The children stayed away from the station, but they could not keep away from the railway.
They soon got to know the trains that passed by and gave names to them.
The 9:15 was the "Green Dragon," and the 10:07 was the "Winchester Worm."
One morning they sat on the hill and waited for the Green Dragon.
"The Green Dragon is going to London," said Phyllis.
"If it was a real dragon, we could stop it.
We could ask it to take our love to Father."
"Dragons don't carry people's love," said Peter.
"They're too fierce."
"Yes, they do, if you tame them first.
They fetch things like dogs," said Phyllis.
"And feed out of your hand.
I wonder why Father never writes to us."
"Mother says he's been too busy," said Bobbie.
"But he'll write soon, she says."
"Let's all wave to the Green Dragon as it goes by," Phyllis suggested.
"It will take our love to Father."
The children waved their handkerchiefs at the train . . . and a hand waved back!
It held a newspaper.
It was the hand of an old gentleman.
He was a nice-looking old man with white hair and a top hat.
Every day the children waved, and he waved back.
All this time Mother was very busy with her writing.
She sent off many envelopes with stories in them, and she received many envelopes too.
Sometimes she opened them and said, "Oh, dear," and the children were sorry.
But sometimes Mother would wave the envelope in the air and say,
"The magazine bought my story!" and she would buy buns for tea.
One day Peter was going to the village for buns when he saw the stationmaster.
"Good morning," said the stationmaster in a friendly way.
"G-g-good morning," said Peter nervously.
"I haven't seen you at the station for a while," said the stationmaster.
"After the trouble with the coal . . . ," began Peter.
"That's over now.
Come to the station whenever you like!" the stationmaster said, smiling.
"Oh, thank you," said Peter.
The next day the children waved to the Green Dragon.
Afterward Peter led his sisters to the station.
"But should we go?
After what happened with the coal?" said Phyllis doubtfully.
"I met the stationmaster yesterday and he said we could go any time we like," Peter replied.
At the station the children saw Perks, the porter.
Unlike some adults, Perks didn't mind answering endless questions beginning with "Why?"
He also told them many things about the railway.
They learned there was a man who wrote down the number of every train he saw.
Peter thought he could keep track of the trains' numbers too.
Perks gave him an envelope to write on.
Peter wrote down 379 and 663.
Later, at home, Peter asked his mother for a proper notebook.
She gave him one and said, "I'm so glad you like the railway.
But please don't walk on the tracks."
"Not even if we face the way the train is coming?" asked Phyllis.
"No," said Mother.
Bobbie said, "Mother, didn't you ever walk on the tracks when you were little?"
Mother was honest, so she had to say,
"Yes, I did . . . Okay, walk on the tracks, but not in tunnels or near corners."
The children smiled.