Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-30


~ DAY. the stgnal-arms of Grenofen
Socked % though q big sheet OF music
IA exploded and blown scores OF
uueyers and semiq0avers into .he ar
vRere. miracuiously, they had remain.
"a: By night, as though the red ana
Efeen and yellow stars from q hun
drod rockets had suddenly become
uethodicai and ranged themselves In
e abacus OF brilliant points against
the sky. In the daytime. too, from
the deceptive slant at the end OF the
last platform. the teiegrapn'wiles
backed up some portions OF the quay
err With a kind Of staye, and you
might amuse yourself by endeavorins
10 nick out some sort OF irresponsible
tune. After dark you might make III.
lie bets with yourself as to which req
eye would wink to green, especially Y
Won were at all acquainted with the
dfenofeu spider's-web Of lines. ana
hsd some data to 60 upon, that rem,
dared the bets fairly safe. and II you
.lost It didn't matter much. You
'couA Indulge these whims. that IL. II
vow were fancifully inclined. 1t 10
10 |e admitted that the drivers VINO
scanned that language OF signs py
day or night did not tremble mucn
about anything except the angle or
elimmer OF their particular signal.
That. certainly. worried them often;
nom the goods SIDE Sould come awful
,Urofa nities IL the way Of whistiing-
N ia astonishing what vicarious Venti
lstinn of his feeling q smart driver can
manage by means Of a few blasts oi
Mis-. vhistie-and on the long. shin
ing levels OF the main line fast pas
IseIiser trains. pulled up incontinentiy.
would utter their sentiments In one
long, disconnected. indignant howl.
barry who from his oblong. many.
wiuaoved cabin controlled q section Of
those twinkling colored stars. hay'
Ing allowed heavy mineral train 10
20 racketing by. in hurry to get
away on a branch. listened for the
cline clear" signal from the next box
on that should tell him she was sale-
II on the main. 1t came. and ne int''
mated to q huge. sulky piiot'iocomo-
tive nearby that she might cross over
To the sheds and retire for the night;
! minute later he dashed the hopes
of q light engine that also WAS tired
and wished to get home. irresponsible
lixi,x engines must not be encouraged
10 non across main tracks just when-
ever the At takes them. Then, KNOW
ing THAI the main line was clear ana
aN right, as far as his jurisdiction
was concerned, he dropped all signals
nor the boat special. pressed key 10
Inform the last box that 1t might o"
sent on, and leaned from the sliding
window to take some breaths OF the
cool. fresh night air.
The plain flame Of a waning moon
shtmmered upon the network OF raiis'
and for a minute or two curious
Whence took possession Of the ward;
everybody and everything seemed
waiting for the special. Twice a week
she. hurled her beautiful. sinuousn
length from far-away southern mar
Dor to London. swift sure and su'
preme. Should you stand on the plat
form at Grenofen to watch her siam
through, It were wise to link your
arm round some convenient pillar. lest
you be thrown of your balance by the
imitation earthquake. Out Of the
gloom would come a thin. high wall
that deepened tone by tone. a couple
of keen headlights that spread rapid
" open. q ruble. a rush, \ savage roar.
. fare Of shivering steam and hght.
and with the boom of her whistle still
echoinR In your ears she was q half
amile past, her tail-lamps crimson
fake on the murk, while bits Of paper
anu rubbish Of handbills whirled aim
.lessly in the gust Of her passing.
Well might the company "swank"
about her, AMI well might they lock
MP the line for her.
The moonlight. faint and
flne, showed Barry several
wisps Of white vapor from
waiting engines-their sound came
The long irregular outlines OF the
coal heaps: the CLINT Of a green boah
er here and there; the interlacing lad
ders and mechanism Of the signal. for.
ct. black against the pure sky.
h showed him also. Just n the
strain on line" changing from the pre-
ceding box. something that sent his
heart pumping violently. An unusual
nDise. creeping into that suspense.
made him hook around. Past his sig
nalcaoin, on the main line. in front
Of the approaching special. . small
square shadow moved comfortably.
sefenely. al by itself. quite ~ II
Saeased TO be trundling along such .
web and truly laid set Of rails.