The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-06-19
!, The Message
. From Bleaker'S
s Copyright, 1905. by Ruby Douglas
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
By Alice Crittenden Derby

turn old track walker, saw that with
half an eye-which was all he ever d.
rected toward the sex-when he came
in for the coal scuttle that evening.
Taxing his Imagination for a cause,
Job surmised that Rhoda wept because
her father was laid up again with his
crippled back, a memento Of the last
landslide, which he had def1ed In order
to tick off warning to others. AS
matter of fact the girls tears We're not
filial ones, but pertained to the discov-
cry that the young engineer of No. 7
was no ordinary sweat-of-the brow run
ming man, but chap Of very different
caliber-in short, son of the first vice
president, with a penchant for practi-
cal knowledge concerning his fathers
road
True, Dave maintained that a man
Is not accountable for his father and
had clustered reassuringly when Rhoda
wormed out of him the admission that
his sire had shown a tendency to a
hot box when told of their matrimonial
plans.
dad needn't be so doggoned crit
ical," grumbled Dave, blissfully deposit
ing cinder smudge near Rhoda's pink
mouth. He's self made, every inch of
him; began at rock bottom forty years
ago. He isn't snobbish either in some
ways. He's often told me that I'm
named for an old buddy of his; some
one he thought the world Of and would
give lot to flnd"
Notwithstanding the vice presidents
magnanimity toward the memory of d
whilom buddy" Rhoda felt that her
humble self as a daughter-in-laW
should not be wantonly thrust upon
him, particularly since Dave confessed
light heartedly that the act might bind
him to an engineers life in dead ear
nest She was girl with a conscience,
and that unfeeling mentor represented
that she ought not to wreck her low
er's career. Therefore Rhoda was dig
ging little heart grave that night at
Bleaker's Lift and trying to shovel big
Dave into it.
Old Job in his wordless sympathy
had filed up her coal stove so solicit
ously at 10 o'clock and again at / that
Rhoda was driven to the open door for
breath of the keen mountain air of
late November The black night show
ed only few sickly stars above the
tall pines and Job Days lantern
swinging along the winding path to-
ward his own shanty. Suddenly this
one friendly twinkle amid the darkness
lurched sideways and went out
Job" called Rhoda concernedIy.
"Job, did you fall?"
There was no answer and the girl
turned resolutely within the Office She
had lighted another lantern and was
reaching for a wrap when unusual
sounds made her wheel quickly. Five
burly, evil looking men blocked the
doorway.
Rhoda stepped across to the table,
her eyes seeking the old fashioned pho
tograph hanging above 1t as one might
appeal to a crucidx 1t was the like
ness of her father, whom she idolized,
and she was taking counsel of him
now and also thanking God that it
was she on duty that night instead Of
him. Then she coolly faced the In
truders, her back to the table and one
hand creeping out stealthily behind her.
drop that, curse your snarled one
Of the men. You'll finger that ticker
when 1 tell you to and not before.
Seer
1t was the ugliest villain of them all
who spoke, and Rhoda's arm fell at her
side.
"Now you'll wire the old man at
Rumford," the fellow commanded, lev
cling a shining barrel at her head,
that there's a rock or tree-make it
a tree-on the track, and the express II
have to take the siding. Tell 'em the
old guy is hurt and they'll have to
throw the switch themselves" He low
cred his voice, speaking to the others.
'"That'll give us time to fix the engineer
and get aboard?"
His accomplices nodded.
Now hump yourself, girl. This man,
Telegraph Bill, is next to the dot and
dash lingo, so you can't fool us, and
you'll do the job up proper or it'll be
all day with YOU A metallic click
emphasized the threat
Rhoda glanced slowly about the cir
Gle of dark, sinister faces. Coming
last to Telegraph Bill, she saw that the
man was listening intelligently to a
message passing over the wire, and she
knew the leader had spoken truly.
They were not to be fooled.
An ashen pallor overspread her face.
She reached hesitatingly for the key.
Her fingers stiffened on it unwillingly
and jerkily the instrument began to
tick At the first sound Telegraph Bill
looked up, and their eyes held each 9th
or for an instant, then the mans brow
contracted doggedly, and he looked
down. Even a train robber may not
relish seeing a loyal hearted woman
compelled TO betray her post.
Tick, tick, tick, sped the message,
while Rhoda gazed fascinatedly at the
one man who understood it. When she
lad finished their eyes met again, but
his spoke only bold admiration before
which Rhoda's lashes sank.
After cutting the wires the men fled
out, engaged in muttered colloquy.
Rhoda flung herself down, her head
upon her arms. Then, at the thought Of
all that might yet be, she drew bright
held 1t tremblingly. A muffed step and
Telegraph Bill stood before her, glanc-
ing back apErehensively, as If to see If
he we're watched
The girls weapon flashed aimlessly.
With a hoarse lmprecation the man
lunged to the floor, his temple striking
broken drawhead, which fate, in the
person of Job DAILY, had cast into
corner that afternoon. Blood gushed
from two wounds and he lay white and
motionless where he had fallen
IN Rhoda's ears was running re-
verberation. She thought 1t was her
own heart till the deck lights of
freight whlzzed past and then she knew
why the report of her shot had not
brought the other men back. She
crouched In her chair, hiding her eyes
from that rigid, white faced object with
its oozing blood The wonted eOmpan-
ionship of the sounder was gone and
the mournful signing of the pine trees
without seemed a ghostly requiem for
| slain hope
After many hours, she thought there
came locomotives sharp cry, waking
the mountain echoes; then the nearer
rolling thunder of train. She heard
the brake shoes grind upon the wheels
and then oblivion EMBODIED her, unpene-
I u.
firing which followed.
What she knew next was that Dave
bent over her, pressing her dropping
head against the breast of his sooty
coat The room was full of men,
some of them bound and gagged.
Among these latter was Job. for once