The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1920-12-24
just in Time
BY WALTER J. DELANEY
%. 1920, Western Newspaper UnIon,)

| churCh Sulld ana DelnS acQualnted
with Norma Ellis that Veita Linn Sc
cured her first position. Work and
earning had become a necessity with
Veita, for her father was past buSl-
ness activity and she and her younger
brother Howard willingly stepped into
the breach. Miss Ellis was daugh-
ter Of the manager Of the railroad
yards at Lupt0n. She had grown to
very much admire and esteem the
modest, helpful young girl, who did
her part in sewing, creche work and
visiting sick and poor, and Miss Ellis
looked interested and encouraging
when Veita spoke of looking for a
position.
"This is my brother, Howard, Miss
later when they met well appearing,
pleasant looking young man who ac-
knowledged the introduction almost
cordially.
"NOrma has told me about your am
bition to do for yourself" he spoke,
"and will be glad to assist you. We
have place open in the switch yards
as timekeeper. The Office force is full
and that is all that offers just now"
~ shall be glad of any employment
to get started" said Veita.
A letter came to Veita next day from
the superintendent Of the Yards asking
her to call at his office. He explained
to her the duties required of her,
which consisted in the occupancy Of
an office in a low one-story building
almost in the very center of the busy,
busting yards Here she was to be
from eight in the morning until four in
the afternoon, checking over the tick
cts given to the makeup and switch
ing force and keep record Of the
same and make regular weekly re-
! port. The work was not ardueus I;
there was constant activity about her
and the pay was good Within week
Veita thoroughly understood the rou-
tine, was pleasant with the grimed
workers who brought her their tickets
and the yard men made a favorite of
her and welcomed her presence among
| them.
Howard Ellis passed her little box
of an office several times day and
always halted for a moment or two
to speak friendly word. One day
at noon he found her outside strOlling
for exercise along some dead track
way and engaged her in general con-
versation.
Were you ever In a locomotive
cab, Miss Linn?" he asked. mo? Nat
urally not. There Is an idle engine on
the circle rail and the way clear for a
dash around the yards. Come. | am
going to teach you how to operate
the clumsy old machine, just to show
you how simple 1t is"
Veita passed a delightful half hour
in such pleasant company and she
was quite proud when, after Ellis had
instructed her as to handling the lever,
she was able to make quite q dash
on her own initiative. She was proud
of her newly acquired accomplishment
| and 1t stood her in good stead later
and nightly affected her future.
It was late afternoon one day week
after that. There had been some trou-
BILE among the workers and only half
work was being accomplished. Veita
| had nothing TO do until quitting time
and sat looking from the open office
window when she gave a great start.
She had observed car labeled pow
| DER standing since morning near the
end of a short switch ending in a deep
| dumping pit half filled with water
| and had overheard q switchman re-
mark that it was pretty dangerous
stuff TO have among the great mass
of freight on other tracks.
At little distance from It was a
small switch dummy. steam up, but
| no one in charge for the time being.
Beyond ~ were half q hundred men
busy among the regular lines of cars.
veita had noticed Ellis giving direc-
lions among them.
In an instant, pale Of face and
quivering in every limb, Veita sprang
to her feet. She did not use the door
way but hurried out through the win
dow, for the powder car was all on fire
underneath. The result of a stray
spark of fire or the act of some dis
| gruntled worllmen, at any moment
wide, fatal peril might overcome all
Il the explosive material stored in the
ear was ignited.
Veita raced for the little switch en-
CINE. She sprang into the cab. ran It
forward against the powder car, put
on full steam and five hundred feet
accomplished drove it toward the pit
and halted the engine not twenty feet
from the pit, over the edge of whicj
the powder car plunged. Then, dazet
| GREATNESS, she sat spellbOund. There
was frightful defamation but harm
less to the precious lives about, for
the bottom of the pit alone had felt
the results of the explosion.
She must have tainted. for she was
In the arms of Howard Ellis. being car
ried to the little office, when she again
opened her eyes to meet his. And they
we're full of expression that thrilled
her, aud later she knew that her in
@,.,,iJ oouropo boJ ororSa6 bic Io