Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-05-06

order TO the dispatcher, the omciai
%. X" seemed to squirt from the
sounder, IL came 80 quick, and the
dispatcher began giving the pay-car at
Sumner orders to run to Sturgess.
As Tommy Endorsed the 20. X" on
the hold order, two belated passengers
began beating on the ticket window
demanding tickets and checks for
their trunks. In the insistent rush
of the moment, Tommy did the ia
tai thing; he forgot to turn the hold
signal for the Mail.
He was exceedingly busy through
out the next ten minutes with tickets
and baggage, and when the Mall
rounded a curve with screaming whis-
tie and brought her string OF glowing
coaches on the signal box. II should
platform, his head was swimming in
a sort OF dizzy panic. There was hur-
ried loading and unloading OF bag
gage, the showing of express packages
from car door into Tommy's arms,
the throwing OF mail sack upon the
wet platform, and the fiinging OF an
other into the mail car, the laughter
and scrambling aboard of passengers.
a rumble of thunder up in the black
sky; then the train creaked and
Kissed and drew away-prospectively
to crash into the pay car some two
miles east of Sturgess.
Tommy, wet with perspiration and
the falling rain, began picking up
some fallen packages. AS he rose his
Ieye caught sight of the green light
burning on the signal box 1t should
have been red
Like binding flash the forgotten
order rushed upon his memory 1t
staggered him like blow, and for an
instant all the blood in his veins
seemed to rise and boil and roar in
Ibis ears
He whirled about, and express bills
and packages dropped from his hands
as If they had stung him. The rear
lights of the train were perhaps 100
feet from the platform. Like a crea-
ture suddenly smitten with madness.
he rushed after them, shouting shril-
lily. If he could only catch hold of
the handrail and swing himself up and
Ipull the bell cord.
20, Father in heaven! Father in
Heaven help mel" came gasping from
his white lips as he ran.
But the train was running faster
than he. Still, onward he tore along
the ties, shouting and pleading. He
Itripped and fell prone upon his face,
lrose and slipped and staggered; but
at that moment the world was sud
denly wrapped in fire, and shatter-
ling peal split downward, as il the
earth had opened to its core. The
Eastern Mail lurched wildly there
lcame a battering crash of draw-heads,
and the long stringof coaches stopped
Tommy scrambled to his feet, for he
had fallen with the electric shock. His
hair seemed to crackle as with fire:
there was an odd singing in his e~"s.
Despite the strange happening, how
lever his mind did not loosen its grip
on the paramount idea-the mad ne
lcessity of holding the train. Onward,
as fast as his feet could carry him,
he flew, leaped up the rear steps and
rushed through the coaches shouting
for the conductor. He found the
Iblue-coated individual by the locomo-
tive
"The pay cars coming from Sum-
ner! l got orders for you! Get back
on the siding, quick" Tommy cried.
Jim Dwyer, the engineer, was get
ting mp from the fuel deck, looking
dazed and strange. The fireman
hung pale and soot-streaked against
the banked-up coal in the tender The
conductor himself seized the throttle
lever and put the drivers on the back
turn.
Dwyer crept weakly back upon his
high seat and rubbed his forehead like
one just waking from sleep.
What happened, Andy?" he said,
Where are we?"
Lightning struck the wire and hit
the engine somehow, too! We are
wanted for orders back at the depot.
said the conductor. iii run her
back; guess you're hurt"
Il feel kind of queer all over. Some
thing seemed to hit me here u the
back of my head. But I'll be all right
in minute, l guess, said Dwyer.
Tommy jumped off with them at
the station and ran into the Office.
The telegraph table was splntered
and thrown away from the wall. The
instruments were torn apart and por-
tons of them were fused and melted
A glance revealed what the boy had
escaped. Had he been at the table
getting the trains order, or reporting
1t, he would have met instant death
His error, strangely, had proved a
marvel of good fortune.
The conductor looked at Tommy S
white face with a softening light in
his own. II guess God must be taking
care of laundering children like you,
he said. He turned to the engineer.
Jim, how did you come to shut of
steam?" he asked.
Il don't know" replied the engineer
still rubbing his head. II had hold OF
the throttle-lever, and l suppose the