Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-07-14
HOW | GOT RICH
[Ociginal.l

ROAD. eau HOW uuuSISldlll INV ~
girl of twenty, could have filled the
position of night operator there. But
I did, and my being there resulted i'll
an important change in my life. 1t
freed me from the necessity of earn
ing my own Living.
The place being so exposed, l kept
p revolver under Il lounge in my Of
fec, on which / often rested when not
h,sv 7 confess that | never thought
I should use it even if an unarmed
man were coming to murder me.
ALWAYS handled it as l would viper
that would sting me. l often thought
what | would do if some villain should
come along to interfere with me, but
ne could not screw up NY courage
even in fancy to shoot him L didn't
soc how | would be likely to do it in re-
atty.
One night trouble came, sure enough.
Two men stepped into the station, ana
without a word one of them came TO
me and ordered me away from the tel
egraph instrument, while the otlcr
took up a red lantern from the floor
and went out. 1t was plain that the
! man who had approached Inc intended
that | should not sound a warning
while the other was to stop the tram
\ ln IN
| half an hour. Knowing as l did that
| the train carried an express safe,
srrmiscd that these men were but two
of q gang intending to stop the train
| and rob the safe.
For few minutes was frightened
nearly to death. 1t was only when the
| man with the lantern went out ana
| the other quietly took q seat where he
| could watch me that it occurred to me
| they would not likely hurt Il woman
| unless she interfCrCd with their plans.
| From that moment l began to regain
my composurc. Then l began to think
| Of some trick by which l might send
message. TO do 50 openly was lmpoS-
siblc. The man would not let me get
| near enough to the instrument. l be-
! gan to talk TO him.
Il know" | said, that it wouldn't
| do for YOU to have me touch that key
and my life would pay for doing so;
consequently you needn't trouble your
| self 10 watch me-"
I'll keep IN eye on you, all the
| same" lie replied.
ITO show YOU that have no intcn-
| ton Of touching the key III 90 and
! sit on that lounge if you will permit
~"
Go ahead" lie seemed rather tax
en- with an idea that would remove me
| further from the instrument. l got up
and, going to the lounge, sat down on
| I. My revolver was directly beneath
me. If | were a man and quick to
move and shoot, the robber would be
ut my mercy. But a woman. Great
| heaven, what was | thinking Of:
|. heard the key clicking message to
me from the dispatcher asking II the
| track WAS clear The man listened,
looked ut the key and, doubtless fan
ewing that it would be better to cut off
communication, went to it and placed
| a papcrwcisht OH it. While doing SO
| his back was toward me.
can never think of the impulse that
seized me and my action at that mo-
mcnt without wonder. 1t seemed that
a cyclone of mingled rage and resolu-
| ton swept over my brain and hurled
me into that Of which l was incapa-
| bic. In a second | had bent down,
seized the revolver, cooked it, pointed
| it at the man standing at the table and
cried ticrccly:
Hands up"
He turned like flash, started to
grasp one of his rcvolvcrs, saw by my
eve that was about to fire and put
| his hands above his head. Keeping my
| eye rivctCd to his. ordered him away
! from the table. went there myself. felt
for the key and sent Il warning.
Now that the message had been sent,
what was | 10 GO: St!llu lllcIt CONtl-
Ing the man till the train came along:
I had been able to save the train;
was not equal to saving myself. | felt
a buzzinS in my cars and that was all
knew for an interval. Then, coming
to myself, what was my relief to find
the station empty.
Rising, l tottercd to the instrument
and called the station below. The dis
patcher, angry that had made no re-
ply to his message, began to berate me
for being away from the station. AS
soon as 1 could stop him l told him
what had occurred. Since the man
who had left me knew that l had dis
patched a warning it was decided that
the danger had passed. Then the train
came on slowly, but with all hands
armed, reaching the station without in
terruption. 1t was lucky, however,
for the story I had told that they
found material gathered for barrier,
which had either not been made or