Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-09-24

4
The trainmaster pitched tor1card.
then he stopped short, staring at the
train sheet in front of him, and one
would have thought to look at him that
his eyes had caught the wild light that
was in the eyes of his visitor and that
the malady he seemed to see in her
mind had been suddenly transmitted to
his. Now he glanced quickly from the
sheet to the clock. "Twenty-seven, he
said, and he knew by heart that No. 8
was due at Westcreek at %, and he
reached a trembling hand for the key
and began calling the operator. Ten,
30, 80 seconds went by and no answer
came; 40, so, 55 seconds, and he fan
cied he could see the operator standing
out in front Of the little station with a
pen behind his ear and ink on his shirt
sleeves. For another five seconds he
called, and as the minute wasted 1t
seemed to him that his blood was boil
ing and his brain on fire. Then he
thought of calling Eastcreek to hold the
special. The operator, who happened to
be at the key about to report, answered
quickly, and the dispatcher asked,
"Where's the special?'
"Gone." said the wire, and the train
master pitched forward fainting among
the inkstands and instruments.
The operator at Westcreek stood in
front of the little station smiling at the
roadmaster on No. 8, and the operator
at Eastoreek sat looking through the
window at the rear end Of the presi-
dents private car puckering up in the
distance, and the three drivers, ignorant
of the awful mistake, were now dash
ing at the rate of mile minute into
the open door Of death.
The superintendent, who had looked
into the ghostlike face of the girl as she
passed him ON the stair, thought he read
there of wrong done and returned at
once to the dispatcher Office, determin-
ed to have the matter out with his re-
bellious trainmaster. He had entered
the Office unobserved by the operator
and stood directly behind him and heard
him ask Eastcreek where the special
was and heard the answer, Gone" Of
this he made nothing until the dis
patcher threw out his arms and fell for.
ward upon his desk; then the superin-
tendent knew that something had gone
wrong. A glance at the record of the
dispatcher's work showed it all. 1t was
9:29 The great clock told him that No.
had already passed Westcreek, the spe-
cial had passed Eastcreak, and now
there was nothing to do but wait for
the collision which, in the narrow,
crooked canyon, was sure to come.
Tenderly he lifted the limp dispatch
er from the table and laid him upon the
floor He poured water in his hand and
bathed the face of the unfortunate Off
cial, but it failed to revive him, and
then he called up the hospital, and one
of the surgeons came with an ambu-
lance and carried the sick man away.
The superintendent. who was himself
an operator, called Eastcreek and told
him to let nothing pass that point west
bound until further notice from the dis
patcher's Office.
He walked to the window and looked
out over the coachyards and saw the
pale girl pacing the platform, waiting
for a train to carry her back to her
home. Her heart was heavy with dread
of the collision and at thought of re-
turning to her widowed mother with
the news of her failure to secure work.
The superintendent tapped upon the
window with a switch key, and when
she looked up beckoned her to him.
"Take that seat" said the superin-
tendent, pointing to an empty chair at
the dispatcher's desk. She did as he had
told her and waited tremblingly for the
wire to give her something to do.
Mr.. Cramer, the first trick man, who
had been sent away, having heard Of
the sudden illness of the trainmaster,
now came hurriedly into the office. The
superintendent waved his hand in the
direction of the desk where the girl sat.
"Keep your seat" said the dispatcher
as she was about to rise, and after
glancing over the work turned blanch-
ed face to the superintendent.
There was g. moment of silence in
which the two men gazed helplessly in
to each others face and listened con-
stantly for a call from Eastcreek or
Westcreek. The keys clicked merrily.
and the girl, whose cheeks were now
burning red, gathered in the reports
from the various stations Of the coming
and going of many trains.
Now the operator at Eastcreek touch
ed the key and said, "No. 8, 30 minutes
late," and fresh color came to the white
faces in the dispatcher's Office.
When the operator at Westcreek quit
ted the platform and re-entered the Of