steam began to make a noise escaping, and I didn't dare defer my departure any longer. I uncoupled the box cars, mounted the cab and made as noiseless a start as possible.

"My heart was beating wildly, I keeping my eye to the rear, but when I came to a turn around a rise in the ground without seeing anyone behind me I gathered courage and let her go. I got her over some five miles in about 15 minutes, when I stopped and, taking a file from a

the furnace door and saw that the fire was nearly out. I calculated the possibility of getting a ride northward on the machine, but I'd have to fire up before trying it. I was pretty desperate and ready for any risk. So I dropped one lump of coal after another into the firebox, not daring to make the noise of shoveling it in. I worked half an hour at this, and concluded that whoever was running that engine must be pretty sleepy, for no one appeared to interfere with me. I should have raked out the ashes, but I didn't dare do that, for the noise it would make. Pretty soon the

tool box in the cab, climbed a telegraph pole and cut the wires. This was to keep anyone from heading me off.

"Considering that I wore butternut I had a pretty fair show to pass along the road without being stopped-that is, if no telegram had been sent to stop me before I'd cut the wires- and I didn't think anyone would suspect a Yankee had stolen the engine. After I had passed the first station I wouldn't likely be called back or stopped by telegraph. If I could have a free road I wouldn't fear getting on, but all those Southern roads had but a single track in those

days, and I would have to stop and switch to let trains go by.

"Five miles from where I started I passed a small station. It was still early, though it was broad daylight, and no one was up and about. I knew by this that no information about me had got through-at least to this point-from the one where I had taken the engine. I pushed on, but stopped after going a few miles to rake out the cinders. When this was done I knew I would soon get steam enough to go as fast as the road

"Next station?'

""Next but one.'

"Any side track at the next?' "Yes. What you doin' runnin' wild this way?'

"""Government business,' was my reply as I rolled away.

"I glanced at the time-table and found the man was right. In two miles there was a station. Three miles farther on was B. I resolved to go to the next station, get un a side track and wait. I soon covered the two miles separating

me from it, got on to the switch and in 10 minutes a passenger train went by. I saw the conductor leaning out and looking back at me, but he didn't seem to think it worth his while to inquire what I was doing there.

"Of course I couldn't get on this way very long. I was sure to be stopped in time and called upon to give an account of myself. So I bethought myself what story I would tell. I might say I was bearer of dispatches from one general to another, but I knew nothing about the Southern commanders of that region. While I was thinking I passed another

I found a freight train standing on the track stopping my way. I pulled up in front of the locomotive. The engineer of the freight was sitting in his cab reading about the battle the day before. I yelled to him to back up and take the siding. He called the conductor, who asked who I was.

"You'd ought to know by my uniform,' I said, 'that I'm a Confederate soldier. You get your train out of my way pretty quick.'

"What right have you to order me about?'

might get through the network ahead of me. I knew that certain parts of North Carolina were full of Union people who would hide me and help me get on northward.

"Fortunately for me there was't many trains coming southward, and by working the ammunition story I managed to get on till noon without being stopped. Then I saw by smoke ahead that I was coming to a city, which by my time-table I judged to be Raleigh. It was one thing to pass small stations, where the agent had little to do with the running of

cavortin' over the road, and I'm ordered to stop it. Are you the fellow that's running it?'

"Yes. I'm after ammunition for the troops below. I've got to get into Raleigh right off.'

"With that I opened her up, and away I went. Looking back, I saw the agent standing on the platform gaping at me. "I knew now that my run was ended. But I wouldn't leave my locomotive until I had put it on a side track, since I didn't wish to be the cause of an accident. But near the city side tracks were more frequent, and, coming to one of

then I worked my way traveling by night and hiding by day, over the mountains into east Tennessee."

The Truth About Maisie.

BY AGNES G. BROGAN. (Copyright, by American Press Association, 1911.) The boyish looking young pastor of Trinity church frowned darkly and removed a footstool which stood in his way in a very unclerical manner, while the sweet-faced old lady who sat near by folded a letter which she had been reading aloud.

them, I put the machine on it and took to the woods.

"My Confederate trappings were a protection to me, and I felt comparatively safe. I told a boy I met that I was looking for a Union man whose name I couldn't remember, and he told me to go into the next hamlet and inquire. He said they were all Union people there.

"I went to the house, found the owner and, having made sure that he was on my side, told him what I had been doing. He took me out to a deserted bakery and hid me in the ovens. I remained there till my friend told me that it would be safe to go farther, and

"Well, David," she asked, "what shall we do about it?"

"There is just one thing to be done, of course, " her son answered promptly; "we must send for my brother's child and ask her to make this her home."

The old lady readjusted her spectacles and referred again to the letter. "Richard was ambitious to be a great artist," she said slowly, "and I can picture the lifelong struggle which ended only in defeat. But at the last he remembered his mother.

"Take care of my little girl,' he writes. 'She is an irresponsible, thoughtless creature, sound and good at heart. Watch over her, I entreat you, and use