Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-12-08

Before he could finish he slid To the
door OF the cab.
casey. bending over him, saw he
was unconscious. but whether dead on
in Il faint ID WAS impossible for him Ian
determine In The cramped Spaee aud
under the stress of responsibility which
suddenly presented itself. Ia a dash
he realized his position. He recalled
afterward how he was planning what
To DO even as he stepped across VIVA
lens PROSTATE form and grasped thu,
throttle lever.
The IRE bed would last TO Putnam.
and there he would coerce some enc
from the sidetracked local To finish
the run. Yes, he could do it-that Is.
IL the tract was clear.
Casey WAS leaning half out The cab
window in his eagerneSs TO watch the
track and catch the signal. His dart,
eyes pierced into the great invisible.
his head was bare aud his black hair
was diSheveled mass: his neck
winch was bare also. despite the slcet
and cold. seemed To spring out twice
It's usual size from his masterful shout.
ders. His face was tense He had
called into command every bit OF hu-
man vitality he had In him to battle
win the horrible possibilities he was
racing and was facing alone.
Finally the signal came TO view very
family. waveringly and indistinctly al
hrst, then II trife palmer until he
caught its full significance.
Clear track" It Indicated.
He reached toward the lever 10
throw on more speed. but instead. out
in the black night and JUST ahead
of the cab window. glded the spirit
form OF Libbie Nelson. She was peer
ing intently ahead,
Take the sidingw she motioned To
Casey. and instantly his hand was i'm
PEELED TO the whistle and 500 was
shrieking for the switch TO the Radnor
sidetrack
Casey felt as If kind of insanity
had seized him, yet he slowed down
and then found himself watching for
the switch signal, and watching eager
ly, impatiently.
He brought 800 TO full stop. He
waited.
Why didn't they send the signal?
Would the siding never be opened?
Was 1t ice locked? What was wrong
anyway? He asked himself thou.
sand questions as he grew more and
more frantic with apprehension.
1t seemed that he had waited there
hundred years when he finally csaght
the flash of the waving lantern.
Then he had to get 800 into action
again. 1t took only a few seconds. but
those seconds seemed hours.
When the locomotive moved forward
Casey, pressing forward also as If To
carry the great. throbbing engine with
him. looked half mad with dread OF
the imminent-the imminence of some
thing terrible and near.
But 500 didn't fail him. She obeyed
the commanding touch which he ap-
piled to the levers.
And Casey was obcying the com
mands of the recognized supernatural.
yet for the life of him he couldn't I'M
derstand
The special shot on the siding with
not Il second To spare from col!iding
with the local
Then he understood. and his gray.
trembling lips murnured one word.
ihdl NOiu WIS llDDlc.
When Casey staggered down from
the cab he was weak. so weak that ir
was all he could do to stand. At first
he seemed TO forget who or where he
was. Then gradually his mind cleared
and he looked about him.
"Whalcn's come to- some one told
him. Had some kind Of Il spell"
They had taken Whalcn into the sla.
ton.
Stamping up and down in the snow
and The SluSh was tn" president Of the
road. clustering with mingled graft
tudc and s"v, :ity anI firing questions
ut the daZeI Cascy.
When Casey fully rc@aircd his senses
it was wonderful what things he re
mcmbered. things that he had scarcel.
noticed when they h1ppened. even de-
tails after he gave way TO the super
natural. One thing. however. he failed
to mention when telling Of the pc
cular influence that had controlled
him. ana that was the name OF Libbie
Nelson.
1T was premonltion" lie insisted.
young man" said the president
gripping Cascy's rough hand when
they were parting at Chicago. those
who were responsible for That affair
back yOnder viii be dealt with sum
marily.
AS for Yourself, the rules ~ this
company compel employees 10 run
tfiilns by orders aud signals instead
of by premJntlons. As you have dis
regarded a signal even though II
would have proved disastrous If you
had obeyed Il. it would he the duty or
your boss 10 dismiss you shall. how
ever. take 1T upon myself to do that
This is your last trip. Consider your
self discharged"
Casey was weary and iaded almost
to the limit Of human endurance. Ec
was The picture Of woe and would
have turned away. but the president