Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-27

LE"b Ialf, ab least, sad the SUI
perlntendent, with small wink at the
man. "Here, Hoskins," addressing
the man who had answered the bell,
"sit down and test this bo- young
man."
Now, Hoskins prided himself on his
ability as sending operator, and he
seated himself with determination TO
rush" the youngster. He gave the
key" few preliminary rattles and
smiled grimly as he called up q divi-
sion Office where there was o first-class
man and commenced to dispatch some
accumulated business.
Lyle's pen staggered and foundered
over the first few words, and then he
steadied down into the swinging
copy" of the old-timer. This was
nothing new to him--he thought he
was out at Las Palomas copying for
practice! Hadn't he copied Hoskins
by the hour before for practical He
| always did like Hoskins' Morse-it
was so even and we'll spaced! When
he finally looked up he saw kindly
light in Mr.. Chelton's eyes that he had
not noticed there before. But his ris-
ing hopes were dashed by the first
words of the superintendent.
81 couldn't put the lives of whole
trainloads of people in tho hands of
one so young, my boy, now, could [?
But L will remember you; [ promise
you L will" and that was ali he would
do
81 did 50 want my name on the pay
roll for sure and certain" said Lyle.
cit will be there in time, my boy. "
''Fhat's what you all say, +" said
Lyle, suppressing sob as he ran from
the Office.
Soon the Las Palomas train was
ready, and as Lyle took his seat in the
coach his heart was sore with disap.
| pointment.
'They all want fellow to be as big
and as old as the mountains before
they will let him do anything" he
thought bitterly
The crew onthe train was "plains"
crew, compelled to take the run over
the mountain on account of washout
beyond Las Palomas. They were
very unsociable and ''grumpy" on
this account, as well as on account of
their engine not steaming we'll.
At Placitas q mountain "helper"
was added, and the tortuous climb to
the summit WIS commenced. The
summit was capped by tall noun
tain, pierced by the longest tunnel on
the road. Two-thirds of the way
through the tunnel was up very
sharp grade, and it was not to exceed
a rails length before they pitched
down as steep au incline into Las
Palomas.
All the way up the winding noun
tain side Lyle watched the "double-
header" freight following the passen-
ger within the ten-miuute limit. One
moment the freight would be in plain
| sight, the next hidden by some iut-
ting point, only to appear later far to
one side, seeming almost that it was
on another track, and again it was
going in an entirely different direo-
ton, so winding was the road
The passengers stopped at Rossita,
half way up the mountain, to take
water. As Lyle was standing at the
open telegraph window listening to
his beloved instruments clicking so
merrily, the nose of the freight en-
gine pushed around the curve, and
Ben Parr, engineer of the big noun
tain engine, waved a friendly greeting
to Lyle as he stood q moment beside
his engine, oil can in hand. Then
Lylo's attention was attracted by the
familiar sound of his fathers send
ing, and as the train started slowly he
caught these words of the message.
"-delaycd twenty minutes in Sum
mit tunnel--account wet, slippery
rail"
Lyle know the tricks OF the tunnel,
and that mt times it was comparatively
dry and at others would be dripping
wet, and this without any apparent
connection with the rainfall upon the
/ mountain above. This report gave
him no concern, though, uu5il they
passed Flores, the last telegraph sta
tion on that side Of the tunnel, with
ont being notified Of the condition Of
! the tnnnel
Then he became uneasy. Had he
not heard every train crew on tho
mountain say they feared Summit
tunnel when the rail was slippery and
another train following them? He
felt that he must speak to the con
ductor of the message he had heard,
and when he did so that official looked
him over very coolly and aaid
"My son, ran trains before you
were born. l will see that you are
not carried by your destination, ~
which showed the conductor held the
information very cheap.
All the while watchful Lyle could
see that the passenger was losing q
few minutes time, and the freight,
while staying strictly within her time,
was gaining on them slowly. To add
to his feelings of uneasiness the shades