The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-05-19
CELESTIAL TELEGRAPHY.

everybody knew that it never contain
ed anything of special value. 1t serv'
ed well enough 10 hold the books and
papers of the Office and little loose
change; there was practically no busi-
ness done at Dumphy's. If it had
been otherwise the station would new.
er hav. teen left in charge of a mere
girl like Lena Stearns.
Fifteen years ago it was quite anoth-
er story. At that time Dumphy's
Glen was in the midst of its boom as q
prospective summer resort, and when
Lena's father bought the barren little
plot of gravel and bare granite upon
which he had erected his store he had
paid for it at the rate of $40 front
foot, and had trouble in getting it at
that. But he had died long since,
broken in fortune and in spirit. The
big, dismantled "Sanatorium" on the
hill was utterly abandoned. Half the
glass in its dark, dirty windows was
broken; squirrels scurried over the sag
ing verandas; the warping shingles
blew down from the roof in every
storm; the caves were hive for wasps
and hornets. The streets that had
been so hopefully laid out led nowhere.
"Park avenue" started well, but soon
lost itself among brambles and bushes;
its pretentious name hung askew from
its rotting post, held by one rusty nail.
The store, however, was still kept
up, for there was little country trade.
Mrs. Stearns lived with her daughter
in the upper story and managed to sell
or barter, across the dingy counter,
cotton thread, nails, molasses and pat
ent medicine enough to pay the inter-
est on the mortgage and live. Lena,
who was IS, had to do som sthing, OF
course, and rs she was Enthusiastically a
bright girl and had mastered book
keeping and telegraphy, she easily OBJ
tained the unimportant position of sta
ton agent at Dumphy's, where she
sold half dozen tickets week, flag
ged train when there was passen-
ger, and boarded at home.
Lena was not only bright and eff
cient, but decidedly pretty. This fact
had been discovered by John Sturgin,
the station agent at Pine Ridge, ten
miles above; it was a source of regret
to him that he was not the only dis
coverer. AS it was, he perversely
turned his back on the well-stOcked
stores at the Ridge, and did a sGspi-
cious amount of trading at the Glen.
He also did more telegraphing at times
than business seemed to require. The
wires must have felt a queer thrill as
some of those messages pulsed through
them, though the words were as triv-
ial, and as remote from the sentiments
they voiced, as in any other rustic
courtship.
Although scarcely any money ever
found lodgment at Dumphy's Glen, a
good deal passed through it. About
twelve miles below were the great saw
mills at Sabine Falls, and every week
a heavy cash box was expressed thith-
er from the city to pay the men. The
train which conveyed it, however,
scarcely ever stopped at the little flag
station, but there was one notable eX-
ception.
1t was about the middle of March
and heavy rains had stripped the hills
of their white winter cloaks. They're
just like folks who lay off their wraps
too soon," thought Lena, drawing her
ileecy "fascinator" more closely about
her neck and shoulders-for the sky
had cleared and the air was growing
frosty. "They look rs if they were
catching their death of cold"
She was standing on the platform
watching the belated express as it
rounded the curve. To her surprise, II
slowed and came TO stop, though she
had not tagged it. The door of the
baggage ear slid open and the agent
jumped out, dragging the cash box
after him.
''Shall have to leave this here to-
night" he explained. bad washout
at Tamarack creek, three miles down,
and we can't get through TO Sabine
possibly; orders TO run back at once.
Have wired to the mills TO send men
around 10y the road and they'll be here
soon. It'll be all right; nobody else
will know the stuf7s here. Come,
we'll put it in the safe for you"
So Lena opened the safe while the
agent with the help of brakeman
brought in the box. 1t was a snug fit,
though she pulled out all the books to
make room for it. Then the men
boarded the train which slowly backed
up the line until it was out of sight.
The girl re-entered the depot, locked
the door threw fresh supply of coal
on the fire and waited alone for the
messengers from the mills. An hour
passed, and another and another; al
last the hand of the clock stood at IL,
and they still had not come.
John Sturgin was also sitting alone
in the ticket Office at Pine Ridge
Thoughts of Lena were uppermost in
his mind-a thing not unprecedented
but tonight his head was fall OF
faneies. He knew about the cash box,
for he had spoken with the express
agent as the train backed through.
"Pm afraid the little girl was wor
ried about that money!" he mused.
''She isn't used to that sort of thing
But it can't have been i'm her hand:
more than half an hour"
The telegraph ut his elbow wa:
clicking in an uneasy, irregular fash
ion, but he had scarcely noted it. AL
at once the signal sounded loudly
This was followed by an unintelligiblt
rattle; even his practiced ear coulC
make nothing of it, Then, after mo
ment's silence came words-broker
and fiuttering to his quick appre
hension they sounded like an inarticu
late cry.
"Oh-oh-oh-Help" Then con
fusion of clicks-and again the instru
ment seemed to cry out: "Oh-Oh-
Save-L-"
He sprang the key and tried to tee
graph question; but he could not sc
any response. The wires seemed bad
Iy out of order. lie was much alarm