Evening journal., 1907-06-12


orator went TO her boarding house for
the night and resumed duty at 8 next
morning. The Office ut Marion, the
next one east, was run on the same
schedule At 6 o'clock in the evening
Of the fifteenth day the track gang
came IN and reported all safe. At Z
the passenger train whizzed by with
out stopping, and ten minutes later the
girl was ready to 90 home. AS she
stepped out into the rain and dark
ness she heard shouting down the
tracks, and Eve minutes later an af-
friehted hobo appeared and called out:
"say, now, me partner is buried I'M
der about 100000 tons OF dirt back
dere IN de cut"
"Do you mean that one Of the banks
has caved lnf" was asked.
"More'n an acre Of IT, Itll take a
whole week to dig me part IT out.
Better git de telegraph work. If
train runs into dat heap, you won't
find nuttln' but spllnters left"
The girl turned and ran back to the
Office, and as soon as she could light a
lamp she began calling FOR Marion.
The through freight was due soon aft
er 8. It must be notified and held.
Her calls were not answered. The op-
orator was of duty, as he had a right
to be. There was no telephone service
between the towns The tramp had
disappeared into the night, as II fear
Ing that the railroad company would
hold him responsible for the caye-in.
The depot was good half mile from
the village In fifteen minutes after
the tramps FIRST report The girl was
ready. With matches IN her pocket
and a red light IN her hand, she was
making her way down the tracks In
the face OF the wind and the rain. Yes,
there had been a cave-ln, and a bad
one. For a space OF a hundred feet
the tracks had been buried ten feet
deep.
The girls only way was to Chamber
over the dirt and rocks and brush.
Sometimes she was caught and held,
and sometimes she met with a fall.
and twice her lantern was extin-
gushed and had 10 be relighted She
pushed ahead. however, until she
reached the western end of the long
| bridge. II was standing stanchly.
She saw the light Of a locomotive a
mile beyond and began waving the
danger signal By and by the train
came to a stop almost at her feet It
wasn't the freight, but a special, and
among the anxious men who left the
coaches and came running along to
make inquiries was the division super
intendent Cloaked and bedraggled as
she was, the man did not recognize his
discharged operator.
"How did It come about? why didn't
a man come to give warning?" he
asked.
"a tramp told me Of II, and there
was no man to send" she replied.
"You must be from the village, and
perhaps you can tell me where the girl
operator boards. must get into the
station and try to raise Vincennes by
telegraph
Ten men followed the light Of the
girls lantern over the great heap OF
debris and to the depot. The division
superintendent was surprised when
she unlocked the door and entered. He
was more surprised when she laid
aside her sodden hat and cloak and sal
down to the key and began calling
each way and finally received re
sponse He gave her no instructions
He simply listened and waited. She
ordered a wreclying crew to the spof
and then turned from the key to meef
his eyes.
"I-aw-beg pardon" he said
Il don't understand, sir" she replied
"You're-aw-Mi williams"
Certainly"
"And two weeks ago ~
discharged me for being a woman
/ have five days yet, believe. Yoy
win find everything in order when th'
day comes"
"But, Miss williams. I was laborini
under a misapprehenslon, It seems
You sce"-
Il am woman, sir, and there car
be no misapprehension, and bid yo'
good nightw
Six weeks later the division superin
tendent stepped down and out. TIL,
president Of the road had sat up L
take notice, and the discharged CIR
was bossing things In one Of the bes
Offices on the line.