Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-12-20

IoOlll, III Sldi llliIS
guage the many good qualities of the
Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad, did
net choer hnr very much. "'Thc ST.
YER Lining Route sic road r@'h"r
disdaiEfulIy, and thought t. herself
" Well. the Cranberry Creek e G"dS
don't have silver li"n@S." \rriN ST."
read " Crowds patronize il dahl" ""d
in her mind she added "Ih' crowds
all leave the cars before they reach
this part of the road for do not see
one new fac" a day"
DiSSy evidently had Il fl If the
the least to be ungrateful to he. good
and kind friend. joe. Sic was
smart, clever girl and ambitious. She
had read many stories and biographies
of good and noble girls who had be-
come great and grand women. Many
a time the warm blood had couScd
quickly through her veins as she read
of the thrilling deeds done hy such
women as Elizabeth Fry and Florence
Nightingale. and even by girls like
: race Darling and Joan of Arc.
DiSSy wondered if any of them would
have been heroines if they had been
banished to such dull and cut of the
way corner as Cranberry Creek, Ohio.
Even as she Spccu'atCd thus. the
door was opened and a heavy football
sounded on the threshold. Dissy
looked around to behold Il tail. power
full man, total stranger.
The operator is away p he asked.
in tone which implied that he only
sought for confirmation of something
he already knew.
Yes, SIR said Dissy. for once
rather sorry to see Il fresh face at Gram
berry Creek.
" How long before Numbers Nine
passes here ~ inquired the man.
DiSSy looked at the clock on the
wall and SAW that it was just six
o'clock
g In thirty-three minutes" she said,
and added " that is. if it is ON time.
Sometimes Number Nine is late
Dissy hoped it would be late this
evening, fol she knew that Number
Nine was the train made up entirely
of express cars. and she did not like
the looks of this strange man. She
hoped, yes, and silently prayed, that
joe might return quickly. He had
been gone more than an hour already.
But the man. who was indeed bad
fellow. knew very we'll that the op-
orator would not be back yet awhile:
for the man who cnticed Joe into the
woods. on prcteNt of viSiti2" the Stave
works was one of his colfcd"ratcs.
-" | want YOU to stop Num- cr Nine"
said the stranger. with a sharp Scowl
that very much frightened the girl.
But cannot do that. sir" she re-
piled, without orders from the train
despatcher.n
"You never mind the train dcs-
hatcher or his orders" grutlly an
swercd t%e man Just do as | tell
you, and I'll explain to the train
people. I'll give thcm a mighty good
excuse" he said grimly. As he spoke
he leisurely Transferred from one
Nncket to the other horrible looking
pistol. He did this to frightcn Dissy,
and to some extent he succeeded.
" Cicketty-cIck-click y
went the little hammer.
What are they saying?' ~ asked the
desperate.
"They arc asking if it is all right to
let Number Nine start from Ncwbury,n
@ Yes: and all you have to answer is
y. K.,-isn't that so?''
No. sir. Before they consider the
road clear, must tell them what time
The last train passed here going east.o
Well. hurry up and cut it as short
as possible. For. lock you, my girl,
',ou mustn't tamper with me. | have
lots of friends: and. if anything hap
nens to me, it will go hard with you.
Fire away now ~
But Just then, and all in moment,
Dissy thought of Joe Denman's kind
ness to her, and remembered how he
had intruStcd the cabin to her. She
recollected, too. that if anything
serious happened, joe might he pun
ished and discharged for leaving the
cabin without permission. And, some
how she thought of Grace Darling and
Joan of Alc; and it struck DSSy that,
if she was but a twelve year old girl,
she might he true to her trust. SO
with the skill and speed of an expert
she touched the little telegraph key.
Click click clirkctty- click click
click -click' was all it said to the train
robber. But to the operator at New
bury it said. "Scnd the sheriff and
other help on Number Nine. Robbers
here"
"Now, thcn.n said the man, "you
wave the red light, right here. and
when the engine is at the mile-poSt
yonder wave the white light for her
TO stop. Understand, now. My boys
and I will be near tie post. and. if
Won don't do rs | have told YOU. the
cina, tbron~h Won TlatS all :,
o'I',i nv '", ,,..oII.od sln,,.lv nm tho
tronll ne omJ r'iI1 nissy M waved tho red lantern
Il"In' a Ii', I;ma:tod 49, IVA boo,,, i,.,;n
tHnnblaJ ,'S np ,iIU mn srowcr and slownr mtii
t'l''u,u tt nP '.,rns;to tbe most tLot