Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-07-06

llOlll lllS olNNlldNhSd lONcll ~ ilhloi AAAS
run. Yes, he could do it-that is, if the
track was clear.
Casey was leaning half out the cab
window in his eagerness to watch the
track and catch the signal. His dark
eyes pierced into the great invisible;
his head was bare and his black hair was
a disheveled mass his neck, which was
bare also, despite the seet and cold,
seemed TO spring out twice its usual size
from his masterful shoulders. His face
was tense. He had called into command
every bit of human 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, waveringly and indiStinctly at
first, then trifle palmer until he 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 ofthe cab win
dow, glided the spirit form OF Libbie Mel
son. She was peering intently ahead.
"Take the siding" she motioned TO
Casey, and Instantly his hand was i'm
PEELED to the whistle and 809 was Shrek
ing for the switch to the Radnor Sdetrack.
Casey telt as if a kind OF insanity had
seized him, yet he slowed down and then
found himself watching for the switch
signal, and watching eagerly, ,impatiently.
He brought S09 TO a full stop. He
waited.
Why didn't they send the signal ?
Would the siding never be opened?
Was il ice locked2 What was wrong,
anyway? He asked himself thousand
questions as he grew more and more
frantic with apprehension.
1t seemed that he had waited there a
hundred years when he finally caughtthe
flash of the waving lantern.
Then he had TO get S09 into action again.
1t took only few seconds, but those
seconds seemed hours.
When the locomotive moved forward
Casey, pressing forward also as ii to
carry the great, t1robbing engine with
him, looked half mad with dread OF the
imminent-the imminence OF something
terrible and near.
But SO9 didn't fail him. She obeyed
the commanding touch which he applied
to the levers.
And Casey was obeying the commands
of the recognized supernatural, yet for
the life of him he couldn't understand.
The special shot on the siding with
not a second to spare from collding with
the local.
Then he understood, and his gray,
tremblinglips murmured one word. That
word was "LibbeP p
When Casey staggered down from the
cab he 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.
"Whalen's 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 sluSh was the president OF the
road, clustering with mingled gratitude
and severity and firing questions ct the
dazed Casey.
When Casey fully regained his senses
it was wonderful what things he remem-
bered, things that he had scarcely noticed
when they happened, even details after
he gave way to the supernatural. One
thing, however, he failed to mention
when telling OF the peculiar influence that
had controlled him, and that was the
name OF Lbbie Nelson.
at was premonition," he insisted.
"Young man," said the president, grip
ping Casey's rough hand when they were
parting at Chicago, "those who were
responsible for that affair back yonder
will be dealt with summarily.
"As for yourself, the rules OF this COM
pany compel employees to run trains by
orders and signals instead ofby premoni-
tions. AS you have disregarded signal
even though il would have proved dis
astrous if you had obeyed if, ii would be
the duty of your boss to dismiss you.
shall, however, take If upon myself to do
that. This is your last trip. Consider
yourself discharged"
Casey was weary and iaded 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.
"But," he continued, with a twitchiny
around his mouth, "there'S something 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 a tremen-
dous hurry now. Thank you for your
splendid run, and goodbY" |"
Two weeks later Casey called ON the
president and received his reward.
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