The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1870-01-12

management Of the switches came
| under my supervision, and also the
Il draw which had been fixed in the
i bridge to allow vessels to pass
through. BY day we used balls as
1 fsignalsrif the draw was open, two
green balls were hoisted from the
standard d few ro d 8 below the
draw-ifit IL was closed and all was
right, two red balls signified that
fact to the engineers. BY night,
ifed and green lanterns we're sub.
stitated for the balls. So You will
readily understand that any failure
on the part of the station.master
ito attend closely to Ii is duties
might send some passenger.strain
to destruction in the twinkle of an
lcye. For two months everything
went like clockwork. / had an
Eethcient assistant i'm John Stitson,
a porter who had been employed
at the bridge for ten years, and
knew all the ropes. saw Florence
not unfrequently y-she often went
Into the city--and always came to
the office for her ticket. One day
when the carriage did not come
for her from the cottage, I had the
felicity Of holding her soft hand for
a moment IN mine as I lifted her
out. ,s ... i, - =
il From the time Wok possession
of the railway station, Paul Stan>
ford had begun to manifest a sort
OF friendship for me. / had strong
suspicious that it was assumed,
though it seemed real enough.
And indeed what particular object
he could have in feigning a friend.
ship for me he did not feel, I was
at a loss to imagine. / received
his advances with a acoldness which
would have repulsed most men,
but it seemed TO have no effect on
him. He smoked his cigars in my
little private room, and read his
papers there, and talked to me in
genial, off.hand way--so thor, ugh
ly friendly that at times I was
ashamed of myself and my suspi-
cions. Thinking it over now, I
know that "by hook or by crook !"
he managed to worm out of me all
the secrets of my business--if in
decd they may be called secrets
but at that time did not take no.
tice of his inquiries, so gradually
were they put mp. Meanwhile !
gained the confidence of the com.
pany--I was trusted with large
sums of money, and was general.
ly thought well of. Mr.. Wayne
invited me to dino at lis house,
and Florence sang and played for
me, and l would have been per.
fectly happy if Stanford had not
made his appearance and beguiled
Florence away from my side. .
One dark, foggy night re.
member it was Friday and it was
in March---iust as the clock poin-
ted to 10-the hour when the Hal.
lidon Express was dne-I heard
the whistle Of a steamboat, three
sharp whistles and one long one
a signal that the draw must be
opened. / seized the green Ian.
tern and went out--Stitson was al.
ready there, for lie had been set
ting the switches aud hanging up
the albright signal. - - -
Ease her down, Stitson % said
land we took the. red lantern
down ard hooked on the green one
in its plnce.
/" RS cnssed inconsenient hay-
ing this steamer come inst at this
time" "growled Stitson; " won't old
GILES referring to the driver Of
the Express-"won't he swear at
being stopped 2"
He opened the draw, and inst
as he did 80, l heard the whistle
Of the approaching train. But
there was no lime to notice it.
we were fully occnpied with get.
ting the steamer through. BY
some mismanagement on board Of
her, che failed, and had to he back.
ed, which took up time, and glanc.
ing mp, / saw with horror, that in.
stead of the green lantern, I had
hung from the standard a moment
ago, the red one was flying ont
like the eye of dooml -
"Great Heavens 70. cried Stir.
son, following my glance the
red light is up and the train will
60 to rnin, and the company'll
send us after 'em to morrow 70
Like lightning shct through my
brain the thought of the switchi
If l could only reach it in time. /
could send the train, up the steep
grade Of the wood track, and be.
fore they reached the end oft, the
engineer would be able to stop. I /