Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-01-19
THE YOUNGEST ON THE ROAD
In Two PARTs-PART I.

In Two PARTs-PART l.
No. was forty minutes late, and
the local for Hatfield was standing
upon a side track, its half-dozen pas
sengers alternately reading their pa
pers and making unfavorable COM
ments upon railroad matters in gen.
eral. Under ordinary circumstances
they would have been outside, peerlng
up the track, but to-day the thermom-
eter was shifting around zero, with a
twenty-mile wind hurling sleet at
forty-fve angle against the car win
dows. Even the conductor and brake
man, and the baggage master at the
station, all mufiled in heavy coats,
were under shelter, peering through
doors or windows.
Only one figure seemed to be out
side, slight, diminutive boy at the
switch. He was bending forward
little, not to avoid the sleet, but for a
better view up the track He had
been in almost the same position for
forty minutes.
The Coast Air Line employed only
men, and those the best procurable.
No boy who lived along the line ever
thought OF applying to BrodriI, the
general manager, or to any Of his road
masters, for work. Brodrix was
man of action, and had brought the
Coast Air Line from a second rate
connecting link between two unim-
portant points to through line,
equipped with name whose fame was
as broad as the length and breadth
of the land-and Brodrix disliked
boys.
But 1ules-even cast-lron ones-are
subject to exceptions, and the switch
boy was the exception with the Coast
Air Line. He was entered on the
company's books as reliable man, at
a reliable man wages. And thereby
was connected story. AS the boy
stood bending forward, one hand upon
the lever of the switch, and the other
slightly raised upon the frame, even
a casual observer would have noticed
that the mitten upon the left hand
was not filled out properly. 1t was
the three fingers lacking there, and
long, scarcely-healed scar upon the left
side of the boys face, and the iron
nerve and quickness that occasioned
them, WHICH had caused Brodri1 to
take on his youngest employee, and
then rate him as a man. In city
hospital, a hundred miles away, the
conductor of through express was
on the way to quick recovery. He
had been very near to dsath-and
worse, very near to being responsible
for the death or manning Of hundreds
under his charge, through moment
of carelessness; but it all had been
averted at the mere loss of three fin
gers and life scar on a slxteen-year-
old country boy.
But in spite Of the icy wind and
zero weather, the boy who was re-
ceiving a mans wages was without an
overcoat. Els rough boots, which
made little pretense of keeping out
water, were held together by maLy
patches and stitches Of his own max
ing.
Already it was growing dark, and
the telegraph operator was bending
impatiently over his machine, recelv-
ing a message that No. 7 would rush
past in a few minutes now.
Suddenly there came quick, i'm
perative clicking of the instrument,
and he read, Hold, and"-then a
pause, and with whitening face he
waited for what was to follow. But
nothing more came. He tried to call
up the operator to the east, but the
instrument would not respond. Some
thing was the matter. Probably the
wire, sagging under its weight Of
frozen snow, had broken.
Then he tried the next operator
west, and the machine clicked, 20. K.
so far as l know. No. 7 due at your
place by this time"
What did it mean2 He caught his
breath sharply and staggered to his
feet. What must he do? Was there
some obstruction on the track to the
east, and was the interrupted message
for him to stop No. 7? Could he ss-
sumo the responsibility Of such a
chance Even minute interruption
of "the flyer" without imperative
reason, would call down upon him a
sharp reprimand from the manager.
And on the Coast Air Line a repri-
mand was often followed by dismissal.