The times., 1898-04-24


time.
The storm appeared to be growing
iercer, and / sat and listened to It.
How long ! listened | do not know
"A light pounding nearby made me
jump up.
What can that be- / asked my
self
THE pounding grew louder All the
instruments We're still ana the sound was
distinct.
II stood almost breathless beside the
table.
In less than a minute | was convinced
where it came from
In the back part OF the office were
the ticket windows opening respectively
into the mems and women's waiting
rooms, heavy blue shade on each
window prevented any one from seeing
the interior of the office. These shades
were always drawn after the departure
of the last passenger train for the day.
some one had broken into the wom-
ems room and was trying TO force open
the window TO the office, using, evident
", ehisel and mallet.
THE doors; of that room were always
locked by the day man before going off
duty. and | made sure early in the even
ing that that task had not been neg
lected. Moreover, as tramps were not
allowed in the station, and 1t was easier
to keep them out than to put them out,
| had also belted the doors of the mems
room. Ed often did that after u o'clock.
THE safe, containing books. tickets
and perhaps $500 or $500 In cash, was mid
way between the two windows and about
four feet from each.
For fully five minutes I stood perfect
Iy rigid.
Apparently the thief is uncertain
whether there is any one here"
thought. If he imagined there wasn't.
he would certainly smash the window
ironguard and all. in short order Maybe
he expects to find me asleep and as soon
as he prizes open the window will thrust
IN a pistol and order me to hold up my
hands
How was I to defend myself? If / went
to the window it would probably mean
prompt surrender or death, and to hesi-
tate much longer did not seem likely to
relieve the situation.
If l only had a revolver Ed owned
one. but he always carried it with him.
1 resolved to start up one of the in
struments in the hope that the loud and
sudden ticking might put the intruder to
flight
Bending over the table I opened the
key on wire No. 16 The machine did not
respond. Realizing that the dampness of
the storm had interfered with the cur
ST ST ST Ok y ok 70
The sounder was making those signals
with great rapidity. The train dispatcher
was calling my office. and the ahbrevia-
tion meant Quick. We want you to hold
a train
= answered, and the query came back
clear and sharp:
g No 252?.
9 Not yet said l.
d" IA for 252'
g. o. k / replied confidently.
The dispatcher's command was to hold
the through freight for orders.
The noise at the window. which ceased
for minute or two, had now recommenc-
ed in earnest. Either the latch or the
easement must surely give way very soon.
In order to stop No. 252 red lantern
/ would have to be hung outside the sta
tion, and no time should be lost in putting
/ It there.
" Perhaps the burglar has pals guard
ing the building, and if I open the door I
| shall be oyerpowered and the office will
! be in their hands. That would mover do.
They must not know that anyone is here
Thus I argued nervously to myself.
Then happy thought struck me. |
| remembered that one of the lantern
| brackets wasn't more than two feet from
| the front window, which was close be-
| side me and overlooked the platform
!
! probably reach it.
Taking advantage of every rush and
! sweep of the wind / managed TO raise the
! shade and open the window without max
! ing a noise likely to alarm my lawless
visitor Nobody was TO be seen on that
| side of the place and the signal was
| quickly made fast to the bracket
| 50 In a few minutes the freight will stop
opposite the office and the conductor and
/ engineer will bang on the door for their
| orders. / can tell them my predicament
| in a jiffy and the rascal won't dare to
| tackle three of us
quite satisfied with this reasoning 1
shut the window softly and fixed the
shade so that the lantern might not be
hidden entirely from my view, lest any
one should disturb it.
That done, | returned to the key and
| took the order from the dispatcher The
lamp was too low for me to see plainly,
but it seemed unwise to increase the
light As it was, things looked much bet
ter for me than they had a short time be-
| fore and If all went well there was a
| good prospect of the county jail having
| another inmate.
AT any rate, [ took courage.
by the body of the order / learned that
the conductor of 252 was Frank Hender-
| son, a strong, courag geous, manly fellow,
who had seen me with Ed and had sever
al times slowed up his train to let me off
| near my home.
'' Just wait till Henderson gets hold of
| you YOU -! / thought, almost
! aloud grating my teeth and shaking my
clenched fist in the direction of the ticket
| window.
Perhaps fifteen minutes had now elaps-
| ed since ! first discovered the burglar $
| presence During that time operations at
the window had been active in spells last
| ipp two ar three IDiuutpG w
things were quiet for a little while, which
| suggested that my man was trying to de-
| wise an easier means of effecting an en-
| trance
"'What can be keeping the freight so
| long? / wondered. 1T must be close on
to half past l.
Il looked at my watch.
Great heavens 1t was ten minutes
to s.
Z nearly fell out of my chair The
| truth flashed to my mind that the pound
| ing had aroused me from sound sleep and
| that two hours had passed in what seem
ed TO no more than twenty minutes.
&" No. 252 must have gone by over an
hour ago and who knows what terrible
| disaster has resulted from my careless
nessr
'Northbound freight No. 253 and south
bound freight No. 252 were scheduled in
the time table TO pass each ten miles be-
low Hampton. but that night 252 was a
| little late out of Portsmouth and the dis
patcher had planned to cross them at
| Seabrook. five miles north of their regu-
lar meeting place.
such were the instructions in the or
der I held.
| My terror at realizing the destruction
| and loss of life that might already have
ensued from my criminal stupidity dis
|