The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-11-16
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The FIRING OF sHEILA
BY SADIE rHEREsE MOORE.
(Copyrightl

NNOpyTlBnl.l
By the way, wonder why the lady
telegraph operator is never heard Of
in song or story7 Oh, she receives
honorable mention" of course-a sort
of "also ran" along with the hosts who
represent the modern working-wom-
an; but-well. you know. there is the
golden-haired stenographer. shy on
shekels but long on lineage. who wins
the calloused heart Of her employer
by her proud. sweet dignity; the gen.
tie bookkeeper who supports mother
dear and seven small brothers In ev-
cry Sunday school magazine; the wise
and winsome department store maid
en-; the pompadoured hello-girl, and
the pert hello-girl, and the hello-girl
who was intended for higher things;
but where is the lass who pounds the
brass and tells folks when the eight
o'clock train is due?
And yet. methinks. she could fur
nish material for countless thrilling
plots. For instance, have never told
you how Sheila saved the general man.
ayers special and won fame and glory
You know how am about Sheila
but If you had sister with eyes like
fringed violets-gray violets she
could make you believe pink was sky
blue.
Sheila had been telegraphing about
year then. and. suppose, hating it
as bad as her dear, loyal little soul
would allow. She thought she must
love it for my sake; for the "frightful
CHATTER" is music to my ears. and the
smoky, busy, noisy atmosphere joy to
my soul.
We came out to Bandera together
one splendid September evening. the
setting sun giving a Midas touch to
hills and narrow green valleys. Oh,
1t is quite the dearest little plaoe-one
of those wide, deep western canyons
where you drop down into hills from
vast plain and wonder how you got
there.
was to work first trick"-eight
o'clock until four. and sheila third
midnight till q. m. went to work
the day after we arrived. but Sheila.
having full day at her disposal, must
see the country and do some sketch
ing.
Cousin Dan and his wife live there.
and we were to stay with them. Right
after dinner Dixie, their little noun
tain pony. was saddled for Sheila, and.
Dan and Annie riding burros. they
started for the pass. It was nearly
seven when they returned. and Eheila
spent the evening rhapsodizing over
it.
"Ah. Nora" said she. ''such view,
such splendors in coloring, such end
less depths below! Cousin Dan says
he would not trust any horse but
Dixie across the pass. but she is as
sure-footed as one of the burros; and
then the other side. with the railroad
winding around and on again-oh, you
must see I'll" which, OF course.
agreed to do the first opportunity.
Sheila slept four or FIVE hours, which
is all the child could do. having had
good nights rest the previous night.
and went to work at midnight. Next
morning when I went on duty there
was woe and devastation on every
hand.
Sheila explained to me first. Her
new call bothered her. She hadn't
heard It often enough. so that her
hand would go unconsciously to the
key at the first click, as all good oper-
ators' should do. Once the dispatcher
had evidently been calling her for
some time. and wanted to know what
she meant by sleeping on duty"
The first thing that copied when +
sat down to the desk was message to
the agent: "Mr. Jones, Of 'VX,' will
report for duty as third-trick operator,
relieving Miss Conor. discharged for
sleeping on duty
Oh. It couldn't be truei My road
would never do me that way; the road
had toiled for and fought for and
loved. better than anything except
Sheila.
called the chief up to explain that
Sheila was not asleep on duty. She
had not learned her call well yet, and
but he broke In with: That makes
no difference. We haven't time to edu-
cate her into remembering her CALL"
Il know that" / flashed back; but
! think you at least ought to let her
resign and get clear record"
"Hal" he said: she resigned too
late.'-
"All right" answered; here's
mine." and wired my resignation right
there. in spite Of my six years. senior
ity.
Mad! I was 30 mad was sick. Il
think learned TO hate in seventeen
different ways in the next twenty-four
hours
think Mr.. Chief was somewhat sur
prised at my resigning, but he accept
ed 1t with the dignity which doth beflt
his Office. and sent two men to relieve
US that night Next morning Sheila
and / laughed in the face Of unkind
fate, saddled the ponies. and had a
long ride down the valley, coming
back by the depot to see how the
west-bound train was. Mr.. Jones
seemed to be trifle ratified as he re-
peated an order. but for once wasn't
listening to the purport Of it.
About FIVE minutes afterward he
gazed anxiousiy down the track and
remarked: THAT special ought to be
here"
"Herel" echoed Sheila. Wasn't
that the train we saw as we came back
from our rider"
Mr.. Jones turned pale. "why-no-
! don't think So" he stammered. Il
dropped on few minutes. but"
"Wait-let me see that order!" I
yelled. do you know what you've
done?"
But Sheila already knew and, with
torpedo In one hand and red flag in
the other, was on Dixie's back and of
toward the pass.
This was the order:
"'No.- SO will hold the main track
and meet Special So west of Bandera.
Special So West gets this order at
Bandera."
You see. Bandera Pass virtually con.
meets the road on one side Of the
mountain with 1t on the other side,
and If Sheila could get over there be-
fore the special passed It seemed a
vain hope. but there was some slow
track this side Of the curve. and that
left a chance.
sat down to the key. and gave the
situation as briefly as possible. The
special had been long overdue at Ban