minutes during the night, might cause the death of many people. Still, I know when you decide to do a thing it is useless to try to persuade you to give it up, and I can only hope for the best."
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Lewistown is the name of a station on the M————— Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, about forty-five miles from Pittsburg. At the time these incidents occurred, the telegraph office was located in the station building, like all the others on this Division. It was here that Mercedes Morris was assigned to duty, after a few weeks work as "extra" operator at various stations. The hours she worked were from seven o'clock in the evening until seven the next morning, and every night when the train on which Joe Fleming was employed passed through the town, his lantern was waved in the darkness to the pretty telegraph operator, who always acknowledged the signal by waving her hand at the window. On one or two occasions, when he did not go out on the run she expected he would, and the night passed without this little salutation, she found herself wondering why the time dragged so much. Mercedes Morris loved Joe Fleming; she acknowledged this to herself. But whether he cared for her in the way she hoped, was still a mystery. He was more attentive than many lovers are, and he never seemed to care for other girls' companionship when she was near; but, as
