Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-06-12
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IcoNr1NuED.l

tcUNTINUED.1
The mystery lay. knew, in the or
der book. Curiosity gradually got the
better Of my fright. and walked from
the cooler over to the counter to gel
courage and showed the train register
around noisily. l crossed to the dis
patchers' table and made pretense OF
arranging the pads and blanks. The
train order book was lying open where
he had left 1t under the lamp. With
my eyes bulging. l read the last two
orders copied In 1t:
C. and z. No. /. Ames:
No. /. Eng. 81. will hold at O'Fallon's
for Special 202.
c. and z. Special 3O2. Rosebud:
Special 2O2. Eng. 6S6, will run to Sail
Rocks regardless Of No. !.
Salt Rocks! l 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 1t should be fol
the Special 202, of course, to meet her
But 1t wasn't; 1t was the first station
east Of O'Fallon's he had ordered ths
special to run to. 1t was a lap order
My scalp began to creep. A lap order
for the Irving special and the No.
passenger. and II doomed them to meet
head-un somewhere between O'Fallon't
and the Salt Rocks, In the Peace rivel
canyon.
My mouth went sticking dry. Ths
sleet outside had deepened into a hal
that beat the west glass sharper, anC
the window shook again In the wind
l asked myself. afraid to look around
what Blackburn could be doing In Cal
lahan's room. The horror Of the wrecl
impending through his mistake begar
to grow ON me. I know what ! SUI
fered; I ask myself now what he suf
fered. inside. alone, In the dark.
Young as I was realized that nigh
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. de
make mistakes. that cost life or cosl
10000 lives. They redeem them and
live bonored. IL IL the obscure dispatch
er under the lamp who for a single
lapse pays the penalty Of eternal dis
grace. felt something Of Il even then
and from my boys heart. In the face oI
the error. In the face Of the slaughter
I pItied Blackburn.
Callahan's room door opened again
and blackburn came out Of the dark
I had left the table and was standing
In front Of the stove. He looked at ms
almost eagerly; the expression OF hi'
face had completely changed. ] neve'
IN my life saw such a change In 80 few
minutes on any mans face. and. Ike al
the rest. II alarmed me. 1t was not fo'
me to speak II l had been able. and III
did not He walked straight over TO thu
table. closed the order book. plugget
Callahan's house wire again and begai
calling him. The assistant superintend
ent answered. and Blackburn sent hin
Just these words:
"You need not come down"
I heard Callahan reply with ques
ton: What is the matterr
Blackburn stood calmly over the key
but he made no answer. Instead. he re
peatcd only the words, "You need no
come down."
Callahan, easily excitable always
was wrought up. Blackburn" he ask
ed over the wire impatiently, What u
Gods name is the matterY But Black
burn only pulled the plug and cut hin
out and sunk into the chair like mai
wearied.
"Mr. Blackburn I said, my hear
humping like an injector. "Mr. Black
burn!" He glanced vacantly around
seemed for the first time to see ME. IL
there anything" faltered, Il can do?
Even II the words meant nothing. tn
offer must have touched him. mo
Jack" he answered quietly. "ther
isn't" With the words the hall doc
opened, and Bucks, storm beaten In hi
ulster, threw 1t wide and stood facing
US both. The wind that swept In be
hind him blew out the lamps and lef
US In darkness.
"Jack. will you light up:"
It was Blackburn who spoke to me
But Bucks broke In instantly. speaking
to him:
callahan called me over his hous
wire few minutes ago. Blackburn
and told me to meet him here righ
away. Is anything wrong" lie asked
with anxiety restrained in his tone.
struck a match. wns so nervou
that took hold Of the hot chimney o
the counter lamp and dropped 1t smas
to the door. No one said a word, AM
that made me worse. struck Il sec
ond match, and a third; and with
fourth got the lamp on the dispatchers
table lighted as Blackburn answers
the superintendent. Something ser
Gus has happened" " he replied to Bucks
81 sent lap orders at o'clock for No.
and the Irving special"
Eucks stared ut him.
"Instead Of making a meeting poin
at O'Fallon's l sent an order to ru
to OFallon's and ordered the specis
| to run to Salt Rocks against l."
"Why, my 0od," exclaimed Bucks
that will bring them together in-th
Peace canyon! Blackburn! Blackburn
Blackburn! lie cried. tearing on hl
storm coat. He walked to the tabl'
seized the order book and steadie
himself with one hand on the chai
l never saw him like that. But
looked as II the horror long avertet
| the trouble In the Peace river canyol
had come. The slest tore at the ol
depot like wolf. and, with the sas
| shiyering, Bucks turned like an ex
| cutloner on his subordinate.
"What have you done to meet III
He drew his watch. and his wore
came sharp as doom. where's yot
| wreckers? Where's your relief? WIN
have you done? What are you doing
| Nothlngf Why don't you speak2 WI
you kill two trainloads Of people Wiz
| out an effort to do anythingr
| General Debility