The Little River news., 1922-11-04
In the Signal
 Box
By ERNEST LEVINE


t9, 1922, Western Newspaper Union.)
 Three Points was a responsible sta- tion, though fewer than d dozen trains passed through it each day. Carter was white-haired fellow of thirty tive-yes, snOw-white. Turned white in an evening.
 The Westbound Limited passed Three Points at six on winters night Passed at full speed, though with touch of his hand Carter could have raised the signal against her. That couldn't be done She had to pass to take the siding to permit the East Special to thunder on it's way along tie single track. The dispatch er had handed Carter the telegram. Happen what might, the Westbound must take that siding, half mile down the track, and to pull up meant to smash into the other train, whose echoing thunder over the bridge, two miles back in the mountains, was al- ready audible
 Good, so far. Carter was a mar. ried man. Little Minnie was an en- thusiast, at six, on railroad manage ment. She had box of toy rails not the little circular track around which a miniature traln of an engine and two coaches whirls till the clock work apparatus stops, and then gen. erally falls off the line. No, sir. Car ter was as much of an enthusiast as Minnie Besides, who knew that wOm- en wouldn't be engine drivers and freight superintendents by the time Minnie was grown?
 Minnie's toy rails reached the full length of the room. There were juno tions and sidings, toy station and a toy station superintendent. The en- zine ran by clockwork, it's true, butsa glorified clockwork that took five min- utes to run down.. The coaches never ran off the line-their wheels were Hanged. And Minnie played and played.
 This is fathers box" she said, in- dicating the toy signal box and setting the signal against the engine, which could be stopped full tilt by touching a lever. And this is the Westbound Limited"
 Carter grinned and went off to his post that bitter night. He looked out of the window of the signal box, wait ing for the WestbOund to pass. And then, through the dark, he saw some thing white on the line.
 The flutter of. a tiny white dress, right on the metals. Minnie's voice. My foot's caught, daddy, daddy!" And the thunder of the train in Car ter's ears. And the roar of the other train across the mountain bridge.
 The train must make a siding. or goodnight to several score of human lives. On the other side? One life, childs, but his own!
 Yes, Carter's hair was snOw-white the next morning.
 He stood in the signal box, listening to the thunder of the On-coming train. There was still just time to yield to that almost irresistible impulse. To set the signal, run out of the box, snatch his child from the rails and
 And?
 The traditions of the railroad serv- ice prevailed over the instincts of the father. The train came into sight, fiery monster, bearing down upon that patch of white. The little. yoice-was it imagination?@ ?@seenned Seer ,'t to ring in his ears. - f' ""''.@'F Daddy! My foot's caught, daddy!"
 Then the train rolled over the place. No cry reached Carter's ears. It was gone to the siding, and minute later the second train passed in the opposite direction.
 Then Carter left the box.
 Two trains had passed over the place, and in the dark Carter could see nothing, no sign or trace of evidence of what had happened.
 Quietly, because he had suffered all his sanity, he made his way toward his cottage near the nne. And every step he took he was thinking, "How shall l tell Ella? How shall I tell Ella?"
 He remembered the strong scent of the vines upon the porch. He went with haggard mien up the three woOd- en steps. His wife came to the door.
 "Dear-what's the matter? Oh. what's the. matter?'
 "Minnie-" He tried to tell her but all he could say was Minnie Minnie"
 Minnie? She's inside, playing with her railroad"
 "What?"
 Carter ran into the house, incredu- lOus. There on the floor sat the child. winding her clockwork engine. He snatched her into his arms. Minnie. child, have you been here all the. timew 't'"'
 "Oh, long, long time, daddy. And what do you think? The points of the rails ran into my boot, and I couldn't get them out for ever so long. And Il