Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-05-03
THE DEVILS OWN
A Story of a Station
Agent
BY CHARLES DONALD MACKAY.
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Tom Dean was ticket agent and tele.
graph operator for the Union Pacific at
Wellsville. n settlement of not more
than few dozen scattered houses, the
most pretentious OF which was the
"hotel and lunchroom." About 100
yards down the track from this pOpu-
lar resort at train time" stood low,
one roomed building, the station,
Toms st. Helena.
To an energetic, ambitious young
man, socially inclined, Welsville was
well nigh intolerable, but Tom had
hopes and made the best of 1t. He had
removed his belongings from the "ho-
tel TO Mrs. Jordan's coy little cottage,
where he made himself at home He
found Miss Jordan a charming COM
panion and years ahead of the vii
lage in every way" Nevertheless the
uneventful days would drag. and the
nigbts-well, after the $50 "accommo-
dation" pulled out until IL 10, 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 haul
ed aboard the baggage car OF the COM
ing train. He was not overload of
work, but this meant the stopping of
the express, the latest newspapers and
good reading for several days. To sig
nal 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 howIed
in the wires. the red light bIinked and
fickered-
'Well. OF all the God forsaken"-
The door opened suddenly, and two
men stepped into the room, followed
by third.
Hands up-quickr' the foremost
cried.
In less than two minutes Tom was
bound, gagged and lying helpless be-
hind the partition In the baggage end
OF the room.
Hes safe. Where's JimY' asked
the man who had spoken before.
Down TO the 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 IL
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 the siding" The blind sid
Ing, an eighth of a mile beyond the
STATEN by the sand hillt 1t ended in
the gravel bank.
The terrible truth flashed across his
mind. He turned cold. Great beads
OF moisture stood out upon his fore
head. Twenty-six. with Its living
freight, was TO be switched on to the
siding at full speed.
AS the horror of 1t rushed upon him
Tom strained at the cords that bound
him hand and foot with a strength be
never dreamed be possessed. 1t was
useless. The work had been done well.
He looked quickly at the clock-10;41.
In % 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. unm indful
OF the pain. be moved his head, forcing
his chin downward. They gave. They
moved. Again he tried and again, I'M
til at last the handkerchief slipped to
bis neck.
"Help. help! Townsend Bin HeIpr'
he cried. But his voice was lost in the
knocking howl of the wind. and he real
ized that the effort was strength vast
ed and time lost.
Again he looked at the clock .-only &c
minutes remained. How fast the Sec
onds fiewl Twenty-Five
The sharp click, click, click. from the
other side Of the partition caught his