Part 21 (1/2)

At midnight Alex called Midway Junction, and sent the order starting north the last freight for the night. Fifteen minutes later the operator at MJ suddenly called, and clicked, ”That 'Thing' is here again. It's walking up and down the platform just outside.

”There it is now!” he sent excitedly. ”And twice I've jumped out, and the moment I opened the door it was gone!

”There it is again!

”Now it's on the roof!” he announced a few moments after. ”Rolling something down--just like the other chaps said! Gee, I'm no coward, but this thing is getting my nerve.”

Though himself now considerably excited, Alex sought to rea.s.sure the MJ man. ”But you know there must be some simple explanation to it,” he sent.

”No one really believes in ghosts these days. Just don't allow yourself to be frightened.”

”Yes, I know,” ticked the sounder. ”That's what I told myself before I came. It seems vastly different, though, right here on the spot, and all by yourself, and it dark as pitch outside. If there was only someone else--”

The wire abruptly closed, a moment remained so, then suddenly opened, and in signals so excitedly made that Alex could only guess at some of them, he read: ”Did you hear that? Did you get that?”

”Hear what? The wire was closed to me.”

”Clooossclosd! Goed 6eavns! Whiiieeeeee Whyyy--” By an effort the frightened operator at the other end of the wire pulled himself together, and sent more plainly:

”When I stopped that time someone broke in here and said: 'Ha ha! Hi hi!

Look behind! Look beh--'”

Again the wire closed, again opened.

”Theeeereit waaawas again!”

Alex called the chief. ”Mr. Allen, that 'ghost,' or whatever it is--”

Once more the instruments broke out in an almost inarticulate whirr, and with difficulty together they picked out the words: ”... sounds in the next room ... yelling and groaning just other side part.i.tion ...

whispering at me through a knot-hole ... an eye looking at me ... stand it any longer ... right now! G. B. (Good-by)!”

Grasping the key, the chief sent quickly, ”Look here! Wait a moment! You there?”

There was no response. Again he called, and gave it up. ”No use. He's off like the rest of them. Well, I'm not sure I blame him. There must be something wrong. But it beats me!”

As he was about to move away the chief turned back and handed Alex a letter. ”I overlooked giving it to you when you came in,” he explained.

”From Jack Orr!” said Alex with pleasure. A moment later he uttered a second exclamation, again read a paragraph, and with a delighted ”The very thing!” hastened after the chief.

”Mr. Allen, this letter is from a friend of mine, a first cla.s.s commercial operator, who wants to get into railroad telegraphing, and who would be just the man to send to MJ.

”He is a regular amateur detective, and has all kinds of pluck,” Alex went on, and in a few words recounted Jack's clearing up of the cash-box mystery at Hammerton, the part he played in the breaking up of the band of Black-Handers, and his resourcefulness when the wires were cut at Oakton.

The chief smiled and reached for a message blank. ”Thank you, Ward,” he said. ”That's the man we want exactly. How soon can he come?”

”He says he could take a place with us right away, sir.”

”Good. We'll have him there if possible to-morrow evening,” decided the chief, writing.

Needless to say Jack was delighted when early the following morning at Hammerton he received the telegraphed appointment to the station at Midway. At once resigning at the Hammerton commercial office, he hurried home, by noon was on the train, and arrived at Midway Junction at 7 o'clock.