The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-02-02

kew 10 answer the call, and the super-
lntendent went quickly back to his
desk In the corner He was about to
ask how the special was coming on,
when he heard a sharp exclamation
behind him and turned to see the
night dispatcher standing rigid In
front of his key; his face was as white
as chalk.
"Great Scott, man! I've put second
81 head-on into that specialp
"What do you meanT gasped the
superintendent, springing to his side.
"Speak. mani For heavens sake say
sOmethingw
The night dispatcher had fallen
limp In his chair, and the haggard
face he raised to his chief was like
death. He pointed silently to the
open order-book.
II got that train of empties over
to the junction for them and then
gave them that meeting-polnt with
second 81. They left there ten min
utes ago and Bradford Just said o.
had run his signal board and had
gone over the hill. His light was
out"
He was speaking calmly now, but
his slow, deliberate sentence came
with a metallic ring.
THAT MEANS" he continued, "that
In about twenty minutes from now
that train load of hogs will be going
down Deanley hill at forty-mile
clip, and about five minutes later she
will land on that special, and"
"And no night man at Deanley I"
The superintendent groaned.
whats that" he leaned toward the
sounder, which was clicking rapidly.
"What is it2 asked the superintend-
ent.
watt" The word cracked like a
plstol-shot, then he began translating
slowly:
Don't worry up there Dis, I'm not
the operator here, but I got that re-
port BR Just sent and have put a glim
on the bulls-eye; it'll stop the one
that gets here first and"
The circuit went wide open and did
not close again, leaving the two star
Ing at each other in helpless amaze
ment.
sounds like message from heGv-
en-" said the night dispatcher in q
whisper.
Extra east pulled up at Deanley
tank and the fireman crawled over
the ice-covered tender to let down the
spout. A brakeman jumped down
from the caboose steps, pulled his cap
over his ears and started toward the
engine.
TELL Dave to get a move on there,
we don't want to lay out that special"
called the conductor from the cupola.
Here This amt no Pullman Lin
tied. Clear out o. herei" he called
roughly, and giving the foot a jerk,
the form of a man struck the frozen
ground and lay in heap.
The man rose to his feet and stead
led himself with an effort then stag
gered across the snow-covered plat
form to the door of the station. 1t
swung open against his weight and he
fell prone across the floor of the little
wating-roOm.
For half an hour he lay thus, when
an instrument began pounding rapidly.
He was listening intently. "At last"
he sobbed. AT last! Hang him
Hang himl And he'll die like the dog
that he isl If she was only there too
-she-she! oh, my Fannyw
Like a mailman he flung himself
against the frail door and burst into
the office.
Insenslbe to the pain, he grasped
a blazing coal and held it to the wick.
He replaced the globe with shaking
hands and darted outside to the plat
form, where he hooked the lantern to
the slgnal-board Stumbling, he
CROPPED his way back to the office and
sank into the chair at the instrument
table.
outside, above the howl of the in
creasing storm, a locomotive uttered
a single Shrek, which was echoed by
another far up the track, and mo-
ment later the two painting engines
came to shuddering stop with their
frosty noses almost touching. A
glimmer Of ruby light fell softly upon
them from the swinging lantern.
Inside, they found the corpse of a
man, his stark fingers clutching the
key Of a telegraph instrument