Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-13
THE YOUNG OPERATOR.

fou were probably In your coy.
wcil-warmed room, listening to tho
storm outside. You heard the wind
hs IL shrieked about the housetop
ana roared In the trees. You knew
that soon the snow would be flying
IN hurrying gusts through the mir
and by morning the earth would be
covered with white blanket while
the tcn'pcraturc would be lowering
around zero
II pity those who are out OF doors
tonight" you said as you drew, your
chair closer to the fire and read
some book or paper.
II was on this night that Craig
BALDWIN, n young man OF Is years.
Eat at his desk in one-room struc-
ture called the tower" on the T.. q.
VI. G. L. railroad.
Craig had been operator at the
tower for about four months. hav-
Ing been promoted from the railroad
shops. whore he had the position OF
can clerk. During his spare time
ne was taught biography by old
jan. the shop operator. Learning
rapidly. hc applied for his presen,
aosstipn. which WA then open. AL
though there wcr" other applicants
the luck fell ON Craig and he was
given trial.
AZ Craig sat typ.wri,ing a mes
sage he had just received. n knock
was heard At the door, and who
should enter hut Norman Barrett.
Cratg's friend and chum!
Hello Norman How's the
weather. asked Craig. rising.
Pretty rough. Craig. Wen have
some deep snow before morning.
I'm afraid How about a little more
frcr'
Sure" replied Craig. and he
threw some coal ON the now dying
fire.
We'll. guess I'll have time TO
rest a little now" added Craig. ns
lac followed Norman ia pulling his
| chair closer to the fire. What have
you been doing today
I've been collecting for dad to-
day. Pretty hard work. tell you
Hello. There's somebody calling
me. wish those fellows would use
some pity some time" remarked
Craig, as he clasped the receiver
over his head.
few minutes OF silence passed
casionally by CraiG's pen scra,chini.
on the telegram pad.
Great Cacsar-' he gasped AS hr
rose from his chair and walked
towards Norman with the message
In his hand. johnson. nj Rawlins,
says the bridge just this side of
there, over which the spur track
runs. has been washed away. He's
tried to get Sparta for the last half
hour. but there's something wrong
with the wires between here and
sparta. Forty-three Is due there at
o'clock and IL We could only get
sparta they could stop her there"
How about us stopping her here 20
questioned Norman.
That's just the trouble. Forty.
three doean't come by here. You
sec. the spur track switches on
from the main line at Sparta and
goes around that stretch Of woods
TO Rawlns."
They were silent for while, then
craig said. Il got 1t! You know
enough about telegraphing TO send
sparta message telling them 10
ho!d Forty three until they hear from
somebody again. It's just ten min
utes before Forty-three gets there.
Watch the clock and in five minutes
send the message"
Before Norman could say anything.
Craig had grabbed his hat and coat
and was gone.
II had started slecting and showing
by this time. and the thermometer
was registering around 10 degrees.
once outside. Craig slipped into
his coat and pulling his hat down
on his head. started out In the di-
rection Of Sparta. five miles away.
Craigs Idea was in following the
wires until he could find the broken
place or the cause OF Sparta not an
swcring.
lie kept at lively pace. Keeping
his eyes always on the few wires
overhead. which showed up dimly In
the rays OF his flashlight.
He had been gone four minutes. by
his watch, without finding any de-
fective wires, when suddenly he stood
as II parallyzed. There halfway be-
tween two poles the wire had been
snapped by falling branch OF tree.
4 half-minute more and Norman
would be sending his message over
the line.
For the first time since leaving the
office Craig felt the cold. He had
kept himself warm while running.
but. as soon AZ he stopped he began
TO feel his feet tinS!e.
Gee! 1t is cold out here, sure en-
ough." he murmurcd. rs he picked up
one end of the fallen wire and reached
for the other end. TO his surprise
he found he could not reach it, PULL
ing the wire taut. he placed one foot
on II. Lying ont his full length he
just succeeded In reaching the other
wire. II was now an easy matter TO
get the two wires In each hand. but
still they would not reach on account
of the distance between the two was
longer than when they were in their
original position.
Craig. whose feet were now numb
with cold. felt n sleeping sensation
passing over him. when sharp pain
almost caused him TO drop the wires
but he remembered. Norman was
calling Sparta!
What was all this pain for?" he
thought. why burn my hands SO?
Oh, yes! Norman was calling Sparta.
Eut who was Norman and Sparta?
And all those lights? They are fad
ing now! Oh! that pain again" Then
darkness.
When Craig again opened his eyes
he was lying on q bed, ut home. Over
him WAS bending tho family doctor.
whilo Norman and his mother stood
at the foot of tho bed.
Ibid you get them, Norman?" asked
Craig, as he looked around the room.
.'Ob yes And YOU, too" answered