The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-04-10
From ''the Presently
THE SPECTER SIGNAL.
BY LOUIS O'sHAUGHNEssY.

"Do you know Steve Dalton's whis-
tie? That is it now, sounding note OF
thankfulness that his lightning run of
$50 miles is once more safely over and
his engine about to back into the
roundhouse. Know it among SO
many? Why, OF course. One OF the
first things man does on being as
signed a regular engine-a proud day
IN his life, by the way-is to work at
the whistle until it has an individuali-
ty, so to speak, In order for instance,
that his people may know it, as he
rushes past the little house on the
roadside, as well as they would his
voice at the dool, be the night never
SO dark, and perhaps answer thegreet-
ing with the fash of lamp across the
window. Now it is the wife or the dear
old mother; again it is thesweetheart.
If the house Is in sight of the track,
be sure that we expect to see the light
in the window for US, and if not, we
feel all the same that our signal is
known by those who love US, and who
pray for Us as they hear the
thunder OF the train roll in
from the distance and die away again
or see its lights fash by on the iron
way below them. Did you notice the
voice of Steve's engine? Ithas plain
tive sound even when it records a safe
arrival, and it always seem to me to
reflect Steve's secret soul, cheerful and
manly front as he keeps for all of us.
No Drawer or truer heart ever beat in
a cab than his; but, like the veteran
soldier who has once been hit hard, he
goes to his daily battle of duty with a
certain dread that some of us younger
fellows do not feel. Not an old man
No, not In one sense. Steve is about
fifty now; but, he is one of those men
with whom the gray enters the beard
before 1t does the heart, and when, not
yet forty, he loved as only strong
nature that has been self-contained in
earlier manhood, and has not dulled
the edge of sentiment with idle hirta.
tion can love, the already grizzled en-.
gineer was Tilted by the naughty beau,
ty of twenty five for black mustached
nonentity, who led her g. drudge's life
and left her pretty, penniless widow
at twenty seven"
The young engineer, who had beer
speaking to agroup of friends who had
brought him q holly wreath for his
engine, and had gathered at the sta
tion to give him Christmas send-off
was evidently warming to his story
be was one OF those rare takers whose
eloquence grows with intensity of feel
ing, and he was listened to with silent
interest.
"No, thank you. Nomore cigars to
night. We start in fifteen minutes
and | never smoke under way. Well
there were those who whispered that
Julia Howard had soon repented il
secret of her hasty choice; but she was
too proud to show it, and when sh,
returned to her fathers home III hel
weeds Steve Dalton was too high
spirited to renew his suit, though it i,
said that until the family left tn,
neighborhood-for California it was in
definitely given out-the old and a.
one time favored lover had founC
means to befriend them.
THAT was nine years ago, and i
was nearly two years later that W,
first saw what We came afterward tC
call The Specter Signal | had ruI
away from college, being bent On being 6
practical railro6der, and was firm!
'or Steve that year. 1t was a moon
less but clear september night, with al
the stars out, and We were then run
ming on schedule calling for thirty
five miles an hour, which was counted
quite wonderful then, but which would
not excite some OF It's much now. W,
had climbed Stony Ill., the Longest
and heaviest grade on the westward
run, and had begun the descent of I'll,
mountains through the long Chester
Cut, IN which We seldom saw sign o
human life, passing il as we did about
midnight. suddenly, lust as Stew,
wnsNied for the entrance 10 the cut a.
he vouldfor tunnel, away up anon!
the pines a bright blue light moved
quickly in the form OF a cross thre,
times and disappeared. il was evi
IDENTIFY greeting al some kind, but sc
Weird that Shlvered as Steve answered
~ WITH his peculiar whistle, meaning
Good night or anything you liked e
imagine 1t saying. Night after night
alter that We saw the blue lantern. OF
whatever it was, moving in cross fash
ION from the same spot, away up uea,
the TOP OF the mountain, and Steve
came soon to expect ii, and answered
II uHvaryinely. He, of course, only
took MS eyes from the track ahead fol
an lustanr-a quick glance forward
and upward; but | tried IN vain to see
some signs OF habitstion at the point
nom which the signal came, and even
ask the men Of the day run ii there
was a house there; but they remem.
hered none. So at last ] grew super
spttous about it, and Uas inclined to