Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-11-30

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 Wha-
lens PROSTATE form and grasped the
/ throttle lever
/ The fire bed would last 10 Putnam.
and there he would coerce some one
from the Sidetracked local to finish
the run. Yes he could do it--that is.
if the track was clear
! Casey was leaning half out the cab
! window in his eagernesS 10 watch the
] track and catch the signal His dark
! eyes pierced into the great invisible:
| his head was bare and his black hair
was diSheveled mass; his neck
which was bare also. despite the sle,t
and cold. seemed To spring out twice
| its usual size from his ma>terful shout.
| ders. His face was tense He had
| called into command every bit of hu-
| man vitality he had i'm him TO battle
with the horrible possibilities he was
| facing and was facing alone
| Finally the signal came to view very
family. wavesingly and indistinctly at
| first. then II trifle palmer until be
| caught its full significance.
Clear track it 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 Libbie Nelson. She was peer
ing intently ahead.
Take the siding" 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 500 to full stop, He
waited
| Why didn't they send the signal:
| Would the siding never be opened:
Was it ice locked? What was wrong
anyway: He asked himself a thou
sand questions rs he grew more and
more frantic with apprehension
| 1t seemed that he had waited there
a hundred years when he finally caught
/ the flash of the waving lantern
Then he had 10 get SOP into action
again. 1t took only n few seconds but
those seconds seemed hours.
! When the locomotive moved forward
| Casey pressing forward also As If 10
1 him. looked half mad with dread Of
the immnent-the imminence of some
! thing terrible aud near
! But 800 didn't fail him. She obeyed
! the commanding touch which he APP
piled to the levers.
And Casey was obeying 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 second to spare from collidng
/ with the local.
! Then he understood. and his gray,
trembling lips murmured one word.
I i nat WOIu was LlDDle.
/ When Casey staggered down from
| the cab be was weak. so weak that it
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.
"Whalens come to-" some one told
! him. Had some kind of spell"
! They had taken Whalen into the sta
ton.
, Stamping up and down in the snow
and the sush was the president of the
road clustering with mingled graft
tude and severity and firing questions
/ at the daZed Casey.
! When Casey fully regained his senses
1t was wonderful what things he re
membered. things that he had scarcely
noticed when they happened, even de-
: tails after he gave way to the super
natural. One thing. however. he failed
to mention when telling of the pc
culiar influence that had controlled
him. and that was the name of Libbie
Nelson.
1T was premontion." he insisted.
Young man" said the president,
gripping Casey's rough hand when
they were parting at Chicago. those
who were responsible for that affair
back yonder will be dealt with sum-
marily
| LAS for yourself the rules Of this
company compel employees to run
J. nj .,9,r fpc
of by premonitions As you have dis
regarded signal. even though it
would have proved disastrous if you
had obeyed it. it would he the duty Of
your boss 10 dismiss you. shall. how
ever. take it upon myself TO do that
This is your last trip. Consider y0ur-
self discharged
/ Casey was weary and faded almost
to the limit Of human endurance. He
was the picture Of Woe and would
have turned away. but the president
still gripped his hand
Put" he continued. with witch
ing around his mouth. there's some
thing In you that calls for better things
than firing on a locomotive. have
your name and address-here are
mine handing Casey a card BE at
my Office in New York two weeks from
today I'm in tremendous hurry
now. Thank you for your splendid
run. and goodby"
Two weeks later Casey called on the
president and received his reward.