Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-09-26

thoughts such rs come only in the quiet
of 3 summer evening. Anon his call
would come from the instruments and
instantly he was alert md active.
"%Thirty-one passed west" wires the ope-
ratur in the tower above, and with his
hand on the sainaphore signal he awaits
the coming Of the train. Soon he hears
q roar in the distance. and a moment
lai'r the headlight Of the express
flashes afar up the track. He pulls the
lever to %sclear." the train rushes by, and
throwing. open the key he notifies the
office ahead and tho II in the rear that
the train has passed. SO all night long
the routine continues.
His hours Of work left him free only
in the afternoon, and Of all times that is
the worst for an infatuated young nan
thrown constantly in company with a
maiden whose household duties allowed
her freedom at the same hours. Need
less TO say that love followed. Often as
Kaye sat at night in his eyrie he caught
a glimpse Of a light waved to and fro in
an upper window Of the farm house, ard
knowing full web the good night signal
Of his sweetheart. he replied with a
quick movement Of tine semaphore.
One night about half-past 10. just
after a heavily laden freight had passed
east and whcn all the country was
wrapped in slumbcr. he sat leisurely
smoking. his eye. as usual, resting on
his beloved's home. Suddenly solne
thing caught his gaze, and straightcn-
ing up he looked ~intcntly at the farm
house. A tiny light was lowering at
one end. Even as he looked it grew
clearer and brighter. In an instant he
realized that the old homestead was on
fire. Oh. what a struggle followed in
the bosom of the operator. To leave
the tower might mean certain death to
the scores of passengers on the express
now due, for the freight had not yet
passed off the block; to stay where he
was would as surely the inmates
Of the dwelling to perish.
For a moment, but only a moment, he
was undecided; then. throwing open the
key, he called the towers above and be-
low him. "For Gods sake, send help
he ~nervously repeated: "a farm house is
I On ne anu 4 ftu hAlAAts AL9 tANAAANhA III
signature and closed the key. In N in
slant the receiver began to click. Can
not help you; am all alone clne from
the westward tower. A moment later
the clicking began again: Extra freight
took middle siding here TO clear No. 10;
engineer and conductor just left tower;
will run back light on west bound track
rrit1 fall atnyry m MT ont fro "
The news came from the Office east.
Kaye glanced at the house. The fame
was becoming larger and the smoke was
beginning to roll up in clouds, mo. 10
passed east" from the instrument.
Kaye automatically put his hand to the
semaphore and peered out along the
track. It wss five miles to the next
tower and he knew that ton minutes
would be required b. the freight engine
to cover the distance. Tho seconds
seemed interminable. Would relief never
come? A muffied roar, ~momentaTily in
creasing. %gladdened his heart for an in
slant. but hopes faded out, for the sound
came from the west, not from the east.
In another moment the express dashed
by. the tower shivering as the heavy
sleepers ratified over the track. No use
to hold it, he thought. EYenin the time
Of agony he did not forget to send notice
of the train passing. The flames were
increasing. Would the engine never
come? Again he peered up the track
No light yet. Heavens! Had they re
fused to come after all?
A moment later the shrill footing of 6
steam whistle not n hundred yards away
broke forth, and before Kaye realized il
the engine was standing at the tower
the whistle going like mad, while half {
dozen men were climbing the fence and
fastening to the fire. He had forgotten
that the engine was running backward
and would show no light.
The farmers family were all saved ant
the grimy train hands were back at theil
posts inside of an hour. Never before o.
since did the operator undergo such sus
pense as he did in the quarter of an houl
prior to the coming of the freight en-
CINE. Mollie has since become Mrs
Kaye.-Philadelphia Times.