Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-03-24

and drifting snow was making the travel
slow and uncertain. All the regular
trains had gone through, and 1t was
past IL o'clock. The Special" was not
due until few minutes after II. was
sitting there, thinking about Minnie,
and wondering what was the matter, az
she had not written for over month.
Her mother had written that she was
not well, but would be all right again in
a few days, since that time, nearly four
weeks had gone by without line from
Minnie. The sounder clicked, and
turned to the instrument Hold Spe-
cial"-no signature. l glanced at the
clock, 11:90 Then l did thing that
was calculated to make me lose my po-
sition. l called up head" to know
why. Back over the line came the re-
ply: mo such order issued. Wake
up" Ten minutes passed, then again:
Hold Special"-no signature. For
full minute l sat there paralyzed; then
| 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"
l dropped down in a huddled heap.
Alone on that mountain side, those con-
flicting orders before me, and the "Spe-
cial" coming at the rate of 80 miles an
hour. She was due in II minutes. l
must do my thinking in hurry. Click
went the sounder. Before l could get
to it: Hold Special for Gods sake.
Murphy" The order was signed at
last.
Man, l don't know to this day how
l pulled myself together; but the rails
we're beginning to culver 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
ID fool was about the last they
said. The engineer, Jack Wilson shook
his fist in my face; but one of the d.
rectors, nervous, snappy little man,
got to us about that time: Here you,
stop that!' he ordered. Got such q
thing as a 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 apirate up in the cab, aud
every man of the crew mad as thunder.
To make a long story short, right
around the curve, where the road broad
ems little and the switch begins, jacb
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.
felt like a fool when those men began
to swarm out Of that private car, and
the president was shaking my hand.
never did know what was said to me,
for right in the middle Of it, a woman
came walking up the platform with q
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"
"How did she come to be on the 'Spe-
cial?'"
"She missed the regular train, and
was waiting in the depot, when one Of
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, he brought her
through on the private car. That's all.
The boy is at Yale now, and am here;
thanks to old Man Special There's
the wrecking car now" as long whis-
tie sounded, and the division superin-
tendent strolled out.