Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-02-04
ANE CREEK was q railroad
crossing on the S. and G. G.
Rnilrnal about two miles

~
Railroad, about two miles
from the division terminal
at Mercer. 1t was in the midst of q
scrubby pine forest, with a sandy road
crooking out from the trees on one
side and into the trees on the other.
There were only two or three houses,
a little general store with a porch like
the visor of a military cap. and
school house, all arranged in a scraggy
row along the railroad track.
A dozen trains whirled through
Kane Creek every day with only
Shrek of greeting and whipping
wake of fine sand. Only two of them
paid the slightest attention to the girl
in blue gingham dress who stood in
the little observation window. One Of
them was the way freight which
stopped at Kane's every time 1t came
along while the conductor handed the
girl bundle of yellow papers and
received another like 1t in return. The
other was the night express, westward
bound from st. Paul, and running at
forty miles an hour. 1t was a splendid
II VIII lllt uutSl
on the road, big Number Six Hundred
Six. AS its glaring eye flashed around
the bend in the direction of Mercer the
girl in the gingham dress often thought
of the great train as a powerful and
ferocious beast snorting and roaring
westward on race with the sun. 1t
was a beast, but it was well trained,
md 1D In thA ha,, t,ak
1t. When the train was mile away
there were always two blasts on the
whistle. Every one else in Kane's
thought they meant simply. "Wake
up, look out!'-for that Is what all
locomotives say at every crossing
but the girl in the gingham dress heard
Hello, Polly" and darted out ON the
platform and waved her handkerchief.
AS the great train thundered nearer a
hand was thrust from the engineers
window, and, although 1t was usually
dark, she could see the flutter of some
thing white, and oftentimes as the en-
gine darted past the station she heard
the blurred sound of n voice and
caught the glimpse of grimy face and
blue jean jacket And then she went
back to her place in the little station
with a sigh of deep contentment.
For it was n moment of great joy to
Polly Marshall when her fathers en-
gine went through. Polly was the
station agent at Kane Creek-any one
could have told that woman pre-
sided in the little depot, for was there
not always a bouquet in the window
and dainty pictures surrounding the
grimy time tables on the walls, and a
kitten curling upon the doorstep? At
seventeen Polly had gone in as assist
ant to learn telegraphy, and when
Clark, the agent, was called to Mercer
the company had left the Independent
girl In charge. She and her father
lived in one Of the wooden houses n
stones throw back from the depot, and
since Polly's mother died they had
been everything to each other.
Engineer Marshall was a big, silent
man, and his companions, some of
them, thought him grutf and ill-tem-
pered, but to Polly he was always ten
der as kitten. Often when she was
IL iitlle slil ne loOk llGE uONu WIFI
him to Mercer on his engine, and
while she sat on his black leather seat
at the cab window, clinging on with
both hands, he explained to her how
the big black creature under them was
started and stopped, what this brass
crank was for, and how. when the en-
gine squeaked here and squealed there,
a little oil was needed in this cup or in
that crevice. And Polly had learned
to know an engine as well rs she knew
the neat little pantry in the house at
home. Indeed, she had more than once
managed the levers and the throttle,
although it was very heavy work for
girl to do.
1t was one night late in the fall that
Polly Marshall had need Of all her
knowledge Of engines. She was sitting
at her desk in the little observation
window, shaded light throwing its
rays down on her telegraph instrn-
ments and the sounder clicking sleep
lily. Suddenly she was startled by the
sudden call of her number. Instantly
her fingers sought the keys. and she
gave the answer that signfed that she
was all attention.
Look out for" clicked the
sounder, and then 1t suddenly ceased,
and try as she would Polly could get