St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-05-12


This is Benton near by"
Il must get dispatch TO the oper-
ator-quick. 1t is of the utmost i'm
portance.
''I'd make IL short. He'll be busy
enough to night. Here!" the man
called to a boy from neighboring
farm house. My boy, you can make
yourself useful. Here's a man who's
been hurt, and wants to send tele-
gram. There1l be other errands you
can do in town. The men are all
needed here"
The boy, his face white and his eyes
big with horror a the scenes around
him, ca me and stood by Tom, who
had written the directions with diff
Guilty, and was tearing the leaves
from his note book. Handing them
to the boy he said:
Tell the operator TO send all he
can of this before half-past two
O'Clock sure Then he added,
"Wait," and wrote hurriedly;
The south-bound express, leaving
CressOn at a quarter-past seven,
struck freight train just north of
Benton this evening at nine o'clock,
and was completely wrecked
A physician approached and
stopped to look at Harding
Are you badly hurt ~ he asked
q don't seem to be hurt external
ly." but sharp pains keep shooting
through my body, and Ican't move"
The physician, grave and compass
sionate, knelt, and with skillful touch
examined the young man. He asked
few questions, and shook his head
sadly. The eager, brave young face,
drawn with pain, interested and
touched him.
Meanwhile Tom had made a few
rapid inquiries of the doctor about
the disaster, jotting them down to
fill his dispatch. He thensaid quietly.
ly:
How is it with me, doctor?"
"Can YOU bear the truth ?" asked
the physician.
DO you mean that 1 am going?
Yes, l can bear it. How soon?'
Very soon, | fear"
Doctor, my name is Harding
Thomas Harding. l am reporter
for the Daily Magnet. l was on my
way to the city with an account of
| I
must be in the Magnet office before
half-past two. Here l scrubbed
story of this accident You've given
me nearly everything but the names
of the dead and wounded-I cant
get those. Doctor, will you see that
my paper has those names? Can
trouble you so much can't fail my
paper now"
DIR. May knew that he had night
of anxious work before him, but he
could not refuse the pleading look in
the boys white face. The request,
conveyed in these words, wrung out
of suffering, appearing so singular
and extraordinary and spoken rapid
ly, as by one whose life was short
and whose work was very impor-
tant, moved him greatly.
Yes, said the physician, II will
see that it is done"
-'Oh, thank you, doctorl" Hard
ing's voice had almost ring of tri-
umph in it. Your name is"
May"
Tom added few lines to his dis
patch.
Cant get list ofkilled and wound
ed. Doctor May will send it. This
is my last dispatch. Tell mother.
Good-by-HARDING."
AS the boy took the finished
dispatch, Harding said:
Tell the operator [ have left mon
ey with Doctor May to pay for rush
ing this through. The Magnet will
give anything for these stories
The doctor added a word to the
boy, and hurried him off through the
darkness.
Doctor, you will find in my pock-
etbOok money enough to meet all my
expenses. Take it and pay what
should be paid. Never mind about
me- Others need you more. l
couldn't do anything else just now
l might as we'll do the best-I could
for my paper"
Harding's voice had sunk almost
to a whisper, and he caught his
breath painfully. Then his breath
faltered, and died away altogether.
The work Of caring for the wound
ed and dying went on around Tom
body, now left alone
1t was two O'Clock in the morning
in the office of the Magnet. The roll
vi TIC pOHuSIOuS tIuCKS overhead
told that the first forms were being
rushed down to the stereotyping
room.
The telegraph editor laid aside the
last tiresome sheet of type writ ten
tissue paper, and looking through the
window between his own and the
telegraph room, asked if nothing
had been heard from Cresson-a
question he had asked several times
in the last hour.
The managing editor came in with
a worried look on his face.
Nothing from Cresson?" he said.
What can be the matter with Hard
ing? Ifhe were not coming back to-