The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-26
the Train has passed. SO all n1gnT long
the routine continues.

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 man
thrown constantly in company with a
maiden whose household duties allowed
her freedom at the seme hours. Need
less to say that love followed. Often as
Kaye sat at night in his eyrie he caught
a glimpse of light waved to and fro in
an upper window of the farm house, and
knowing full well the good night signal
of his sweetheart, he replied with a
quick movement of the semaphore.
One night about haIf-past 12, just
after heavily laden freight had passed
east and when all the country was
wrapped in slurnber. he sat leisurely
smoking, his eye, as usual, resting on
his beloved's home. Suddenly some
thing caught his gaze, and straighten-
ing up he looked intently 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 of the block; to stay where he
was would as surely cause the inmates
Of the dwelling to perish.
For moment, but only 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
on fire and l am alone" He added his
signature apd closed the key. In an in
slant the receiver began to click. Can
not help you; am all alone" came from
the westward tower. 4 moment later
the clicking began again: Extra freight
took middle siding here to clear No. 10;
engineer and conductor just left tower;
viii run back light On west bound track
with full crew to put out fire."
The news came from the Office east.
Kaye glanced at the house. The fame
was becoming larger and the smoke was
passed east comes from the instrument.
Kaye automatically put his hand to the
semaphore and paered cut along the
track. It was five miles to the next
tower and he knew that ten minutes
would be required by the freight engine
to cover the distance. The seconds
seemed interminable. Would relief never
come? A mutied roar, mo1nentarily 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
aleepers ratified over the track. No use
TO hold it, he thought. Even in the time
of agony he did not forget to send notice
of the train passing. The flames were
increasing. Would the engine never
conner 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
steam whistle not hundred yards away
broke forth, and before Kaye realized it
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 and
the grimy train hands were back at their
posts inside of an hour. Never before or
since did the operator undergo such sus-
pense as he did in the quarter of an hour
prior to the coming Of the freight en-
CINE. Moilie has since become Mrs.
Kaye.-Philadelphia Times.