The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1923-03-22
In the Signal
Box
By ERNEST LEVINE
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49, 80 western Newspaper union)
u,hraa Points was responsible sta
.,o, though fewer than dozen trains
nassed through it each day. carter
Vas white-haired fellow oil thirts-
hye-yes, snow-white. Turned "ni'e
in an evening. sa,
rbe Westbound Limited passeu
Three Points at six on winter
nigbt Passed at full speed, though
with a touch of his hand Carter eouiu
have raised the signal against ner'
That couldn't be done. she hau ~
mass to take the siding TO permit Tue
East Special TO thunder on its way
along The single track. The dispatch'
er had handed Carter the Telegram.
Happen what might, the WestDonhu
must take that siding, half mile
down the track, and to pull up meant
"a smash into the other train, whose
eehoing thunder over the bridge, TWO
miles back in the mountains, was al
ready audible.
Good, so far. Carter was mar
ried man. Little Minnie was an en-
thusiast. at six, on railroad mahase
ment. She had a box of toy rails
not the little circular track around
which a miniature tram OF an engine
and two coaches whirls till the CLOCK
work apparatus stops, and then gen
orally falls off the line. No, SIT Car-
ter was as much of an enthusiast as
Minnie. Besides, who knew that wonl-
Ell wouldn't be engine drivers ana
freight superintendent by the time
Minnie was grown?
AIinnie's toy rails reached the fun
length Of the room. There were juno
tions and sidings, toy station and
toy station superintendent The ell
CINE ran by clockwork, it's true, but
glorified clockwork that took five min
utes to run down. The coaches never
ran off the lfne-thelr 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 grlnned 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 fiutter of a tiny white dress,
right on the metals. Minnie's voice.
MY foot's caught, daddy, daddyl"
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 siding, Or
goodnight to several score of human
lives On the other side? One life,
a child's, but his ownI
Yes, Carriers 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, a
fiery monster, bearing down upon that
patch of white. The little voice--was
it imagination ?-seemed to ring In his
ears
Daddy My foot's caught, daddy"
Then the train rolled over the place.
No cry reached Carriers ears. 1t was
gone to the siding, and a 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
that man may endure without losing
his sanity, he made mis- way toward
his cottage near the line. And every
step he took he was thinking, How
shall tell Ella? How shall / 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?"
'AIinnie" He tried to tell her but
all he could say was Minnie
Minnie"
Minnie? She's inside playing with
her railroad"
.Whaty
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
timer"
"Oh, long. long time, daddy. And
what do you think? The points of the
rails ran into my boot, and / couldn't
get them out for ever so long. And
/ wished you were here to pull my
foot awayl"