Publisher's Synopsis
HE train from 'Frisco was very late. It should have arrived at Hugson's siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the gray dawn was breaking in the east when the littletrain slowly rumbled up to the open shed that served for the station-house. As it came to astop the conductor called out in a loud voice: "Hugson's Siding!"At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the car, carrying a wickersuit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked under her arm. The conductor helped her off the car and thenthe engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and moved slowly awayup the track. The reason he was so late was because all through the night there were timeswhen the solid earth shook and trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that atany moment the rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers. So hemoved the cars slowly and with caution.
