Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/60

46 be slowing up. Nora, whose seat was near the window, looked out and saw a young woman standing at the side of  he track, and waving her arms frantically.

The train had drawn up near a little station, and some of the men, as well as the conductor and brakemen, went  out to see what the trouble was. In the mean time, the passengers began to speculate as to the trouble, and they  all talked freely with one another in rather loud tones. There seemed to be no doubt but that some one had been run over; and when a question was put to the conductor  on his return his grave nod confirmed this opinion.

“Oh, dear!” cried Brenda, “do you suppose that they ’ll bring it in here? I wish that we were n’t in the first car.”

“No, indeed,” replied Nora; “even if the person is killed—he said a girl, did n’t he,—well, she would n’t be brought in here. You see we ’re near a station, and, anyway, with so many houses near, they would n’t bring  the—the person into the car.”

Brenda seemed decidedly relieved by this statement.

“You ’re a great comfort, Nora; you are almost as calm as Julia would be. She never loses her head.”

“I hope that the lady who met with the accident has n’t lost hers,” said Nora, a little frivolously.

“Nora, how can you be so heartless? when I was just complimenting you for being so sensible.”

“Well, it may sound more heartless than it is. I asked the brakeman just now if any one had been killed, and he said, ‘No!’ He explained that it was only a foolish girl