Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-10
HANDSOME HARRY;
The King of Operators.
EH II. S. DLaNEE.

Harry Zealand was The night operator ut
E, small but important junction
point OF railroad ccntering at one Of our
large western cities.
He WAS not more than two and twenty ut
tho ;i'nc our story opens, tall and OF COM
nanlins figure, with frank, open coun-
tenance. large, blue eyes, and light, wuyy
hair. lie was Familiarity called by oil his
acqaaintnnces Handsome Harry"
Mothers held him up as On example for
their rising sanR, and he was constantly
sought bs all those having ma,riageable
daughters. He was the very soul OF honor
ana no one had dared whisper scandal to
hl.A since one evening, some two months
Pr tons 10 the opening of our story, when
he Lac, severely punished a rough charac-
Ter Aan,cti jamison, for passing light re-
mari; about Mary Strand, u young lady of
the village.
js:nison took The whipping i'll sullen
silence, but when Harry let him go he
turned round and shook his fist at Harry
eSeaining:
IN he even with you YET, you railroad
sneak: aud Then he SUNK away out of
Harry sight.
"1oa had better look out for him. Harry,
or be vii, do you some injury, yet" spoke
out ono Of Hnrrys friends, who had been
an eye Witness to the fight.
iii take care of that, never fear" re-
piled Harry. "No one can insult such q
pure, innocent girl as Mary Strand without
reca'lis!g II. He's u coward at heart, and
would not dare attack other than the fair
name CT some dcfcnseless lady. He will
keep away from me in the future"
Two months have passed since the even
ing of The fight. and still Jamison has at
tempted no revenge; in fact. he has rather
seemed to avoid Harry and would cross the
street when he saw him coming. rather than
face the scorEful smile that Was ever sure
TO %rset .im. .
6t there was The lurking demon in his
eye, sod he malignant look he would cast
after Harry hoded no good
IL WIS like the calm that preceaes the
storm and needing but q breath of wind TO
rouse the hidden force and fury into rae-
ing tempest.
Our story opens on the evening of july
20, 1882. Tho day had been very warm
and suliry, but as the sun began to sink TO-
ward The wost, great banks of black clouds
beg,n to appear. and BY night the sky was
hid from view.
AS .ne day agent was about to leave he
beckaned Harry aside and told him TO keen
q sbaE,cye on tho movements of the night
swicitmnn, as he had been drinking hard
all day. and had been seen in tho company
OF J"snison and another snspicious-loo
Ing character late that afternoon
Promising to watch the switchman, Harry
went about his duties as night operator.
But the arrival Of No. Z and the questions
10 no answered soon caused the agents
warning. for the time, to be forgotten.
IS. b., S. B., 10, X. d." was what the
wire w,s swiftly clicking, and cvcr-watch-
full larry sprang to the telegraph key to
answer The dispatchers call and take the
train order:
OPaaAToR:--Ilold No at E until
special train East has arrived there Have the
switches blocked and crossings guarded as
spsciai is running fifty miles per hour Be
sure that Swaa's Crock bridge is all right.
Hastily repeating the order and timing
it lie pulled the signal board.
Il lacked bnt fifty minutes until No. S
would be due and the special had passed
The last telegraph station before she reached
F. ihree minutes ago.
Without it was now blowing perfect
gale. The rain fell in torrents and loud
pea's Of thunder rent the still night air.
Swans Creek bridge. was full two miles
away. Could the bridge be made in the
face OF such storm before the special ar
rived there2
Telling Peterson, the night switchman,
to see that the switches were all right and
to guard the crossings carefully, Harry
hastily put on his gum coat and boots, and,
securing lantern. started out into the dark
ness and storm upon his perilous task.
AS he passed the section house he
thought he saw the outline of q man as
the rays from his lantern penetrated the
darkness; but no time could be spared TO
investigate. SO On he sped.
Let US leave him 10 continue his way
over the slippery road-bed and return to
the station and see what it is that caused
him to imagine he saw man lurking there.
AS Harry passed the section house the
form Of II man crouched nearer the little
building, as if afraid of being detected,
but az Harrys form disappeared in the
darkness. the nan gradually assumed an
upright position, AMI. raising his clinched
band high above his head, he muttered: