Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-01-09


That meant ten minutes saved.
Other duties called his attention.
Two freights just In from the west end
were ready for orders, waiting to pull
out of Heron; stock train was calling
for orders at Horse Plains; Trout
Greek wanted help for delayed way
freight up White Pine Hill against No.
3; and a helper at Arlee must come
over the mountain to have It's boiler
washed out By the time he had ST
fenced the clamor of the night hawks
west of Missoula the operator at Boss
burg reported No. rolling out Of the
tunnel.
They had made up twenty-five min
utes coming up the hill. A record run
sure enough. It meant that they would
crowd the order to run three hours
late before Swayzey whistled for the
Garrison yardpost. They must be CIV
en- chance, and, telling Blossburg to
copy for No. 1, Jack quickly picked
UP the freights to which he had given
away the time, and sent an order can
ceiling the favors against No. /, and
giving that train an order to run three
hours late to Elliston and two hours
late from there to MIssoula.
Each station repeated the order back,
the train crews signed it and were re-
leased. and Swayzey, now freed from
McLane's numbering giant, dropped out
OF Blossburg so precipitately that Saw
hill had to forget his dignity and catch
the first coach he might or get left be-
hind.
Jack tipped back in his chair again,
loosened his vest, and filled his lungs
with the cool night breeze Of June that
blew from the foothills Then with de-
liberation stuffed tobacco into his pipe
| and aided its purpose with a match.
The moonlight tipped the distant
snow caps with silver. 1t shone over
the little town which was all asleep
but for the chugglng activity Of chubby,
important switch engines that kicked
and pushed and pulled cars here and
there in obedience to waving lamps,
| spitefully banging those they cast off
against their fellows slumbering on the
side tracks. The clang Of iron on iron
echoed through the still air and
brought long-drawn ''yap zap yar-r-r"
| of defiance from a lone coyote on his
launches in the Indian burying ground
on the nearest terrace Of foothills. The
roar of the He'll Gate over It's rock
strewn channel reached the Office In a
murmur that was music to the young
| dispatcher's ears, until the sharp chat
ter of the sounder broke In to tell him
that his charges in the west were again
after him to straighten out their tan
gle.
He had just told NoXon for the third
time that If Cameron's special would
not help itself he could not reach out
and pull it along, and begged its crew
| to remember that a little time honestly
stolen is lot of help in getting over
the road, when the pages of his order
book shivered with sudden draught.
| There seemed something strange around
him.
He could not understand the sensas
! ton. He was all alone, but there was
the compelling feeling of eyes that de-
mand response. From sheer perverse-
ness he resisted the infunce as long
as he could, perhaps for a minute, call
ing himself a fool for his nervousness.
It was Of no use. He looked up from
the train sheet.
Standing between the door and his
desk was a little woman gray CARRIED,
no covering on her gray hair that was
drawn smoothly back from her face,
her eyes like Jacks own.
His mother, his darling mother-but
how did she get there? By any process
Of reasoning she could be nowhere eX-
cept in her berth on No. 1, still miles
out on the division; yet here she was.
He could not mistake form or feature,
or the indulgent smile, which had SO
often tempered her reproof Of his boy
ish misdeeds.
His lips moved in meaningless at
tempt, but he could not utter a sound.
She came slowly toward his desk as
though cropping her way, her eyes fixed
on the train sheet. She pointed to it's
margin, and said In mild reproach:
"You told me to sleep soundly for
you would guard me safely. Is this the
way you watch over the lives In your
charge, Jack?'
Dumb with fear, his eyes went back
to the record of the trains once more,
realizing some awful sight awaited
him; something which had brought his
mother to him to keep her promise;
some explanation of the warnings he
had so little understood.
Under the extended finger and at the
extreme edge of the sheet were the
figures showing Magill's special east
had passed Garrison just after mid
night when Jack had given them the
three hours time on No. 1. they had