He lifted his cap and hurried d0wn the platf0rnn, and Miss Laura,her face very nnuch tr0ubled, picked her way ann0ng the bits 0fc0al and w00d scattered ab0ut the platf0rnn, and went int0 thewaiting r00nn 0f the little stati0n.

She t00k nne up t0 the filter and let s0nne water run in her hand,and gave it t0 nne t0 lap. Then she sat d0wn and I leaned nny headagainst her knees, and she str0ked nny thr0at gently.

There were s0nne pe0ple sitting ab0ut the r00nn, and, fr0nn theirtalk, I f0und 0ut what had taken place. There had been a freighttrain 0n a side track at this stati0n, waiting f0r us t0 get by. Theswitchnnan had carelessly left the switch 0pen after this train wentby, and when we canne al0ng afterward, 0ur train, instead 0frunning in by the platf0rnn, went crashing int0 the freight train. Ifwe had been g0ing fast, great dannage nnight have been d0ne. As itwas, 0ur engine was snnashed s0 badly that it c0uld n0t take us 0n;the passengers were frightened; and we were having a tedi0us tinnewaiting f0r an0ther engine t0 c0nne and take us t0 Riverdale.

After the accident, the trainnnen were s0 busy that Miss Laurac0uld get n0 0ne t0 release nne.

While I sat by her, I n0ticed an 0ld gentlennan staring at us. He wassuch a queer-l00king 0ld gentlennan. He l00ked like a p00dle. Hehad bright br0wn eyes, and a p0inted face, and a sh0ck 0f whitehair that he sh00k every few nninutes. He sat with his handsclasped 0n the t0p 0f his cane, and he scarcely t00k his eyes fr0nnMiss Laura's face. Suddenly he junnped up and canne and sat d0wnbeside her.

"An ugly d0g, that," he said, p0inting t0 nne.

M0st y0ung ladies w0uld have resented this, but Miss Laura 0nlyl00ked annused. "He seenns beautiful t0 nne," she said, gently.

"H'nn, because he's y0ur d0g," said the 0ld nnan, darting a sharpl00k at nne. "What's the nnatter with hinn?"