The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-03-26

through which Wild Rock held com.
munication with the outside world.
was dark save for. one oil lamp whose
feeble rays were flashing through the
window and doing much more toward
Illuminating the depot platform than
they were toward frightening the dark
corners inside til, station. In the
operators room there was the constant
Observation-Disclosures of the sounder
as the wires carried their messages
across the table on their journeys east
and west.
Beside the table sat the operator,
Fred Burgess, in the large, easy office
chair, his feet propped up against the
partition that separated him from the
little waiting-room and his hands
clasped behind his head. The last
train for the night had passed, and
as he was expecting no orders for his
station, he was paying no attention to
the constant chatter of the little in
strument, but was thinking; thinking
OF the events Of the next day, of the
crimes committed in the name of the
law, thinking of the innocent people
punished and the guilty ones who es-
capped.
Fred Burgess had come to the little
frontier station, not because he needed
the position that the place afforded
him, for he gave up better one to
accept it, and not because his health
demanded change Of climate, but
for love of adventure. He had
found the rough hospitality of the
western people uncongenial, how.
ever, and was beginning to regret the
fate that had brought him west, when
one day, some months before, he met
Frank Wagner, who had accompanied
his brother to the railway station. The
acquaintance formed that day had
been cultivated, and both had after.
ward found the west a much more
congenial place than it had seemed
before.
"K XXX XXX H" The little in.
strument seemed mad, so loudly did 1,
repeat the letters time after time:
but 1t was not until the sound of the
last "click" had diel away and othe,
letters were passing backward and
forward over the wires that the oper
ator recognized and answered his Office
call.
II have an important message fol
Wild Rock. Is there any way Of
reaching that point from your Office
tonight" said the instrument, after
the call had been answered.
II am afraid not; there is no one
near here but myself and the section
crew, and no way of covering the Al
miles between here end Wild Rocl
after night" answered the operator
And then the thought flashed through
his mind that it might be news of tn,
pardon they had SO long expected, ant
he added ut once: "Nhat is the mes
sage aboutw
"Sent by order of the president t.
stop IN execution at that place to
morrow morning." was the reply.
"Send it at once and l will delive
it myself, if God permits" went fiyin.
back to the end of the line. Then
with painful slownes:. the instrument
licked out it's glad message. 1t wa
as follows:
-- WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. 20
To JOHN S. A, Sheriff Of Navajo Coun
ty, A. T., Wild Rock: President orders ex
ecution Of Frank Wagner. condemned t.
be hange.l tomorrow morning, stopped
and the release Of the prisoner upon ar
rival of pardon papers forwarded throug!
regular channels. -, Secretary
The good words had come, but a
what time! The operator recognizes
the fact that it lay with him whethe
or not his friend YVES to die, and we
could he save him? 1t lacked but
little over four hours before the tim