The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-17
A
BY LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

l was a telegraph operator for the I
Central Pacific railroad in one of the |
important stations when one day | re- /
ceived an order to go out for few /
days to G., a station some twenty /
miles from where l was working, and /
take the place of an operator there /
who was ILL., G. was merely place !
for the stopping of trains,
The day after | went to work at q.
station | noticed rough man looking
at me. 1t seemed to me that he was
saying to himself, With that girl
alone a man who wanted to control
the station would have an easy time
of it" But | was aware that my
imagination was highly stimulated,
and | was in a condition to fancy
that any man who cast an eye on me
was about to murder me. Neverthe
less after this man had gone | took
revolver out of the drawer of my
operating table and hung it around
my waist, under my dress skirt, with
string and in order that | might get
at it easily | made a rip in n seam of
my skirt
AS to using it | was in a singular
| state of mind. Unless I was threat
| ened with death or something worse it
didn't seem to me that | could pos
| sibly use it. But in this event | knew
! l could. | had read accounts of how
/ train robbers acted toward station
/ agents they desired TO control, and in
no instance had they injured him. En-
! gineers and express messengers they
had always shot to kill What | ex
pected in case l was interfered with
was that | would simply be removed
from the operating table. but not hurt
! so long as | made no resistance
But train robbers were not the only
danger 1 feared | conjured up every
/ conceivable injury from a mouse to a
mailman and invented methods OF re-
/ sistance. some of which-especially as
to the madman-were very ingenious
But in no case did dream of making
the slightest opposition unless in de
Tense of my own self.
The sending of a woman to such a
place was very reprehensible in the
management, for ii was simply an in
vitatiOn to any gang who might have
possible intentions to rob a train to
make it easy for themselves by put
ting the operator out of commission
and regulating the movement of trains
themselves. provided they were able to
work the wires, and in this case the
invitation was accepted. One after
noon in broad daylight but when there
was no one except myself in the sta
ton. two masked men entered and be
fore | could touch the operating key
ordered me away from it, | went to
the other end of the little telegraph OF
fee and was directed to sit down in a
chair there. | was too frightened &c
consider what they said to each other
but one OF them sat down at the table
in way that convinced me that hC
understood telegraphing. The Other
waited a few moments, then saiC
something 10 his companion and wen
out.
By this time l had regained some Of
my equanimity. The man sitting al
the table presented his back to me
II | had been a man doubtless ht
would not have taken any such risk
And as 1t was as soon as his pal haC
gone out he turned and looked me
over showing by his expression tina
he was wondering II | could commu
{ nicate in any way with the outside
>, world There seemed to be no posi-
bility Of my doing so. and | suppose
looked as I felt-that l was borderin:
on a state OF collapse.
&c | have often since been surprised a
the rapidity with which l regained m.
u thinking power. The first great re
- storative was a consciousness that be
u ing a woman and the men bent OF
IL some crime with which | was con
nected only as an operator, l was SAT
u from harm so long as l remained
y noncombatant. The first thing | nc
ticed outside my own personality wa
the trousers the man at the tabl
wore The pattern was the same a
worn by the man whom / had caugh
: eying me a short time before. Their
was a possibility OF my identifyin
him.
:. Presently he began to click the KEY
- and l read a message notifying the e.
press that was nearly due that tn
road was clear. At this marvelou
e change came over me. I pictured
- conductor. an engineer, an expires
messenger, one or all. shot to deaf
III and an express car robbed. The los
Is OF treasure did not move me. but ii
Is sight | conjured up of these men l.
up ing welteEing in their blood made
Is lion of me- took no thought for m
SIS self or the frightful danger / ra
Selling the revolver under my Skin
oil l whipped it out and cooked it. tt
re- man, hearing a click. turned Instant
&C. grasping a revolver he had laid on IL
10. table There was not an instant f
he consideration. Ny own life and Il
in lives Of others shut out the horror
he my deed. | fred without aim, only
He his direction but the bullet pierced b
he brain He fell. and in another nome