The morning call., 1890-12-10
LOVE IN A SIGNAL-BOX.

yirgnis's hand!
GEORGE PARsoNs LArHRor in December Century
LOVE IN A SIGNAL-BOX.
@, ONY SMITH had said his good-by to
sATs7 acquaintances made in the country
eSkeS during the two years he had been
night operator in the tower" 1t was with
no small degree CT pleasure that he had re-
ceived advices from the division operator
which transferred him to yard Office. That
same day his successor arrived. Smith met
him at the station. The newcomer was
quiet, well-built young fellow, rather hand
some, Tony thought. He took him up to tha
tower, introduced him 10 the day men and
explained the peculiarities of the blocks con-
troled by them, how the third track was
used jointly by east-b9und and west-bound
trains. how, as the next tower east was a
number of miles distant, the rule of allow
ing but one train in block at one time was
modified and SO on, TO all of which the
stranger listened attentively. Tony then
offered to take tile stranger up to
the farm where he had been board
ing, saying that no doubt he could
arrange to stay there ii he liked, and as the
neghb0rs had prejudice against the night
operators on account of their untimely
hours, it would be the best plan to go with
him. 1t was but short distance down the
track and up the lane to the house. AS the
pair drew near, young woman who had
been sitting on the porch rose, and, as she
saw the stranger, would have retreated had
not Tony called to her. He introduced his
companion, viii Kaye, as his successor, and
of fay ha1 hean
maiden went in search of her father, while
the two operators seated themselves on the
edge OF the porch. Smith was one of that
class of men who make confiiants of every
one, judging all from their own free hearted,
generous standpoint. Kaye listened to his
talk with q quiet smile, which grew mere
pronounced and kindly as his companion
proceeded The twain were the best of
friends ere the farmer came up from the
potato-patch, hoe il hand, to welcome his
new guest Mollie accompanied him, and
now, when Kaye got good look at her, he
was more than anxious to take the place of
Smith at the farmers table.
That night Tony and Kaye went together
to the tower. and the day men, leaving at
o'clock, gave them undisputed possession
for the next twelve hours. There was little
time for conversation that night. What be-
tween the usual number of extra freights in
both directions, causing many train orders,
ing of the blocks. Tony was kept busy. he
noticed. however, that the new man was a
good operator, and, although he said that he
had never worked on train Wires, he quickly
grasped the details and before morning was
working the SemaphoreS and notifying the
tower ahead OF passing trains with the
regularity of a veteran. Promptly at
O'clock the next morning they were re-
| lleved by the day men. there being two
| operators on duty in daylight. the work
hi hlax nd ala q MI, J. =
men were soon in bed at the farm.
During the afternoon Smith left for the
| East in high spirits. When supper time
| came the gap made by his absence brought
| Mullie next TO Kaye Her fresh beauty ana
| light spirits pleased the stranger, and as he
started to work carrying the pail containing
the lunch prepared by her hands he felt
| highly gratified at his good luck. Once in the
| tower the citation vanished, for his new sur
roundings made him exceedingly nervous,
| and being compelled to break" once or
| twice when he failed TO understand a rap
| Idly transmitted word he had the pleas
| ure e. of hearing a sarcastic message flash
over the wires about ''the plug that took
| Tony's place at Long Hollow"
Time rolled away, and Kaye became ac-
| customed to the position in which he had
been placed. At first he found it lonely to
| an intense degree in the tower as the night
crept on. Tie rules forbidding admittance
| TO the tower were stringent, but apart
| from ILLS haYe WOulu not nave allowed
| nomads TO enter. Many and many a night
| as he sat in his glass case he had let his
| eyes wander to the farmhouse which shell
tered Mollie. Long after the midnight hour
had passed he used 10 tilt his chair back
and smoke, his brain filled with reyeries
| such as come only in the quiet Of a summer
evening. Anon his call would come from
the instruments, and instantly he was alert
and active. '.Thrty-one passed west F"
wires the operator in the tower above, and
with his hand on tile semaphOro signal he
| awaits the coming of the train. Soon lie
hears roar in the distance, and nome Mt
later the headlight of the express flash es
afar up the track. He pulls the lever to
Clear" the train PUSHES by, and throwing
open the key he notifies the Office ahead
and the one in the rear that the train has
| passed. Often as Kaye sat at night in his
eyre he caught glimpse of light waved
| to and fro in the upper window of til farm
house, and knowing full we'll the Goodnight
signal, he complied with quick movement
| OF the semaphore.
One night, about 70 80 o'clock, lust as a
heavily laden freight had passed east and
when all the country was wrapped in slum.
Der. he sat leisurely smoking, his eye, as
usual, resting on his beluved's home. Sud-
denly something caught his gaze, and,
strengthening up, he looked intently at the
farmhouse. A 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. What a struggle
| followed in the bosom Of the operator! To
leave the tower might mean death to the
scores of passengers on the express now due
for the freight had not yet passed off the
block. 10 stay where lie was would surely
cause the inmates of the dwelling to perish.
For moment. but only for a moment, he
was undecided; then, throwing open the
key, he called the towers above and below
MIN. For Gods rake send help" he nerv-
ously repeated :" A farmhouse is on fire
and am alone" He added his signature
closed Ssd,t the e key In an instant the
am all aione," came 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 on west.
bound track with full crew to put out FIRE. .
The news came from the Office east: Kaye
glanced at the house. The flame was be-
coming larger and the smoke was beginning
to roll up. mo. 10 passed east comes
from the instrument. Kaye put his hand
to the semaphore and peered out along thu
track. 1t Was five miles to the next tower
and he knew that 10 minutes would be re-
quired by the freight engine to- cover the
distance. Would relief never come A
muffied roar, increasing, gladdened hi.
heart for an instant, but hopes faded, fo
the sound came from the west, not from the
east. In another moment the expires.
dashed by, the tower shiyering as tn,
heavy sleepers ratified over the track. NJ
use to hold, he thought. Even in the tim,
OF agony he did not forget to send notice o.
the train passing. The flames were in
creasing. Would the engine never come
Again he peered up the track. No lgh
yet. Heavens! Had they refused to come
after all?
a moment later the shril footing Of
steam whistle not 100 Yards away brok
forth, and before Kaye realized it the engin
was standing at the tower, the whistle goin,