Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1906-09-28
The Message
From Bleaker'S

Copyright, 1909. BY Ruby Douglas



. The night operator at Bleaker's Lift
had been crying. job DAILY. the taci-
4, turn old track walker. SOW that with
half an eye-which wns all he ever di-
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 dehed In order
70 tick on a warning TO others. As a
matter OF fact the girls tears were not
dial ones, but pertalned to the discov-
CRY that the young engineer OF No. Z
was no ordinary sweat-of-the-brow run
ming man, but a chap OF very different
calibcr-In short, a son Of the first vice
president, with a penchnnt for practl-
col knowledge concerning his fathers
road.
True, Dave maintained that q man
Is not accountable for his father and
had clustered reassurlngly when Rhoda
wormed out OF him the admission that
bis sire had shown q tendency to q
hot box when told Of their matrimonial
plans.
"Dad needn't be so doggoned CRIT
ical," grumbled Dave. b~lIssfully deposit.
ing q cinder smudge near Rhoda's pink
mouth. Hes self made. every inch Of
him; began Mt 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 q lot to find"
Notwithstanding the vice presidents
magnanimity toward the memory OF a
whflom buddy" Rhoda felt that her
humble self as a daughter-in-laW
should not be wantoniy thrust upon
him, particularly since Dave confessed
light heartedly that the act might bind
him to an engineers lifo in dead err
nest. She was a girl with a conscience.
and that ~unfeeling mentor represented
that she ought not to wreck her low
eTs career. Therefore Rhoda was dig
ging n little heart grave that night at
Bleaker's Lift and trying to shovel big
Dave into II.
Old Job in his wordless sympathy
had filed mp her coal stove 40 solicit
ously Mt 10 O'Clock and again ut I that
Rhoda was driven to the open door for
a breath Of the keen mountain air OF
late November. The black night show.
ed only a few sickly stars above the
tall pines and Job Dnly's 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 c~oncernedly.
"Job. did you fallT'
There wns no answer, md 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 mon blocked the
doorway.
nhoda stepped ncross TO the table,
her eyes seeking the old fashioned pho
tograph hanging above It as one might
appeal to q cruciax. II 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
AAhs AhCh bho NOOh9 AdNCQ luS IN
truders, her back to the table and one
hand creeping out stenlthlly behind her.
Drop that. curse your snarled n
Of the men. you'll finger that ticker
when l tell you to and not before.
Seer
II was the ugliest villain OF them all
who spoke. and Rhoda's arm fel, at her
side.
-Now you'll wire the old man at
Rumford." the fellow commanded, lev
cling q shining barrel nj her head.
that there's a rock or q tree-make It
a tree-on the track. and the express II
have to tako the siding. Toll EN- the
old guy Is hurt and they'll have to
throw the switch themselves" Ito low
cred his voice, speaking to tho others.
|That'l give us time to Ok the engineer
and get NboardT"
His aecomplices nodded.
Nov hump yourself. girl. This man,
Telegraph Bul. Is next to the dot and
dash lingo. 50 you can't fool us. and
you'll do the sob mp proper or it'll be
all day with you" A metallic click
emphasized the threat.
AhodA 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 O~verspread her face.
She reached heSitatingly for the key.
Her fingers suGened on II 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 doggediy. and he looked
down. Even a train robbar may not
relish seeing a loyal hearted woman
eomrelled to betray her post.
Tick. tick. tick. sped tho message.
while Rhoda gazed fascinatody at the
/ mTaA man 40 .nwA.a-a--n A. UTam. -.