Show I Berties Red Cap I Bertie had a new eapa beautiful cap of tho very brightest red He was so very proud of It that ho almost forgot his manners and left it on In tho t house but It helped him to remember remem-ber them when he met mamma and Aunt Nellie on the street for then he lifted It as politely as a grownup gentleman gen-tleman But there camo a day when mamma and papa were more proud of that little red cap than Bertie himself That Is why there Is a story about Her tie and his cap Right past the back yard ran a railroad track Bertie had been forbidden for-bidden to climb the fence and he had never disobeyed Ono afternoon ho was playing near the fence with the new red cap on the side of his head just as he had seen big cousin Charlie Char-lie who was a high school boy wear his He was building a play track on his side of the fence Every once In a while he climbed to the top of the fence to look at tho real track and see just how It was built Then down i he would climb and lay a few more ties and rails The last time ho climbed up his eye caught sight of something big and black lying In tho middle of the track some distance away All his little life he had been watching the trains running run-ning up and down He know at just what time every train should pass and he know now that tho three oclock flier might go by at any minute He was quite sure of another thing If that big black something down there on the middle of the track did not move off the flier might jump the track and many people be hurt or killed Ho watched anxiously but it did not move Perhaps some one had placed It there purposely to wreck the filer Some one must attend to It 1 and Bertie know that he was the only one to do It Mamma had forbidden him ever to cross the fence and ho was always careful to mind her but he know that just now n moment bad come when he could not stop to ask mamma for ono minutes delay might mean the wreck of the fast train Quickly he climbed tho fence and sped down the track The black something seemed to grow bigger as he drew nearer and then ho saw that Is was a big draft horse which had died upon the track Stretched across tho track It lay resting on both rails Bertie pulled at the big animal but he could not move It an Inch There was no one to call upon for help and already he could hear the rumtlo of a train In the distance Then like a flash ho remembered the danger signal sig-nal The only bit of red ho had About him was the little new cap but that was such a gay red and tho sun shining upon It made it flash so brightly bright-ly that ho took hope Climbing upon the body of the dead horse to make himself taller he waved the cap high above his head the moment ho caught sight of tho train far away Nearer and nearer It came He kept his place though ho was right in the track of the engine en-gine Still It did not slow up and In i a moment more It would be upon him lie wondered If when mamma found his crushed little body she would think he had wilfully disobeyed her and gone upon the track Ho was sure the signal had not been noticed and closing his eyes very tight he waved harder than over while he thought of mamma and papa and dear baby But Just then the big engine gave a snort and a grind and then all was still except the voices of a great many people as they poured out of the train to see what tho trouble was And this IK what they saw lllght across the middle of the track mounted mount-ed upon the dead body of the big horse stood a very little boy with a white white face and black damp curls clinging to his forehead and with his right hand he Mill waved t with all his might a tiny rod cap high In the air The conductor lifted him up like a baby and kissed the little fellow Her tie received n reward which seemed very big Indeed from the passengers But best of all was tho happiness of m a mmai pa over tUelr boy s bravery Mamma took tho little red ap from him very gently and said I shall get you another dear but mamma wants to keep this one always al-ways because of the good work her Ittle boy ban done with It Katherlno Herrick I |