The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-03-25
A LONELY PLACE.
Romantic Story OF tho TeIegraphic
Wires.

''You viii find IL q lonely. out-of-th,-
way place-a perfect wiidcrnrsN-bu
il is all that / have at my command at
present, and if you are brave enough
to 20 down into the marahy country
and do the combined work OF agent
and telcgrapher you can have the ap-
poiatmcnt." said superintendent
Nash. rcicrring to a vacancy on a rail
road line that traverscd the wild,
mountainous section Of Virginia soil.
- cannot say that l am fiattcrcd
with the picture YOU draw, sir, but, a,
| avn looking for a situation and beg
Car7 shouldn't be choorcrs, / will take
my chance ana Try my luck until
something better turns up," said Hugh
Gordon, the young man addressed.
Very we'll" replied the supyrin-
tcudeat. shortly. If Won attend t. the
business properly We shall not give
ourzeive, any UucasincSs ahout how
you muua-, TO live the life of Il hermit.
for such it will practically he. and
you cannot say that iailcI to warn
yol, n added, as hc turned away.
Then e. him eli ne solilOguiz,d. THAT
chap VIII not Zee in Bruninr q fort
NIGHT Hes fresh rro.l school and has
been accustomed 10 civilized -ocirtv. $50
it IS not pro5llIc thut he'll do bit bet
ter than his pre- jc-n-rOrs. iIcN b.
back 40 the cnt or week.. and ! shall
not blame him, either, for il i the
most God-iorsaIlcn place l was ever
in.
But he was mistaken, for, though
Hugh found it an that h" represented
il. hc was not easily GiscoUra.r,l AMI
took hold of the work with u~ Iauch
energy IT, the place were in the very
center OF life and business. Adhcring
To the old adage: Whatever is worth
doing at all is worth doing well, he
performed his various duties in the
best manner possible, and, though the
railroad officials said nothing. from the
way they glanced around the waiting
room-aS clean and bright a. soap and
water could make tit was evident
that they had mo- fault to find with tn.
nov methods which the coIlcgc-brcd
tclc"raplcr had iuaUguratcd.
There was no doubt about it, being q.
lonely place, and except the people in
the wcll-tilIcd trains that flow past
without stopping and the rough section
hands, who occasionally came IN u
light their pipes and chat "a few min
utcs, hC scarcely ever saw Il human face.
After ne had been there some weeks
through the wires hc formed the ac-
quaintancc Of Frank Reynolds. the
operator at MantuI, a small station
fifty miles further on in the wilder
ness. After their first introduction the
two spent many pleasant hours con
vcrsing on congenial subjects
One day just after Hugh had returned
from his dinner the ticking OF his in
strument left this message Tor him:
"TmEND HrGH: ] have just received word
that lay fartuirnt'- vacation is to be.1n this
afternoon My substitute is here already. and
viii be on tAi, evening. VIII pass through
Bcnuiug on No 3 BE out to wave cous-ratuIa
tious. ~ ever, FRANZ"
-Eurcka.7 CALCULATED Hugh. i wish
that train would consent To drop him
off. Wouldn't we have jolly time to-
gcthcr? Wonder if he could not get an
order to have it stop. There would be
no harm in trying, at any rate" and
then back over the wires he asked:
Can't you get an order TO have the train roll
YOU OF at Bcuuiug: / should like To bavc the
pleasure Of your company during a few OF your
vacation days
A few minutes later he had his an
swcr:
NO. is a tyrant, with rules and regulations
that never change; consequently l cannot
honor myself by accepting your offer OF hospi
taIity."
What can't be cured must be en-
dured," muttered Hugh, disconsolately,
when he knew the decision. We'll.
there is one thing Sure-Ill see the
dear fellows face. q" and having nothing
else TO do he fell to weaving fancies
concerning the appearance of Frank
4
the young operator had studiousIy
avoided exchanging pictures, and
further than that he had brown han
and eyes Hugh had not the remotest
idea of the looks of the friend he had
learned to esteem so highly.
No passed through Benning a
short time before midnight, and TWEEN
ty minutes later the lightning express
Numbered down the steep grade at the
rate of mile a minute, fairly shaking
the little frame depot on its founda-
tions. At Lyman, two miles above,
the two trains met-the one reaching
the place first side tracking until the
other one passed.
As there was no night operator at
Bcnuing, and no important trains
stopped during the night, Hugh was at
liberty 10 close up the office and 60
home at ten o'clock, but he was quite
a nighthawk, and usually remained at
his post until after the hands of the
clock marked the hours of the old dal
off and began with its long fingers Il
count the minutes of the new.
on this particular night he was 81
wrought up on account of the treat il
store for him that he found it impossi
bic to study or even become much in
tcrcsted in the new novel that lay witt
its leaves only partially cut on his of
fee table.
How long he sat there. slcaninC OF