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And then there was nothing, nothing at all
A night bred in hell, thought Saent for the New York & Quebec Northern Railroad, as he stood on the platfor the track lean horizontal under the battering gusts of a violent windstorm
He was experiencing the end of a heat wave that had baked the New England states; the hottest May since 1880, proclaimed Wacketshire's weekly newspaper in red-letter Bodoni typeface Lightning hurtled through the predawn sky in jagged patterns, accoree drop in te at the sudden change as the breeze whipped at his cotton shirt, dampened by sweat from the oppressive humidity
Down on the river he could see lights froainst the downstrealows blinked off and then on again as the barges passed under the foundation piers of the great bridge Harding's station sat on the outer perie really, where the tracks of the railroad bisected in a cross Theeast over the DeauvilleHudson River bridge to Colu south to New York City
Though no drops had fallen, there was a definite smell of rain in the air He walked over to his Model T
Ford depot hack, untied a nue of the roof and rolled down the leatherette side curtains over the oak side panels Then he fixed them into place with the Murphy fasteners and reentered the station
Hirahthis favorite pastirapher down the line The panes in the s rattled froraph key screwed to the table in front of Meechum
Harding picked up a coffeepot from a kerosene stove and poured himself a cup
"Who's winning?"
Meechum looked up "I drew Standish down in Gerh customer" The key danced and Meechurunted "It don't exactly look encouraging"
Harding pulled a watch fro his eyebrows thoughtfully "The Manhattan Limited is twelve minutes late"
"Probably behind schedule because of the storm," Meechum said He tapped out his next move, placed his feet on the table and leaned his chair back on two legs awaiting his opponent's response
Every clapboard on the station's walls creaked as a fire bolt scorched the sky and struck a tree in a nearby pasture Harding sipped at the stea if the lightning rod atop the roof was in good order A loud clang frohts
"Your dispatcher with news on the Limited," Meechum predicted with unconcern
Harding bent the swinging ar position and pressed the small, circular receiver to his ear "Wacketshire," he answered