Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-02
DAILY SHORT STORIES

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tribute Of silent tears. A baby. a poor
helpless waif fsom foreign land. had
done what has baflled the logic Of
centpries-it had broken the granite
barriers Of social caste and captured
the citadel Of the common human
heart.
The snow blockade was raised. and
the train moved on. And Pacifica rul.
ed her moving autocracy with her
scepter OF love as they passed Ogden.
crossed the sagebrush deserts OF Ne,
vada and climbed the Sierras. She
wanted for nothing that her loyal sub
jects could supply. AS each successive
crew took charge OF the train the train
baby was duly aud cheerfully accented
as a part thereof. These blunt rough
men OF the iron rails were us gentle
and tender with the orphaned child
whom chance had thrown In their way
as though she had been of their own
flesh and blood. II she was frctful nj
a siding on desert watering tank she
would DO taken out OF her car ana
passed about among the tn,Inmcn.
train dispatcher. conductor. engineer.
fireman. brakemen. porters, baggage.
men and hotel runners, all taking
awkwark turns at holding her or 9th.
erwise contributing To her entertain.
ment. Pacifica owned the train and
the whole works.
The Sierras were crossed. Saeramen.
to was reached and passed, and the
train headed south toward the San
Joaquin and Los Angeles.
A few miles south OF Sacramento n
storm. suddenly blowing In from tho
ocean, was encountered. which IN.
creased In violence as they neared
Bakersfield and the Tehachepi uoun.
tains. WV.
| At bakersfield the wind was blowing
n hfty mile clip, and the rain was com.
Ing down like cloudburst.
"Ticklish business up there. Rogersr
yelled tho conductor to the engineer as
he waved his hand toward tho storm
swept heights of the Tehachepl Rog.
ers had no need 70 be told OF the dan,
ger Of landslides I'm this the first Sc,
we're storm OF the season. -
e. II was IL o'clock that night when tho
engineer stopped for water a short dis
lance below tunnel No. 8. Tho night
was very black, and the storm beat and
roared about the train like an army
or demons. The traipnien, incased In
their long raincoats, flashed their Ian
terms about. examining bookings. test
ing air brakes and otherwise making
ready for the next run. when suddenly
Pacihca's baby wall from her car Just
back OF the mail car arose above the
noise Of the storm.
1t reached the ears OF the engineer
walking back by the tender and
straightway, instead OF the sci Gaming
wind and peiting rain, he heard the
voice of his own child calling to him
from new made gravo In Los Ange-
les, and Instead Of the two glistening
rails stretching away from the head
iight into the gloom he saw the Mead
Ing eyes and outstretched arms of his
dead boy. And the heart Of the brave
man came up I'm his throat, and he felt
coming over him the weakness that for
days had incapacitatcd him after his
loss.
"oh. my Godw he muttered to him
self ms the plaintiye cry again smote
his ears. "That sounded like little
Bob"
1 Ana then Engineer Rogers did an un.
4 precedented thing. Telling his fireman
he would return In minute, he start.
ed back through the storm to where
Paciiica lay crying and refusing to be
comforted.
Dripping with storm water. he edged
ms way through the circle OF attend
ants and bent over the train baby's
crib. =
The crying instantly ceased Wheth.
er II was the play of the car lights on
us wet raincoat or the hypnotism or
love In his presence there was no tell
ing Hut the plant stopped aud was
not resumed until he had toyed with
her for moment and turned To- 90.
Then the wailing began again, nor
dld IL cease until the engineer turned
ana again smiled down into the big
blue eyes.
The moments followed each other
unnoted. and the Southern Pacific
Overland limited was being held while
her engineer played with an orphaned
ernigrant child. Again and again he
tlrred to go. and again and again the
baby arms were held out I'm irresistible
! appeal.
suddenly the roar OF the storm out.
slde was Interrupted 10y a deeper aud
more Significant roar. mingled with
/ rendlng. crashing sounds. followed by
a conclusion which shook the whole
mountain side.
a landslide. Not n trainman but
recognized these oIninous sounds. In.
stantly a handcar was manned and
went forward TO reconnoitcr.
a mile mp the track they found the
mouth Of tunnel No. . completely bar
| ricaded by n vast mass OF huge bowl
ders and earth and tree trunks. swept
from their anchorage os the heights
/ above