Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-26

you to believe IL. Y Ou Sees bTdXtOu,s wasn't any presidents son. no gold spoon railroad man. I came up from the ranks, literally, and about the first station that they gave me was not a dozen miles from here, right around the curve at Barry's I had not been married but few months, and my wife had gone east to her mother to stay some time, and I felt pretty blue and lonely when I was ordered out here on the mountain. 1t wasn't more than two weeks after came, when had orders from head" to hold a clear track for the Special" that was going through to Denver that night, with some di- rectors. and the president of the road. The weather was mean, just before Christmas, two or three days; sleet, ice and drifting snow was making the travel slow and uncertain. All the regular trains had gone through, and it was past II o'clock. The Special was not due until few minutes after 12. was sitting there, thinking about Minnie, and wondering what was the matter, as she had not written for over month. Her mother had written that she was not well, but would be all right again in few days, since that time, nearly four weeks had gone by without line from Minnie. The sounder clicked, and I turned to the instrument: Hold Spe- cial'--no signature. I glanced at the clock, 11:30. Then I did thing that was calculated to make me lose my po- sition. I called up "head'' to know why. Back over the line came the re- ply: No such order issued. Wake up" Ten minutes passed, then again:
 Hold SpeciaI'-no signature. For a full minute sat there paralyzed; then l grabbed the key and called up head" for the second time. There was no mis- take about the order that came back:
 You are drunk or crazy. New man will be sent out tomorrow. Turn over the books and get time.''
 dropped down in a huddled heap. Alone on that mountain side, those con |. ficting orders before me, and the "Spe- ciaP' coming at the rate of 30 miles an hour. She was due in 12 minutes I must do my thinking in hurry. Click went the sounder. Before I could get to it: Hold Special for Gods sake Murphy" The order was signed at last.
 Man don't know to this day how 1 l pulled myself together; but the rails were beginning to quiver when swung the lantern across them; and maybe you don't think those men were mad when they piled off that train and be- gan asking questions Drunk D-d fool was about the last they said The engineer, Jack Wilson shook his fist in my face; but one of the di- rectors, nervous, snappy little man, got to us about that time: Here you, stop that!' he ordered. Got such a thing as hand car around here?' he asked me. led the way to the tool house, and we had her out and on the track in two minutes, Jack Wilson swearing like pirate up in the cab, aud every man of the crew mad as thunder.
 To make long story short, right around the curve. where the road broad ems little and the switch begins, jacls had been placed in such a way that the engine would have been turned com pletely upside down. making about the worst wreck that was ever planned. I ASA~ AANS e HUI WuCu luO6G men began to swarm out of that private car. and the president was shaking my hand. l never did know what was said to me, 1 for right in the middle of it, a woman came walking up the platform with a bundle in her arms. right through the crowd of directors, and the president himself made way for her as Minnie placed my Christmas gift in my arms, then fell to crying about my neck"
 'IIow did she come to be on the .spe- l cial?'"
 "She missed the regular train, and was waiting in the depot, when one of l the directors passed through. Minnie had known him when she was a child. her father had been his partner out east: and she spoke to him. When he found out who she was. ne brought her 1 through on the private car. That's all 1 The boy is at Yale now, and I am here: thanks to Old Man Special There's the wrecking car now" as a long whis- tie sounded, and the division superin- 1 tendent strolled out