La Junta tribune., 1910-08-20

Inc straih was beginning to tell on
both men aud on Whaleu In particu-
lar.
Casey was turning away from coal
Ing when he noticed Whalen lean
against the window post.
Come. take the lever for a min
ute" he called. I'm feeling bad
Before he could finish he slid to the
door OF the cab
Casey. bending over him. saw he
was unconscious bur whether dead or
In u faint 1t was impossible for him to
determine In the cramped space and
under the stress OF responsibility which
suddenly Presented itself. In a flash
he realized his position He recalled
afterward how he was planning what
TO do even as he stepped across Whu-
lens PROSTATE form and grasped the
throttle lever
The tire bed would last to Putnam.
and there he would coerce some one
from the sIdetrucked local to finish
the run. Yes, he could do it-thut is.
II the track was clear.
Casey was leaning half out the cab
window In his eacerness to watch the
track and catch the signal. His dark
eyes pierced into the great invisible;
his head WIS bare aud his black hair
was diShcvclcd mass; his neck.
which was bare also. despite the slect
and cold, seemed to spring out twice
Its usual size from his masterful shoul.
ders, His face was tense. He had
called into command every bit of hu.
man vitality he had In him TO battle
with the horrible possibilities he was
facing and was facing alone.
Finally the signal came to view-very
family, wnycringly and indistinctly at
hrst then tribe palmer until he
caught its full Significance.
Clear track 1t indicated.
He reached toward the lever to
| throw on more speed. but instead. out
in the black night and Just ahead
OF the cab window. glided the spirit
| form OF Libbir Nelson. She was peer
ing intentIy ahead
Take the sidlng" she motioncd TO
| Casey. and Instantly his hand was i'm
| PEELED 10 the whistle and 500 was
shricking Tor the switch to the Radnor
/ sidetrnck
Casey felt a II kind OF insanity
had seized him. yet he slowed down
and then found himself watching for
the switch signal. and watching eager
! ly impai.rntly.
He brought 500 to full stop. He
waited
Why didn't they send the signal;
Would tue siding never be opcncdi
Was It irr locked? What was wrong
anyway: He asked himself thou,
sand questions ns he grew more and
more fruutir with apprehension.
II seemed that he had waited there
"A hundred years when he finally caught
| the flash of the waving lantern.
Then b. had 10 get so into action
/ again, II took only few seconds. but
/ those seconds seemed hours.
Wien the locomotive moved forward
carry the great. throbbing engine with
him. looked half mad with dread Of
the lfnmincnt-the immincncc Of some
thing terrible and near
But 800 didn't fail him. She obeyed
the commanding touch which he ap-
piled TO the levers.
Aud Casey was obeying the com
munds Of the recognized supernatural.
yet for the life OF him he couldn't un.
derstand.
The special shot on the siding with
not second to spare from collidlng
with the local
Then he understood. and his gray
trembling lips murmured one word
That word was "Libbie"'
| When Casey staggered down from
the cab he was weak. so weak that IL
wns all he could do to stand. At first
he seemed 10 forget VINO or wher. hc
was. Then gradually his mind cleared
aud he looked about him.
"Whnlen's come to- some one told
him. Had some kind Of n spell"
They had taken Whalen into the stn.
tion
! Stamping up and down In the snow
and the slush was the president Of the
I
tudc aud severity and firing questions
at the dazed Casey,
When Casey fully rcgalncd his senses
II was wonderful what things he re
mcmbcrcd. things that hc had scnrcely
noticed when they happened, even de.
tails after he gave way 10 the super.
natural. One thing however. he failed
10 mention when telling OF the pc.
/ culHr Influence that had controlled
him lnd that was the name OF i.lbblc
| Nelson,
1T was n prrmoniion." be insisted,
Young man" said the president.
/ gripping Cnscy's rough hand when
they were parting ~ Chicago, those
who were responsible for that hfrnlr
back yondcr will bc dealt with sum.
mufily.
"As for yourself the rules of this
company compel employees 10 run
.