It was just such a thiug as a woman would do. The Colonel added liastily, as ii' afraid ie would betray any emotion. " l'm on my wáy West now, in scurch (jf my i'athcr, who has left New EngUnd. People are eaiïily lost sight of in America ." " That'a a tact, ir," said Joe, and tUon tie and I began to talk about t glad to get back to lier. "Vo had nó right to moddle with a griet like ihat. I went back to tho car again, untii we came to that liill ahalf-mile beyond Tanuer's house, when I stepped back to the íngine. I had au u ling someliow about leaving the man tliuro. "Sre had lost timèi and wero going at full . when Joe gave a horrible oath, and at tho same time something fluí down on the track i'roin the bank, not vei1 twenty yards ahead. 'i'lie that it waa a child, that it was Dan, laughing und running, with both hands stretohed out, to rn '■. ou know, sir, how leng a minute like that lasts. I had time tj hear Jocj's mud whistle for down brukes shnoking uut througii hills, and to tUiuk itwas likotheyell ot' a devil, and to thank Go 1 tliat Tanner was in Ui! 1j;k k [' thi! (r:iin, and ooilld Iïüt tld havo to slv, and yet it ■ il hut i brcath oi' time. It was too lato. Tlio engañe did not slaukeii, and tho ehild nraa hurryiug toward it. Thcn I saw ils mothor above the bank, running düwn Wk? iieid. Slio had mosod J)m, i'.iid v?ould bc in sight before I remember Joe's lipa "vo;'e white. Yet ho sat as cool as eould bo, "It mr. death, I reckon, but - it' a man oouid onlj swing bimself down trom tho cow- or " Ipusjied forward, but tho Qolonel me buck. " I've nothing to lose," and as swift .is u cat he paased round tho ledge throw himself hoadlong down on tiu track in front. I shut luy cyes. Tl lie and tlu whole train thuadortd pn, slackened et how alowly I clim ed down and lookedover to a field. 1 ilid not kuow what I woulc tread in ■ 'ïitc p ople poured out of'( bo train. In tho olay lay tho Oolouel iik ■ oi o le id - clear out ot' tho tmck, sir. He child I unhurt, stül clutohad in botb. hands. He was onlj tun , and camo to in a moment, and#toodn did not fleem to s ■-■ the train, or the men abouthiiu; nothing but Tno boy, ovoi whose f ace ho was passing his hand. " Ood Almigliiy f" by oried. 'As mj ■ mother dowi on the ground with b ■ t. i arm and poor t, puUing at hi . and orying "Jaokj J ■ w howitwagina Bnsh and nu Itnotionto Joo to ■ rning, am mtlemen. minutes late ! " Though ['d I to wring the oi 1 umi's hand. I wag no rojoioing for u : in. Though l'vo got no botter frieud i (In: Colone] and lus fathor. Joe and 1 g thero as oiten M Thanksgivhig coinci 1. No om; cv. of that il.iy, but il . Yonder is tiioir house - son id iho Se i, J09, i li'r Hc's 0:1 the 011giiid, sir. PaSsmigors not allowed on the (Sf. Qeorgvi's! Tioketei! - Hearih and Jijiue.