The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-12-29

All his life he remembered the picture
she made waiting for him on the plat
form. 1t wasn't that she was so beau
tiful. Bellamy only knew that she
was infinitely tender and womanly.
He found himself telling her all his
hopes and plans the third night. after
he had become a regular" down at
Ma Appley's. And when he had nm
ished she had nodded her head.
Il know. | think every one should
set something ahead OF him and then
run for 1t. I'd rather be anything
than a gutter"
The thought of that had made him
hang on to his nerve through six
months of Black Creek, with its lone
illness and hard work.
The river had been high all day.
When he took the station over at SIX
Tucker. the day operator. told him he
had tried for an hour to get an an
swer from Packers Grove. twenty-five
miles north along the river.
IF there's a washout up there well
get 1t here during the night. and
Sweetwater and you'll have to hold
back the trains
Sweetwater and he. He called her
as soon as he was alone, his Sweet
water sweetheart. as he laughingy
named her to himself. Madge Lowell
on the companys pay roll.
Keep at the key she called. NO
matter what happens. don't go away
There are two passenger trains be-
sides the express, and it's up to US.
because we're at the top Of the val
ley and will get the first alarm
1t was a quarter Of eleven when
he heard the roar up the valley. He
leaned out of the little side window
and saw the river dashing below. 1t
was over the siding tracks now and
rising. He called Sweetwater and
told her the flood was booming down
the valley and the tracks were going
under. And in five minutes she called
back that the express had left Chip
pewa Junction already, but she WAS
signaling It from her station. II It
passed he must call for help.
How can II pass your
The river may get me tirst."
Then he understood. He was In
tower, but her little shack was on q
level with the tracks, few pine
boards with a water tank on one side
and a semaphore on the other. The
river would pick 1t up like chip.
He begged her to go away-to leave
the station and summon help. She
said there wasn't time, The express
was on the way up. And then Bel
lamy tried to make the key carry his
message to her, all that he had meant
to say, all that she was to him. And
she called back just this:
Il know. dear. Here comes the ex-
press. The waters up to my door.
Good-by."
He staggered to the window and
hung out, listening as II he could
have made the night tell him what
was happening out in the heart of 1t.
There came the call of the express as
It swung around the curve below her;
above the roar of the waters It came
family, a far-off, broken shrek, II
seemed to him. for help. Then ST.
Ience. He called Sweetwater dog
gedly, but no answer came. His wire
was still alive. though. and he caught
the first big town south. asking help
for Sweetwater and the express.
Through the slow. dread hours till
dawn broke he sat head down on his
arms at his table. Yet she had told
him to stick and ne lived up to her
measure OF him. answering each call
that came up the valley, warning
each town along the river. stopping
each train at the points Of safety, as
she would have begged him to do.
Tucker came an hour earlier. CHEEKY
and riotously overjoyed to find the
station safe.
Bad night. Ell? he asked.
BelIamy did net answer. H
dropped down to meet the local as It
came cautiously along. And as he
stood watching on the platform
saw Madge on the steps of the
~.ar She slipped into his outstrett
arms inyfully.
we go.them all right. Tom" she
cried. Every 'fe saved! But my
stations gone dow the river had
to come up and tell . u and | was
afraid"
tucker called down fro, the
tower:
Headquarters on the wire. ,om
Asking details on the heroic dLd
Any report?"