West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-06-21

left hand. he plugged C0llahan's house
whe and began drumming his call.
Callah0n's AYE. aye" came back In.
side Of minute, and Blackburn tap.
ped right at him, Come down" Aud
l began TO wonder what was up.
There was an interval: then Gala.
han asked. whats the mattcrT'
got up and walked over 60 the wa
Ter tank for drink. Blackburn again
pressed the key and repeated TO Gala
han precisely the words he had used
before, Come down."
His face was drawn into the very
shape OF fear, and his eyes, bent hard
ON me. were looking through me and
through the shlvoring window-I know
II now-and through the storming night,
horror set, into the canyon OF the Peace
river.
The sounder broke, and he turned
back. listened moment, but Il was
stray stun about time freight. He
pushed the chair from behind him,
stu, like man. listening. listening;
then with an effort plain even TO me
he walked across the office, pushed
open the door OF Callahan's private
room and stood with his hand on tho
knob. looking back at the lamp. II
was as II he still seemed To listen, for
he stood undecided u moment; then he
stepped into the dark room and closed
the door behind him, leaving me alone
and dumb with fear.
The mystery lay, knew. IN the or
der book. Curiosity gradually got the
Init ~ NeI.r n
the cooler over TO the counter TO get
courage and showed the train register
around noislly. crossed 20 the dis.
patchers' table and made prctense of
arranging the pads and blanks. The
train order book was lying open where
he had left IL under the lamp. With
my eyes bulglng, l read the last two
orders copied In It:
c. and e. No. 1. Ames.
No, !. Eng. sal. viii hold at oFallon's
for Special 2O2
G. ana Il. Special aO2. Rosebud:
Special 202. Eng. G95, will run to Salt
Rocks regardless OF No. 1.
Salt Rocks! | glared at the words
and the letters OF the words.
reread the first order and read again
the second. O'Fallon's for No. 1. That
was right. O'Fallon's IL should be for
the Special 202, OF course, to meet her
But IL wasn't; II was the first station
east OF 0'Fallon's he had ordered the
special TO run TO. IL was lap order
My scalp began TO creep. a lap order
for the Irving special and the No. 1
passenger, and Il doomed them TO meet
head on somewhere between O'Fallon's
and the Salt Rocks. In the Peace river
canyon.
My mouth went sticking dry. The
sleet outside had deepened into n hall
that beat the west glass sharper, and
the window shook again In the wind
j asked myself. afraid to look around
what Blackburn could bc doing In Cal
lahan's room. The horror of the wreck
impending through his mistake began
TO grow on me. ! know what I suf-
fered; ask myself now what hc suf-
fered, Inside. alone, I'm the dark
Young as / was realized that night
the meaning OF the career TO which my
little ambition urged me. The soldier,
the officer. the general, the statesman,
the president, may make mistakes, do
make mistakes. that cost a-llfe or cost
10000 lives. They redeem them and
live honored. 1t Is the obscure dispatch
er under the lamp who for single
lapse pays the penalty OF eternal dis
gracc. felt something OF II even then,
and from my boys heart, In the face of
the error. In the face OF the slaughter,
pltied Blackburn.
Callahan's room door opened again,
and Blackburn came out OF the dark.
had left the table and was standing
In front OF the stove. He looked at me
almost eagerly; the expression of his
face had completely changed / never
In my life saw such n change In 80 few
minutes on any mans face and, like all
the rest, II alarmed me. II was not for
me 10 speak II had been able, and he
did not lie walked straight over 10 the
table, closed the order book plugged
Callahan's house wire again and began
calling him. The assistant superintend-
ent answered. and Blackburn sent him
just these words:
You need not come down"
heard Callahan reply with ques-
ton: "What Is the matterT
Blackburn stood calmly over the key,
but he made no answer Instead, he re-
peated only the words, "You need not
come down"
Callahan, easily excitable always,
was wrought up. Blackburn" he ask
cd over the wire Impaticntly, What in
Gods name Is the matterr' But Black.
burn only pulled the plug and cut him
out and sunk into the chair ike n man
wearied
"Mr. Blackburn" said, my heart
humping Ike an injector, "Mr Black
burn" He glanced vacantly around;
goemed for the FIRST time 10 see me. "Is
there anything" faltered, 81 can dor
Even II the words meant nothing, the
offer must have touched him. "No,
Jack" nc answered quietly, there
isn't" With the words the hall door
opened. and Bucks, storm beaten IN his
ulster. threw II wide and stood facing
us both. The wind that swept In be-
bind him blew out The lamps and left
ms ia darkness.
"Jack. VIII you Light upT
II was Blackburn who spoke 20 me
But Bucks broke n instantly. speaking
10 him:
Callahan called me over bis house
wire a few minutes ago blackburn,
and told me 20 meet him here right
away. IL anything wrongT' he asked.
with anxiety rc1tralned IN his tone
! struck n match 7 was so nervous
that I took hod Of the hot chimney OF
the counter laiIp and dropped It smash
60 The floor 70 one said a word. and
that made m6 worse. struck n sec
ond match. aud a third, and with a
fouEth got tho lamp on the dispntchers
table lighted ~ blackburn answered
tho superintendent Something seri
nne hne hnnnenca "a -slind TO Rucka
H. -. 49, IL. ID n.-..Il..-.