The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-22
TIE EVENING STORY
The Message From BIeaker's.


hair an eye-Which was all he ever di-
fecped toward the sex-when he came
IN for the coal scuttIe that evening.
1aXlng his imagination for cause, Job
| surfnlsed that Rhoda wept for that her
father was laid up again with his Grip
pied baclx-a memento Of the last land
slide which he had defed in order to
| tlck on warning to others. As a mat
/ Ter OF fact, the girls tears were not
nIlal ones, but pertained to the discov-
cry that the young engineer Of No.
was no ordinary sweat-of-t brow
running man, but a chap of very diff
Lerent cal1bre, in short, q. son of the
nrst vice president, with a penchant
Lor practical kno Wedge concerning his
fathers road.
True. Dave mainteined that a man
| IS not accountable for his father. and
mad clustered reassuringly wheh RhOda
/ Wornled 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 criti-
cal, grumbled Dave, blissfuily deposit
ing q cinaer smudge near Rhoda's pink
mouth Hes self-Tnade, 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 a lot to find
Notwithstanding the vice presidents
magnanimity toward the memory Of
whilom buddy" Rhoda felt that her
! humb bic self as a. daughter-in-l Law should
/ not be Wantonly thrust upon him; par
4 1cularly since Dave confessed, light
heartedly, that the act might bind him
to an engineers life in dead earnest
She was q girl with a conscience, and
that unfeeling mentor represented that
She ought not to wreck her lovers ca
reer. Therefore Rhoda was digging
l.
er's Lift and trying to shower big Dave
into it.
Old Job. in his wordIess sympathy,
! had filled up her coal stove so solicit
that Rhoda was driven to the open
/ door for a breath of the kesn noun
/ tain air Of late November. The black
night showed only few sicSly stars
/ above the tall pines, and Job Days
lantern swinging along the winding
! path toward his own shanty. Sudden
ly this one friendly twinkle amid the
darkness lurched sideways and went
out
Job" called Rhoda concernedly.
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
burIy, evil looking men blocked the
doorway
her eyes seeking the old-fashioned pho
tOgraph hanging above it as one might
appeal to & crucifix. 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 intruders,
her back to the table and one hand
creeping out stealthily behind her.
Drop that, curse you snarled one
of the men. You'll finger that ticker
when I tell you to and not before.
It 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.
levelling a shining barrel at her head,
that there's a. rock or a tree-make it
a tree-on the track and the express il
have to take the siding. Tell EN- the
old guy Is hurt and they'll have to
throw the switch themselves" He
lowered his voice, speaking to the 9TH
ers 'Thatll 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
land dash lingo. so you can't fool US,
and youll 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
other for an instant; then the mans
brow contracted doggedly and he look
ed 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 Rosa gazed fascinatedly at the
one man who understood it. When she
had finished their eyes met again, but
his spoke only a bold admiration be-
fore which Rhoda's lashes sank.
After cutting the wires the men fed
out, engaged In muttered couoquy.
Rhoda flung herself down. her head
upOn her arms; then at the thought of
all that might vet be she drew bright
little revolver from the drawer and
held it trem blfngly- A muffed step and
Telegraph Bill stood before her, glanc-
ing back apprehensively, as II to see II
he were watched.
With a hoarse imprecation the man
lunged to the floor. his temple striking
a broken drawhead, which fate, in the
! person of Job DAILY. had cast into a
| corner that afternoon Blood gushed
from two wounds. and he lay white and
motionless where he had fallen.
In Rhoda's ears was a rumbling
reverberation She thought it was her
| own heart TIL the deck lights of a
freight Whizzed past and then she
/ knew why the report Of her shot had
not brought the other men back She
4 crouched in her chair. hiding her eyes
from that rigid, white faced object
with It's oozing blood. The wonted
+ companionship 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 a locomotives sharp cry
/ waking the mountain echoes; then the
nearer rolling thunder of a train. She