The Forrest City times., 1904-03-18

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 Braxton flicked the ashes from the end of his cigar: How about your own ex- perience with him?"
 1 The superintendent looked at his watch. Its about time they were get l ting here with the wrecking crew Yes. l l don't mind telling it-Fm not asking i you to believe it. You see, Braxton. I wasn nt any presidents son, no gold spoon railroad man. l came up from l the ranks, literally. and about the first station that they gave me was not a 1 dozen miles from here. right around the curve at Barry's l had not been married but few months. and n4F wife had gone east to her mother to stay some time, and l felt pretty blue and lonely when l was ordered out here on the mountain. IL wasn't more than two weeks after l came. when l had orders from head" to hold clear track for the Special that was going through to Denver that night. with some Gi- rectors and the president of the road. The weather was mean. just before l Christmas. two or three days. seet, ice and drifting snow R as making the travel slow and uncertain. All the regular i trains had gone through and il was past II o'clock. The Special was not 1 due until a few minutes after 12 was sitting there thinking about Minnie and wondering what was the matter. as she had not written for over a 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 a line from Minnie. The souuder clicked. and , turned to the instruments Hold Spe- eiafs-no signature. l glanced at the clock ll;30 Then did thing that was calculated to make me lose my po- sition. l called up @bead. to know why. Back over he line came the re- ply: No such order issued Wake up. Ten minutes passed. then again; Hold Special'-no signature For a full minute l 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 /"
 l dropped down in a huddled heap. Alone on that mountain side. those con- tilcting orders before ne. and the "Spe- elai coming at the rate of % miles an hour She was due in F minutes. I must do my thinking in a hurry. Click went the sounder Before l could get to it: Hold Special for Gods sake. Murphy. The order was signed at l last
 Man, I don't know to this day how 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 of 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- reetors. nervous, snappy little man. got to us about that time: Here you. l stop that he ordered Got such q thing as hand ear 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 i swearing like pirate up in the cab. and every man of the crew mad as thunder.
 To make a long story short, right around the curve, where the road broad ens llttle and the switch begins. iac,. had been placed in such way that th.- engine would have been turned com pleteiy upside down, making about the worst wreck that was ever planned. I 1 felt like fool when those men began to swarm out of that private car and 1 the president was shaking my hand l never did know what was said to me for right in the middle of 1t. woman came walking up the platform with a bundle in her arms. right through the i crowd Of directors. and the president himself made way for her as Minnie I placed my Christmas gift in my arms 1 then fell to crying about my neck"
 How did she come 10 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 q child her father had been lis partner out east and she spoke to him. When he found out who she was. Tle brought her through on the private car. That's all. The boy is al Yale now. and am here. thanks 10 old Man Special. There's the wrecking car now as a long whis- ! lie sounded. and the division eunerir. 1 tendent strolled out.
 He Didn't Have to Prove If