Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-05-06
THE CLOCK
AND a HERO.
BY Charles Donald Edckay.

graph operator for the Union Pacific
at Wellsville, a settlement of not more
than few dozen scattered houses. the
most pretentious ofwhich was the "Ho-
tel and Lunch Room" About hundred
yards down the track from this popu-
lar resort at train time," stood a low,
! one-roomed building, the station
Toms St Helena
To an energetic, ambitious young
man, socially inclined, Wellsville was
well nigh intolerable; but Tom had
hopes and made the best of it. He had
removed his belongings from the hotel
to Mrs. Jordans cosy little cottage,
where he made himself at home. He
found Miss Jordan a charming COM
panion and years ahead Of the Vile
in every way" Nevertheless, the un-
eventful days would drag, and the
nights well, after the $50 accom-
modation" pulled out until lilo, when
the west bound express" dashed past,
one might as well have been stationed
in the middle of the Great Sahara-at
least, so Tom said many times.
One raw, gusty December night just
before the holidays, Tom with much
pleasure piled the three cases billed
through to Omaha on the truck and
ran them down the track, ready to be
hauled aboard the baggage car of the
coming train. He was not over fond
of work, but this meant the stopping
of the express, the latest newspapers,
and good reading for several days. To
signal the express was an event.
Taking last look at the lights, he
entered the station and slammed the
| door after him, as if to bar out the
! loneliness of the dripping outside
world. The last light in the hotel had
gone out long before, the wind howled
in the wires, the red light blinked and
| tlickered.
"Well, of all the forsaken-"
The door opened suddenly, and two
men stepped into the room, followed
by third.
Hands up-quick!" the foremost
cried.
In less than two minutes Tom was
bound, gagged, and lying helpless be-
| lilu bhN btll titlcLl III Ilt DdSSdSc Gllu
of the room.
Hes safe. Where's Jim?" asked
the man who had spoken before.
Down to tn sidin'," came the an
swer. "Set the white light
The door closed quickly after them.
Out of Toms bewilderment and con-
fusion came the question, what did it
mean? Robbery? There was nothing
worth the risk at the station, and the
men had gone.
"Set the white light" That meant
the express would not stop.
Down to tn sidin." The blind sid
ing, an eighth of mile beyond the
station by the sand hill! 1t ended in
the gravel bank.
The terrible truth flashed across his
mind. He turned cold-great beads of
moisture stood out upon his forehead;
'26, with its living freight, was to be
switched on to the siding at full
speed!
AS the horror of it rushed upon him.
Tom strained at the cords that bound
him hand and foot with a strength
he never dreamed he possessed. 1t was
useless-the work had been done WELL
He looked quickly at the clock-104 al
in 20 minutes more the train would be
due. AS he turned the knots of the gag
pressed into the back of his head
Bearing heavily upon them, unmindful
of the pain, he moved his head, fore
ing his chin downward They gave-
they moved! Again he tried. and again
until at last the handkerchief slipped
to his neck.
Help! Help! Townsend! Bill!
Help!" he cried. But his voice was
lost in the mocliing howl of the wind
and he realized that the effort was
strength wasted and time lost.
Again he looked at the clock-only
&c minutes remained. How fast the
seconds flew, 20
The sharp click, click, click from
the other side of the partition caught
his cara telegraphic message. "'26'
20 minutes late"
Thank God, delay"
Forty-four minutes nova gain of
20. The train, due at lilo, would not
arrive until 11.3O. Townsend relieved
him at 12. TOO late Too late"
rushed through his mind as he glared
at the clock. Then the light of hope
fairly blazed in his eyes.
The summer before. when he had
long, weary night watches, twice he
oversight because his alarm had failed
him, so, to insure his call" he had
run a wire from the station clock to
a bell in his room at the hotel By
an ingenious connection, when the
hands marked 1145 the ringing of the
bell brought him violently out of the
land of dreams. When Tom was pro-
NOTED to the shorter watch, and went
to live at Mrs. Jordans, Bill Town
send, who succeeded him, fell heir to
his room and the devils own" as
Tom called the bell. The clock was an
imitation of the old-fashioned, big
faced, caseless timopieces, with weights