Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-17
A PRIVATE LINE.

master and telegraph operator at the little station called Ranchman's Center. It was a new station, far out on the prairie fully half milo from the nearest habitation; but. being situated in the midst of wild belt of excellent grazing country, it al ready did more business than many places on the road boasting of several hundred inhabitants
 As the last train-the east bound OK press%passed he locked up the station and crossed the prairie to the little cottage, half mile away, where his mother and sister Li4zio kept pleasant homo for him.
 Lizzie was bright, active girl of fl, but with all her intelligence and industry she was an inveterate coward. She was afraid af. everythin and often made her self miserable by imagining danger when mono existed -r
 When he took charge of the little office down at tho crossing, she announced her determination of studying telegraphy. Jack assured her that the art was as full of electricity as a thunderstorm, of which she stSea inmortal dreadr butS Hlio perse.s. vered insher atfort notwithstaqaingy.an .and in feW,weeks gould manipulats thed ip1s strumept so Ias tp, ,geceiye and, send q mess |, sages seprFSsstly yJ6sln not quite as pa speedily as her feacher. ..sz
 Pleasdi with fier progress, tho brother securesf two secondhand instruinents and a coil Sf,. wire ,ABd put ta line From the house-to the stafiop,e soo that she rsDighty have praeticeaw itbeate having ato walk to the office during cold weather.
 Fearing thatthb offfoious lipenien might object to tho inssfumeht on his end sof tlie line being in thP office, Jack put it upon one sidoof. tbs big. empty freightrooln,, and here, when tho weather was not too cold, he spent many lonely half hour in conversing with the little sister at home.
 One night about tho middle of February there was terrific thunder and wind storm, with binding fall of rain and hail. very unusual thing at that season of thesyear. It came up suddenly about Il o'clock, after tho west bound train had passed and an hour before the eastern one was due.
 Above the roar of the thunder and the beating of the hail against the window he heard tho chatter of horses feet. A mo- ment later there cano a loud knocking at the outer door.
 Thinking they were people from dis tance to wait for the train, hc inquired, more from habit thun from suspicion, "Who Is theref"
 Passengers to take tho midnight train, ' was the quick response. Were wet to the skin and half frozen"
 Without moments hesitation Jack drew back the heavy bolt and threw open the door, when in crowded half a. dozen rough looking men muffled to tho ears in furs and wooden comforters.
 He was seized by ono of the stalwarts and hurled unceremoniously to tho floor. Then. while two of the number held him down, tho others busted themselves in binding his hands and feet.
 He supposed, of course, that they would go through his pockets in search of the key of the safe, but they didn't. Instead, they carried him into tho freightroom and laid him down against tho side of the building, with the injunction to keep mum if he valued his bacon"
 His thoughts were interrupted by ono of the men opening the door and inquiring
 ''Is the train on time, sonnyP
 ''It was at 10 o'clock" answered Jack, and then, with wild hope in his heart; he added, Let me loose, and I'll find out"
 Not much, my hardy, responded tho rough Let you at that internal instru- ment, and you'd send the train through like lightning, and so choat us out of the pile of gold wore after"
 Ho understood now why they had not asked him for the key of the safe. It was not the paltry sum that might be found in tho littlo country depot they were after They intended to rob tho train.
 He tried to loosen his hands, but in the darkness Do could accomplish nothing
 Just at that instant an opportune flash of lightning revealed to him the blessed fact that, in their haste, his would be cap tors had failed to draw the knot on the cord with which his hands were bound as tight as they doubtless intended.
 In an instant the slack end of tho loop was between his teeth, and few vigorous jerks soon set him free. It required but moments moro to whip out his knife and cut tho cord that bound his feet Lizzie was Q sound sleeper, but his ono hope was that sho might have been awakened by tho storm, and so made available as an assist ant. His conjecture was correct, and d. most immediately the circuit was opened and the response came.
 Then, as rapidly as possible, he made known the situation at the station and asked if she would go down to the cut, a quarter of a mile distant, and signal the train. The reply was in tho affirmative, and there was no indecision in it either.
 Then he flashed back:
 Put 9 piece of thin, red flannel around the lantern, go down to the deep cut and swing your red light across tho track as soon as. tho train rounds tho curve. Keep it up until yon arc sure it has been seen, and when tho train stops go to the con- ductor with the news have told you"
 "All right" returned Lizzie. 'I'll be off inside of three minutes, and, coward though she was. she kept her promise.
 It was still laundering in the distance, and every flash of lightning made her shrink and cowef as if wounded by the glaring sheet of fire. But in spite of her .terrorshe did not slacken her speed and reached the cut just as tho headlight of the approaching train began to gliinmer around the curve beyond.