Evening star., 1897-02-20

had graduated from the village school with
honors; during the summer he had done
some odd jobs; but there was no place for
him in Lakeview which promised promo
ton in his chosen line.
1t was in the early part of the evening
on the second day of the storm that Bert
heard Of a bad accident that had occurred
on the railroad line, two miles out of Lake
view. The express going west had en-
countered snowslide in gorge and been
thrown from the track. Several people had
been killed and many others seriously hurt.
An engine, which happened to be on sid
ing at Lakeview, was at once dispatched
to the place of the disaster with doctors
on board. And now, SO he heard. they
were bringing the dead and the injured
into the village on couple of fiat cars.
Bert dashed off to the station. Sure
enough, there they were, the injured being
made as comfortable as possible at houses
nearby, the dead intrusted to the under
takers care, while the remaining passen-
gers were slowly being accommodated with
shelter and food by the village folks. Bert
was very much interested, and stood lis
tening eagerly to the stories told by the
passengers. A stranger was talking to the
telegraph operator.
Cant you get word through" he was
atking.
Not a word" the operator answered.
why, the railroad people would do any
thing to send a message to the city, but
the wires are down. The connection was
broken half an hour before the accident
occurred.
when will it be fixed?'
Not before morning at the earliest, and
perhaps not then. It's forty miles to the
city, and the line runs through a lot of
cuts in which the snow Is deep. Wen be
lucky If the wires are working by noon.
The stranger uttered an exclamation of
anger and disgust. And there's no chance
of getting message through in any other
sWay?"
The operator smiled. "You see the condi-
ton Of things he said. How many peo-
pie do you think would try driving or
tramping through this snow? Why, man,
nearest town, and it's eight miles away"
The stranger turned away, lit a cigar
and began to smoke savagely. Bert ap-
preached the operator, who smiled know
ingly as the boy came up.
There, Bert" he said, there's one of
your profession, and he's in bad fix. He
has an account of the railroad accident,
and he can't get 1t through to the city.
He's member Of the Cosmos staff, and
was on the train that was wrecked"
+ Bert was all excitement at once, and he
regarded the stranger with curiosity mix
ed with awe. He felt great sympathy
for the man. too. and by and by, pluck
ing up courage, he walked over and spoke
to him.
count through" he said.
Yes" answered the other moodiy. ITS
splendid story wouldn't miss making
must be In the Office by one-t thirty tonight,
or the chance Is gone"
Bert did not reply, but sat down on the
short bench beside the man and cudgeled
his brains for a way out of the difficulty
II ne could only devise some plan to help
the Cosmos reporter! All at once he
jumped to his feet. "Tll take that message
for you, and telegraph it to the CITY" he
said.
The ,e. man looked at him keenly. You
III take it down and across the lake
Gk tac ct 1Aaa
telegraph it from Pine Bluffs If the wires
to the city aren't down there, toov'
The man slapped him on the back.
You're trump. youngster," he exclaim-
ed. TIL have the story ready in fifteen
minutes. How soon can you start?'
AS soon as l can get home and back
That will be about half an hour. Itll take
an hour to get to the Bluffs, for I'll prob
ably Rave TO skate round a lot of thin ice.
It's o'clock now I'll be in the Bluffs by
haIf-past o."
. You won't lose by it, II you put the
man, emphatically. I'm wait for you
here
But Bert thought little of what return
he was enlisted in the service of the Cos
mos'-the biggest of the city papers-was
reward enough for him. The thought OF
the possible danger ahead never entered
MS mind either. Full of his project, he
made his arrangements and came back
without stopping to explain to anybody, but
when he had received the bundle of writ
ten sheets from the Cosmos man and
was leaving sudden thought that he
could not possibly return till late made
him call to the telegraph operator to lend
word to his father where he had gone.
Final instructions were given him by the
newspaper man, also a card, to show to
the operator at the Bluffs in default Of
money to pay for the telegram. Ten min
utes later he had clamped on his skates
and was of.
The breeze blew directly across the lake
from the northeast It struck him on his
right side. and while 1t did not actually i'm
pede him, made breathing no easy task.
But the Ice was firm and green and as
at smart pace. for there was not q bet
| ter skater In Lakeview. Five miles were
] covered In short order. Then he slackenej