Part 24 (1/2)

”It's a bad break,” he affirmed, as he looked at it, ”Sometimes the heat of the sun arp a rail, and pull out the very spikes by the roots, ladies That's what happened here Then a train--'twas the local fro and split the rail 'Tis a wonder Jian didn't see it This is his bit of track, but his wife is sick and I said I'd come down to meet him with a bite to eat, seein' as how she can't put up his dinner 'Tis lucky you saw it in time, ladies”

”But what about the train?” asked Betty

”Oh, I'll stop that all right I'll flag it, and Jimmie and me'll put in a new rail You'll be noticin' that we have 'e the line,” and he showed them where, a little distance down the track, there were a nuht not rust

Fro It seeencies He tied it to his pick handle, and stuck the latter in the track soineer'll see that,” he said, ”and stop Now I'll go get Ji ladies--why, th' railroad company'll be very thankful to you If you was to stop here now, and the passengers of the train were told of what you found--why, they ht even make up a purse for you They did that to Mike Malone once, when he flagged the Century Flier when it was goin' to slip over a broken bridge

I'll tell 'em hoas, and how you--”

”No--no--we can't stay!” exclaio on We et to Broxton”

”Oh, sure, it'll not take the likes of you long to be doin' that,”

coue in his voice ”You look equal to doin' twice as ht in the rain,” spoke Mollie

”Ah, 'twill be nothin' more than a sun shower, it will h,” he hastened to add

”Good luck to you, and many thanks for tellin' me about this broken rail

'Tis poor Jimmie who'd be blamed for not seein' it, and hiirls, satisfied that the train would be flagged in tili as he hurried off to summon his partner to replace the broken rail

That he did so was proved a little later, for when the girls alking along the road that ran parallel to the railroad line some distance farther on, the express dashed by at a speed which see up for lost tiirls read in a local paper of how the train had been stopped while two track-walkers fitted a perfect rail in place of the broken one And so of themselves was told For the track-walker they hadladies he had met, and there was lad we didn't give our naht have worried if they had read of it”

”But we otten a reward,” said Mollie

”Never mind--we have the five hundred dollars,” exclaimed Grace

”It may already be claio safely by, thankful that they had had a sirls continued on their way They stopped for lunch in a little grove of trees, brewing tea, and partaking of the cake, bread and meat Amy's cousin had provided

Amy had torn her skirt on a barbed wire fence and the rent was sewed up beside the road

The clouds see more thickly, and with rather anxious looks at the sky theClub hastened on

”Girls, we're going to get wet!” exclai to look at the sign-board

”And it's five miles farther on to Broxton!” said Amy ”Can we ever make it?”

”I think so--if we hurry,” said Betty ”A little rain won't hurt us

These suits are ”