The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-09-01

a DOard. And TO ada 10 the kld'B'
chagrin, he was only the night man.
That he was to take the night mans
place he knew when he accepted the
| position, but ambition to plunge into
the whirling world of the railroad had
been irresistibly urgent. and he ac-
cepted.
The Kid was without companions
during the dull, dreary hours of the
neighbours to which the mourning
| wailing of the coyotes lent no cheer.
| Watson came on at and left at the
same hour in the evening. Occasion
ally he would pause to exchange a
| few commonplace with the Kid-usu-
! ally, he hurried to the camp where he
lived The nights we're long and lone
some; part of the day was spent in
repose.
| He became wearied of the monotony
| after few weeks and began to spend
few hours of the daylight in hunting
| the rabbits which abounded In the sur
rounding country. 1t was his only d.
version, and 1t gradually grew upon
him until he was filling the days with
| 1t and losing the sleep which was
absolutely indispensable If he was to
remain vigilantly on guard during his
shift
The Kid sat looking out of the win
dow in the side of the box car and
wondered how much longer he could
endure the oppressive humdrum.
No. 68 went by at midnight carrying
a green. He reported her passage and
turned to his reading. The long mel
aHcholy blast of the whistle echoed in
his ears long after the train had
flashed by with It's golden squares of
light. 1t diverted him from his book
| for moment, but his eyes slowly re-
| turned to the page, and he read on.
Suddenly he was gripped by the
dread that something unusual had &C.
CURED. 1t seemed to him that he had
been doing. He started as second 6S
roared by.
I'LL wait and then put her down"
he muttered drowsily
Again he was overwhelmed by a
subtle consciousness that all was not
as 1t should be-
He listened as the sounder abruptly
broke out in harsh staccato.
''V-V-V-S-V-V-V-S-31," licked the In
strument.
He stirred
Where have you benin the
hay?" came the query. "OS."
He hastily "OS'd' second 60 and
closed the key.
Third So by YETI" the sounder
asked
| The Kid opened his key.
Not yet" he replied.
"OK, put her in the siding for SEQ.
ond 49,"
Loaded with fast freight, second 10
was waiting at Hawk, about twenty
five miles east of Scovers. for the right
of way. The Kid clicked the order to
Hawk, and shortly afterward the wire
told him that second 70 had started.
Again the fear of error and disaster
assailed the Kid He could not resist
it. He picked up the train-sheet and
scrutinized 1t. He rose unsteadily to
his feet, horror graved In every line of
his pale, drawn face.
Third 6S went by and didn't put
her down." he gasped.
1t meant wreck, death, and disgrace.
He had slept. he knew it now, and the
truth of 1t was scared into his mind.
The trains would collide about ten
miles west of Hawk. No stations in
tervened-it could not possibly be
averted. In a neglectful moment the
/ tide of circumstances had swept aside
the placid current Of his life and
turned it into dizzying turmoil.
Should he report her? For a mo-
ment he vacillated. They would know
why 1t had happened. He need not
admit the horrible truth now.
Third 6s YETI" the key broke in ter
rifyingly.
With the vacillation had come weak
ness.
Not yet" the Kid answered.
/ He sank into his chair and buried
his face In his hands. Often, before
he became telegrapher, he had won
dered how feels the man who makes
| the fatal blunder and hurls a train
load Of passengers into the infinite.
1t had seemed to him that 1t must be
crushing, maddening-the end of all
peace. Now he knew how really dire
it was.
He reached for the key He would
do what small human thing he could
confess.
Suddenly there was roaring In his
ears. His form Strengthened in the
chair and his head went back as he
gazed with staring unbelieving eyes
as third 6S rumbled by with CLEAN of
light.
He rubbed his eyes and looked stu
pidly at her tail-lights as they .Iept
from his vision.
He sat down and thought long and
seriously. Third 68 was safe. There
had been no order on second 70. He
had dreamed that he had fallen asleep
la dream that was strange mixture
of fancy and truth.