ned, Letty. The afternoon express
was coming into town this afternoon, and, when it was about two miles
out, all of a sudden the engineer saw a red flannel petticoat hanging
right down in the middle of the track, hanging by a clothes-line, mind,
from the limb of a tree. He thought at first it was a joke, but
changed his mind and thought he'd look further, and would you believe
it, he found a great, big log across the track. If the train had come
on that I guess there'd been more grief than Thanksgiving in this
neighborhood to-morrow."

Mrs. Mason had said all this along in one steady strain, while she was
walking round the room putting away her parcels.

Getting no response, she turned to look at Letty for the first time.
"Why goodness! The girl has fainted. What on earth do you suppose is
the matter with her?

"Jamie, come quick. Get me some water.

"There," when the restorative had had the desired effect. "Why, what
ailed you, Letty? You weren't sick when I went away. Bless me! I
hope you ain't going to be sick, and such a surprise as we've got for
you, too, out in the barn. But there. If that isn't just like me. I
didn't mean to tell you yet."

"Why, mother, mother," exclaimed Father Mason excitedly as he rushed
into the room. "Somebody's just come from the village with this,"
flourishing Letty's skirt wildly around, "and they say the train was
stopped right back of our house."

"For the land's sake, Job! Well, if that ain't our Letty's red
balmoral. How did it--is that the--Letty, was it you?" she finished up
rather disjointedly.

Letty nodded, unable to speak just then.

"Well, who'd 'a' thought it. So you saved the train! Do tell us all
about it."

"Mother, don't you think we'd better wait a bit till she looks a mite
stronger," suggested kind-hearted Job Mason.

"Well, I don't know but you're right, but I'm clean beat out. Don't
you think, Job, that we might bring Letty's surprise--but there's the
surprise walking in from the barn of itself. Tired of waiting, likely
as not."

"Yes, Letty," broke in Laurie. "Did you know your brother had come
home and that you saved his life this afternoon with that old red skirt
of yours?" So the mischief was out at last, and though the excitement
and everything nearly killed Letty, it didn't quite, or I don't think I
would have undertaken to tell this story. I don't like sad
Thanksgiving stories. Not that there aren't any; I only say I don't