The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-09-30


a sandy road erooking out from the l
trees on one side and into the trees on |
the other. There were only two or
three houses, little general store with
porch like the visor of a military cap,
and a school house, all arranged In !
scraggly row along the railroad track.
dozen trains whirled through Kane
Creek every day with only a shrek of
greeting and a whipping wake of fine
sand. Only two of them paid the slight
est attention to the girl in a blue ging-
ham dress who stood in the little OBJ
servation window. One of them was
the way freight which stopped at
Kane's every time 1t came along while
the conductor handed the girl bundle
of yellow papers and received another
like 1t in return. The other was the
night express, westward bound from /
st. Paul, and running at forty miles an
hour. 1t was splendid train-ten cars, |
with the finest engine on the road, big |
No. COG. As its glaring eye flashed |
around the bend in the direction OF
Mercer the girl In the gingham dress
often thought Of the great train as a
powerful and ferocious beast snorting
and roaring westward on race with
the sun. 1t was a beast, but it was
well trained, and she knew the hand
that trained 1t. When the train was a
mile away there were always two
blasts on the whistle. Every one else
in Kane's thought they meant simply.
wake up, look out!''-for that is what
, all locomotives say at every crossing
but the girl In the Bingham dress heard
Hello, Polly" and darted out on the
platform and waved her handkerchief.
As the great train Numbered nearer a
. hand was thrust from the engineers
window, and, although it was usually
dark, she could see the flutter of some
thing white, and oftentimes as the en-
CINE dsrted past the station she heard
the blurred sound of voice and caught
the glimpse of grimy face and blue
jean jacket And then she went back
to her place in the little station with
sigh Of deep contentment.
For 1t was a moment of great joy to
Polly Marshall when her fathers en-
, CINE went through. Polly was the sta
ton agent at Kane Creek-any one
could have told that a woman presided
in the little depot, for was there not
always bouquet in the window and
dainty pictures surrounding the grimy
time tables on the walls, and kitten
curling upon the doorstep? At II Polly
had gone In as assistant to learn te-
Q Biography and when Clark, the agent
was called to Mercer the company had
left the independent girl in charge. She
and her father lived in one of the wood
en- houses a stones throw back from
the depot, and since Polly's mother died
they had been everything to each other
b Engineer Marshall was a big, sllen
man, and his companions, some OF
a them thought him gruff and i'll temper
ed, but to Polly he was always tender
as a kitten. Often when she was lit
tie girl he took her down with him t
Mercer on his engine, and while she sa
on his black leather seat at the cal
window, clinging on with both hands
he explained to her how the big blacl
creature under them was started am
stopped, what this brass crank was fol-
p and how, when the engine squeake,
here or squealed there, little oil wa
needed In this cup or In that crevict
And Polly had learned to know an ell
CINE as well as she knew the neat littl
pantry in the house at home. Indeed
she had. more than once managed tn
levers and the throttle, although it wa
very heavy work for girl to do.
t.l,k Iat0 In l.Nf Call he
Polly Marshall had need of all ht
knowledge of engines. She was sittin
, at her desk in the little Observable
l window, n shaded light throwing i
4 RAYS down on her telegraph instr,
ments and the sounder clicking sleepil
;. Suddenly she was startled by the su
: den call of her number. Instantly h
~ fingers sought the keys, and she gay
the answer that signitied that she wi
all attention.
"Iook out for -" clicked the SCUM
er. and then 1t suddenly ceased, and t
as she would Polly could get no furth
communication with the station next
the eastward What could the trout
be? What was she to look out TO
Polly sprung to her feet, rememberil
that the night express, of which h
father was engineer, was the next ira
,uo due. Could anything be the matte
w" She ran out on the dark platform to S
oct that her lights were all In place a
Wv that the switches were properly S
so that the express would slip past
station without an accident. Then $
went back and called up Mercer.
"Can you get PinckneyY she asked
,ek Pinckney was the station which b
sent her the warning dispatch so m
PC terlously interrupted. She knew
operator at Pinckney well-every nil
ar he told her of the approach of her ia
ers train, and whether or not 1t
on his station on time.
"Pinckney quiet can't get answe
pp was the report Of the wires. "Whi
the trouble?"
CO Polly answered as we'll as she col
Her fathers train was now due.
should be whistling cheerily at the l.
er bend Polly stepped out on the p
form and peered up the track.
there was the familiar headlight
x. would have known 1t among humid
Then came the whistle. Hello, Pol
and Polly ran back into her office m
NOS relieved and sat down to warn Mer
y At that instant she heard pecu
cracking sound that sent her h
uuiverlng deep in her bosom. L
there was the shrill scream of the l
motive whistle suddenly Interrupt
as II the hand that had drawn the Il